MovieChat Forums > Little Miss Sunshine (2006) Discussion > Alan Arkin winning the Oscar for this is...

Alan Arkin winning the Oscar for this is a joke


A clear cut case of it's not what you know or how good you are, but who you know. Talk about a bog standard character which required no nuance or difficulty to perform.

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I have always liked Alan Arkin and am happy he has an Oscar but I agree, it shouldn’t have been for his cliched role in this. The film’s screenplay Oscar win is far more absurd, however - such a dreary assortment of Indie tropes, and the conclusion is ridiculous.

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Have you seen "Thirteen Conversations About One Thing"? Loved Arkin in that but I agree that he didn't deserve an Oscar for LMS. Sometimes actors get the nod because of the entirety of their careers like a lifetime achievement award.

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I haven’t seen that but I have heard good things about his performance. My favourite Arkin performance is The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - a wonderful piece of acting. Among more recent roles, he was excellent in the underrated Slums of a Beverly Hills.

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I really enjoyed Slums. I haven't heard of the other movie. I'll check it out.

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Another Sunshine/Arkin movie is Sunshine Cleaning. Alan Arkin does seem to play himself in most of his later roles, but he's fun to watch, and S Cleaning is a sweet movie if you or someone else has not seen it.

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You really sound like a sissy man, grow up please.

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He should have gotten it for Popi and Heart is a Lonely Hunter. But like most Oscars they are given for other reasons than good work. The Academy I guess was just making up for all the better films with Arkin.

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Some Oscars are considered to be "Lifetime Achievement" awards, and this was one of them.

Arkin had been a wonderful and totally reliable actor for 50-60 years when the award was given, in that respect the award was deserved.

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Oscars ARE a joke

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