I kept waiting for it to take off, but it didn't, for me. Cast is marvelous, premise is one we know, but it was flat.
First, the attempts at Southern accents were awful. Could be that since I'm a Southerner and used to the real thing, it's so glaring when someone isn't the real deal. But, I got used to it.
The characters were delightful, mostly. There's not much to spoil the interaction between Viola Davis and Allison Janney, both wonderful together. McKenna was a lovely, sensitive addition, as were all the kids in Troop 0. Goodness, they tried, I'm a woman of a certain age who was a late teen in the time period represented. I remember small towns like that, the Scout troops, camping, Jamborees...indeed, life in a sleepy Southern town. Most poignant for me was watching Christmas at the library, checking out books. I did the very same thing; and 5 was my limit also. I felt for her...that limit is just not fair for curious girls, is it, Christmas?
I understand the principle and lesson behind it, but the 'Spartacus' style ending was a bit much for me. And couldn't they have picked another shared activity of some sort for bonding other than the one they did? I remember in Little Miss Sunshine when the Rick James music started, saying, Oh, No! and watching that scene unfold. Yes, it was a shock, but you laughed with them. This time it was Oh No, and then having dismay settle in as the scene unfolded. In neither did they win in the traditional sense, but you knew they wouldn't. I was disappointed in how it was handled.
It's a movie you can safely take the family to, but please know few Southerners are as represented. I'm dismayed that one more time, we're represented as trailer living hillbillies. These had dreams and gumption, but still.
Wasn't for me, but clearly others loved it.
First, the attempts at Southern accents were awful. Could be that since I'm a Southerner and used to the real thing, it's so glaring when someone isn't the real deal. But, I got used to it.
The characters were delightful, mostly. There's not much to spoil the interaction between Viola Davis and Allison Janney, both wonderful together. McKenna was a lovely, sensitive addition, as were all the kids in Troop 0. Goodness, they tried, I'm a woman of a certain age who was a late teen in the time period represented. I remember small towns like that, the Scout troops, camping, Jamborees...indeed, life in a sleepy Southern town. Most poignant for me was watching Christmas at the library, checking out books. I did the very same thing; and 5 was my limit also. I felt for her...that limit is just not fair for curious girls, is it, Christmas?
I understand the principle and lesson behind it, but the 'Spartacus' style ending was a bit much for me. And couldn't they have picked another shared activity of some sort for bonding other than the one they did? I remember in Little Miss Sunshine when the Rick James music started, saying, Oh, No! and watching that scene unfold. Yes, it was a shock, but you laughed with them. This time it was Oh No, and then having dismay settle in as the scene unfolded. In neither did they win in the traditional sense, but you knew they wouldn't. I was disappointed in how it was handled.
It's a movie you can safely take the family to, but please know few Southerners are as represented. I'm dismayed that one more time, we're represented as trailer living hillbillies. These had dreams and gumption, but still.
Wasn't for me, but clearly others loved it.