2006: Little Miss Sunshine

Steve Sailer is probably right that the movie about a family who go on a road trip so that the daughter Olivia can compete in the Little Miss Sunshine contest was such a surprise success because it showed people, and maybe mums in particular, that other families are just as crazy as yours, or maybe more so. It's quick-moving, easy to watch and amusing, too, although for my taste it was a little too mainstream, especially the ending. (6) From a social science standpoint, I wonder why not more movies like this one get released - after all, they're cheap to make! According to Wikipedia, Sunshine cost 8 million (presumably not including marketing and related costs) and earned 100 million (presumably before profits from DVD and TV rights). Even if your average film in this vein is a third that successful, that's still a handsome return.