Plucky Upstarts

Here's a pairing of plucky upstart films: Be Kind Rewind (2008, dir. Michel Gondry) and Little Miss Sunshine (2006, dir. Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris).

It's hard to go wrong with either of these films, but together they can definitely turn a bad mood into a defiant and resilient mood. Be Kind Rewind is about the joy of film and the happiness you can get from taking back the creative process and forming your own community. Little Miss Sunshine is about the joy of performance and the bonds of a smaller (familial) community.

Ultimately, they're both films that valorize the underdog without resorting to fantasies of victory. The underdog doesn't change the world in these films, and they don't gain the approval of the powers that be--but (and this is the brilliant part of it) they show that it doesn't matter what the rest say. You can change the rules of the game and even opt out of the game and define your own victory. Consider these two films a pair of lessons in how to change the paramaters of the Kobayashi Maru of life.

I would suggest watching Be Kind Rewind with some BBQ Chicken and Ribs on a bed of dirty rice and a side of cole slaw, baked beans and potato salad and then saving the apple pie (a la mode-y, if you like)for Little Miss Sunshine.