20 Reasons to love Beasts of a Southern Wild

1) The performance of the actress playing Hushpuppy is legendary.  If she doesn’t win an Oscar then it is an insult to everyone who has ever won one.

2) Instead of having subplots it has subtexts and they are awesome.

3) This movie managed to interweave images of prehistoric animals without being pretentious or boring about it.  I am looking at you Tree of Life.

4) The celebration at the start of the movie looks like more fun than everything I’ve done with my family combined.

5) We get a look into a world that is completely alien to our own.  This world is presented to us without judgment one way or another.  We see the good as well as the bad and the movie lets everything speak for itself on its own terms.

6) The coolest way to crack an egg ever.  Now that is a magic trick.

7) Lighting the stove!

8) The story of how Hushpuppy was conceived.  That was just fantastic.

9) The startling complexity of the relationship between Hushpuppy and her father.

10) Breaking out of the shelter.

11) That guy who was always dressed to the 9’s and never looked hot.  I am the white version of that guy.

12) The school teacher.  I loved her character, her lessions, and how she was kind of the communities voice of reason.  She was so strong and yet so sweet.

13) That whole scene in the bar that the boat captain brought them to where everyone was slow dancing and there were chrismas lights everywhere.

14) Solving the levee problem with a stuffed alligator and some dynamite, like real life role players.

15) The way the people of the bathtub could take care of themselves and each other.  That’s more than I can say for myself.  There is a tv show coming out on NBC where all the power dies and everyone freaks out.  The people of the Bathtub?  Well heck they wouldn’t even notice now would they. 

16) Her scream.

17) The moment where she meets the giant prehistoric pig beasts and they bow before her for she no longer is afraid of the,

18) I am not sure why that boat captain didn’t seem to be to bothered  by the fact that he just picked up 4 children swimming out on float but I’m glad he was around.

19) This movie answers the question I’ve always had.  What if Tideland was good?

20) It isn’t a movie about pain, being poor, despair, sickness, or hopelessness and yet all these things are contained within it.   This is a movie about overcoming whatever is thrown at you, living on your own terms, and celebrating every chance you can get.  It is the anti misery porn and it is spectacular that it managed to seem so honest.