In arguably the strongest lineup since the fest launched its competition for U.S. indies in 1995, Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton's comic depiction of a dysfunctional yet determined family went over gangbusters with fest auds and opened strongly this week in France.

In a lengthy and heartfelt acceptance speech, "Sunshine" producer Marc Turtletaub praised Deauville as a fest "that focuses on the quality of the films. It's not about business, it's not a market -- it is a film-going event."

Turtletaub also was a producer on "Sherrybaby," scripter-helmer Laurie Collyer's portrait of a recovering heroin addict determined to be a worthy mother to her young daughter; it won both the screenwriting prize and the Intl. Critics' Prize.

Helmer/co-scripter Ryan Fleck's "Half Nelson" won the main Jury Prize as well as the newly created Cartier Revelation prize, targeting artistic audacity. Like "Sherrybaby," "Half Nelson" addresses the ravages of drug addiction, here via Ryan Gosling's perf as a dedicated Brooklyn high school teacher with an increasingly demanding crack habit.

If one factors in Alan Arkin's coke-snorting character in "Sunshine," middle-class drug use would seem to be a powerful trend in American indies singled out for prizes in Gaul.

Another more surprising theme this year was architect Frank Gehry, whose distinctive buildings are not only the subject of fest honoree Sydney Pollack's doc "Sketches of Frank Gehry" but also pop up in well-received doc "Who Killed the Electric Car?" (in L.A.) and "The Oh in Ohio" (in Cleveland).

"The last time I had any kind of honor," Pollack told an effusive crowd, "I went home and found a message on my machine from Bill Murray saying, 'I heard you got this big award at the Directors Guild. I'm so sorry -- I didn't even know you were sick.'

"Any time the French want to honor you," Pollack noted between two standing ovations, "you have to bow down and say thank you. You're so passionate about film. Cinema is so intertwined in French culture, it's like politics for French people."

On closing night, the celeb-heavy main jury singled out noncompeting doc "An Inconvenient Truth" as "a 'gore' film suitable for all ages," urging the 1,500 people in the auditorium to see it, to demand that school principals show it to students and that French TV air it before next year's Gallic presidential race.

Christopher Quinn's docu "God Grew Tired of Us," about three boys transplanted from Sudan to the U.S., won the Canal Plus prize, leading to exposure on the paybox.

MPA topper Dan Glickman emphasized the strong ties between the U.S. and Gaul. "I have spent much of my life in politics," said Glickman, "but it's clear to me that movies can bring people together in places where politics often drives them apart."

Attendance was near-capacity at most screenings despite gorgeous weather.