Little Miss Sunshine
Sometimes simple premises can go a long way and Little Miss Sunshine is one of those films. The Hoover family is determined to have their little girl’s dream of winning the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant come true. In order for that to happen a road trip to California is an absolute must. Along the way every family member is tortured to varying degrees by their own problems, making the trip and final goal of reaching the pageant all the more arduous.
Olive played by Abigail Breslin is the little girl with the big dreams. Her grandfather played by Alan Arkin is a serious drug user with a good heart. Together the two practice to perfect her routine in hopes of winning a pageant. Olive’s father Richard, is played by Greg Kinnear. Richard is a motivational speaker who manages to annoy the entire family with numerous "winners and losers" speeches. Balancing out the cast is Uncle Frank played by Steve Carell, mom Sheryl played by Toni Collette and Olive’s big brother Dwayne. Uncle Frank is not only a famous scholar but also has the distinction of recently attempting suicide due to a disastrous relationship with a male student. Mom Sheryl, is a chain-smoking housewife played by Toni Collette. Last but not least we have Dwayne the big brother who has taken a vow of silence until he gets into the Air Force. Together, they make an intense assortment of characters.
Honestly, the reason I even watched Little Miss Sunshine was because of Steve Carell. I thought it was actually going to be along the lines of humor he displays in his other movies, however, in this role Carell shows a much more serious side. It was also clear that every character had their own major contribution to the story which served to eliminate having the spotlight fall to often on just one actor. Little Miss Sunshine turned out to be a more of a quirky, dark comedy and thus the opposite of what I would have expected out of a film with Carrell playing a major role.
The film is a very dysfunctional road trip with numerous big personalities along for the ride. Abigail Breslin deserves an honorable mention as the little girl who keeps the show together. The movie is truly an original and in the end surprised me. Out of the dark humor emerged a strong sense of the value of family.
Story A
Acting B
Visuals B
Originality A+
Enjoyability B
Overall Grade A-
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