Little Miss Sunshine [2006]

Little Miss Sunshine is an appropriate title for a film which burst onto the independent cinema screens like a surprising, welcome and thoroughly enjoyable slice of art-house comedy. This is a tightly written, well scripted, excellently acted and hilarious film, at turns darkly and self-assuredly black and then riotously slapstick and self deprecating.The storyline centres around the trans-American adventures of a less than ordinary American family. With Transamerica, the unconventional road trip is obviously the comedy medium of choice in the independent cinema world. The film's very own Little Miss Sunshine is the gloriously unglamorous, vivacious and joyous Olive (Abigail Breslin), the youngest of the family. She wins the opportunity to attend the final of the Little Miss Sunshine pageant after the state winner is disqualified for diet pill abuse.This should send warning bells for the type of contest she is entering. This is the very dark, very disturbing world of American beauty contest. Eventually the truth is revealed, but first the family have to get there. This involves the suffering rock-like figure of the mom Sheyl (Toni Collette) and the can-do go getting, but ultimately failing author of a self-help book and seminar, the nine steps, dad Richard (Greg Kinnear) eschewing air travel for cost reasons, and loading the family in to a VW camper van.Along for the ride, and in perfect comedy unison, is the drug snorting, care-home evicted grandfather (whose eventual death provides the central slapstick, and whose last gift is a dance routine for the talent segment of the show that has to be seen to be believed), the mute, difficult teenage brother, who hates the world, his family and loves Nietzsche, and just wants to escape to flying school. Sheryl's brother is also brought, mostly because after a failed suicide attempt he can not be left alone. He provides much of the dry, darker humour that is very reminiscent of the best of the Royal Tennenbaums. He is a homosexual expert on Proust, who grates against the dad but eventually seems to come back around to enjoying life on the trip.The film is at once a wonderfully life-affirming slice of an atypical American family, and a refreshing change from the dysfunctional middle-class families that have obsessed Hollywood for the past decade. It is also a masterpiece of characterisation and casting. The characters are honed to comic perfection, and the casting of each actor and actress is a masterpiece for the roles. Of especial note and perfection is Breslin as Olive. To find a child actor so able to play this role without self consciousness or precocity makes her extremely endearing and an easy character to root for in the bizarre world of child beauty pageants. But each of the other main characters is also extremely well executed.The darkest elements of the film come in the portrayal of the pageants. They seem to suggest a sickness at the heart of middle America, where these children, none older than eight, are sprayed, preened, brushed and made up to be like miniature dolls. They wear their sickly smiles, their horribly suggestive outfits and are paraded in a pageant that features the oddly paedophilic compare and the horrendously competitive mothers.In short this is an extremely enjoyably film, and it would do it a massive disservice to simply label it as `feel good', but it does have this effect. Together with a brilliantly talented cast and a tight, wonderfully executed script this makes the surprise comedy hit of the year.

Family film with bad language and inappropriate content but a great film and very funny.

Enjoyed this film, some really funny moments

I hadn’t watched this film in years and when it sprung to mind and my boyfriend hadn’t seen it before I knew straightaway he was in for a treat! It’s a real feel good, fun film! Just love it!!

Looking for yet another Rom-com to cheer you up, where you know exactly how it will end...? Apply elsewhere! This is a movie that takes its good time in getting to the feel-good part, but does so with such a compellingly dysfunctional family of characters that you'll feel enriched for staying on board to the end.The stalls are set out from the get go, when we meet each of the principal characters of the family, as different as could be. When the young daughter has a chance to compete in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant (scary that such events exist), they all up and leave en masse in the yellow VW minivan for a memorable road trip. The worldly and outspoken grandpa, the suicidal brother, the relatively normal mother trying to keep the family on track, the father obsessed with success but unable to grasp it himself, the rebelling teenager in a vow of silence.. all are thrown into close proximity for the journey to California. Add a seriously temperamental VW minibus, and the stage is set for some soul searching, reality checks, pathos and humour.As a comedy, this is certainly no exercise in hilarity or slapstick.... but it will leave you smiling, and it WILL leave you talking about it after the DVD is back in the case.. what better compliment could there be.

Alan Arkin, Greg Kinnear, Steve Carrell (very suprising role here), Toni Collette and Abigail Breslin all shine in this quirky indescrible film that is both hilarious, heartwarming and intriguing. There is something of a both reality and surrealness in this film as Greg Kinnear and Toni Collete's struggling american family seem so very realistic that even the Nietzsche loving teenage boy and expletive spouting drug taking grandpa Alan Arkin don't seem that far fetched. Yet when you describe the plot to anyone it ends up sounding like the most bizarre film of the year- perhaps why it was such a hit at sundance. The end result of watching little miss sunshine is not immediate yet it leaves with a hopefullness and calm that cannot be said for many films of the last year. Although i think the real reason this film is a success is that it is an escape from politically charged Good Night and Good Luck style films, (which personally i adore), and instead provides a more classy alternative for a slightly more intellectual audience than say a Vince Vaughan film might. The soundtrack is stunning, the writing subtle and utilising the phrase black comedy to the maximum and all in all this is a wonderful debut film for this director couple. Also Alan Arkin deserved his oscar nomination win and the film definately deserved the screen play win as the writing in this is something more than just another art house movie script.

This movie has been one of my favorites since i was a young teen. Funny as could be and has a good story to tell.

I have not watched the “Little Miss Sunshine” yet, but I am extremely impressed with the personal touch of “”Thank You Bill” written on the invoice.In addition, the 4 candy treats are a smile-riffic touch.I thank the “The Final Touch” for their quick response and “sweet” service - I got a smile even before I watched the movie.“Run-A-Way Bill” was here!

american way of life op zijn best steve carrrel mijn favoriete acteur ook zegt daar op gegeven moment iets heel frappants

A mio parere una delle commedie italiane più belle. Ironico e drammatico. Una lezione sulla diversità da far vedere a tutti gli adolescenti. Una famiglia allargata perfetta.

This is one of the best comedy-dramas I have seen in my life. A perfect cast and a great road trip..This movie will put a wide smile to your face.. Don't miss.5 Stars