"Little Miss Sunshine" (2006)

Rating: R

Genre: Comedy

Directed By: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris

Written By: Michael Arndt

In Theatres: Sept 8^th, 2006

Runtime: 110 minutes

Studio: Fox Searchlight

Summary:

The Hoover family -- a man (Greg Kinnear), his wife (Toni Collette), an uncle (Steve Carell), a brother (Paul Dano) and a grandfather (Alan Arkin) -- puts the fun back in dysfunctional by piling into a VW bus and heading to California to support a daughter (Abigail Breslin) in her bid to win the Little Miss Sunshine Contest. The sanity of everyone involved is stretched to the limit as the group's quirks cause epic problems as they travel along their interstate route.

Review:

This film is a ray of sunshine. The plot is simple, carried through by a wonderful array of lovable characters. It has a positive and light-hearted feel throughout, despite dealing with some tougher topics. A feel-good watch for sure, with quite an unforgettable twist! 

Olive is a wonderful character. She’s still at an innocent age throughout most of the film. She embraces life and doesn’t see the bad in the world yet. This makes her a wonderful lead. Her brother Paul on the other hand is another matter. He has opted for a vow of silence, deciding he’s had his fair share of despair from the world. I think of all the characters these two were my favourite. I like the contrast between them. They are both in company of two unhappy and dissatisfied parents and grandfather. Steve Carroll’s character Paul, seems to possess a mixture of down-beat/up-beat presence. He’s sad all the time but he deals with it using a dry humour. I would say the same for Alan Arkin’s character. He’s hilarious though. 

The film won an Acedemy Award for Best Original Screenplay, as well as Best Actor In A Supporting Role for Alan Arkin. Both were well deserved. The script is certainly a unique one!! It’s very funny and so heart-warming. 

For sure this film is a joy to watch. I recommend it highly. 

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