Little Miss Sunshine

Starring: Greg Kinnear, Steve Carrell, Paul Dano, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin
Directed by: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2006

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: In order to get their daughter to the Little Miss Sunshine pageant in California, a husband (Greg Kinnear) and wife (Toni Collette) pack up the girl's grandfather (Alan Arkin), brother (Paul Dano), and suicidal uncle (Steve Carrell) in a VW van for a road trip mired in family dysfunction.

Review:

Tim: Little Miss Sunshine is definitely one of the breakout hits of 2006. While I enjoyed the movie, I felt like it was a bit overrated. I appreciate a small independent film being nominated for Best Picture, but I'm not sure if it completely deserved it. This is a good, funny film, but it's not great.

However, the cast is. Greg Kinnear does a great job of fitting in with the ensemble cast. He plays his part fearlessly. Paul Dano gives a surprisingly good performance. I really liked him in the role, as he perfectly embodies teenage angst. Toni Collette gives perhaps the weakest performance of the film, as she seems lost in these other great performances. Alan Arkin is quite good, but I'm not sure he deserved his Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Abigail Breslin gives a tremendous performance, and she was rewarded with a Best Supporting Actress nomination. She was 10 when she was nominated! Impressive. I saved Steve Carrell for last, because I absolutely love him in this movie. He has proven time and time again that he is absolutely hilarious. However, here, he is dark, troubled, and very restrained. It is amazing to watch (and I love the beard). In many ways, his performance gives the film an anchor. The cast is by far the best part of the film.

Little Miss Sunshine does have a few flaws. The road trip is hilarious, but the film seems to stumble near its conclusion. The Little Miss Sunshine pageant scenes are definitely unconventional, but not the powerful conclusion that should have been. The film does have some very funny moments, but I wish it had a little more. The movie is definitely a dramedy, but I wish there was a little more focus on comedy. In the end, this is a must-see film. That can't be denied. Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Matador, Juno, Dan in Real Life, Get Smart