

I like that the film isn't anti-competition per se but encourages us to keep things in perspective.CONCORD, N.H. Maybe I am just getting older but Richard is a bit of an jerk who did need to learn to chill. I think the film's theme around the cruelty of the rat race and the insane pressure we put on ourselves because of "competition" land better in 2022. Porn in the trunk-that the directors managed to make work far better than the story beat does on the page. There's even a couple of hard jokes to land-i.e. I think the script and the acting are so good that people just didn't notice the visual niceties the film captures. Whether it is how the opening dinner sequence delineates character and their relationships-via clothing and seating arrangements-economically or how they kept the interior of the van visually fresh the film is filled with splendid and meaningful images. This is a great *visual* film as well because of the traveling scenes and the quirky design sense. It is not just the great script that has great comedic bits and utterly real characters. This is film captures far more of life as lived in single scenes than most films capture in their entire runtime. I am still shocked that this film wasn't nominated for direction at the Oscars and that it lost best picture to the overwrought The Departed. Title cards detail the family stealing the trophy from the room, running down the hall, running out of the hotel, running into the van, and driving off.

The security guard tells them that Olive is disqualified from the competition and that they are released, under the condition that they are banned from entering beauty pageants in California again.

Richard talks fondly about Grandpa, and then the family toasts to his memory.

Alternate Ending # 1 had the family stop at a rest stop the next day as they're driving back home.
