Review: Little Miss Sunshine

2006

Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris

Writer: Micheal Arndt 

Lead Actors: Greg Kinner, Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Paul Dano, Abigail Breslin, Alan Arklin, and Bryan Cranston 

Little Miss Sunshine is a heart-warming, thought-provoking family road trip film that will leave you with a slightly confusing mix of emotions.  

The story follows the journey of the Hoover family on a road trip from New Mexico to California for a beauty pageant, for seven-year-old Olive. The dysfunctional family is faced with a series of problems or “bumps in the road” along the drive, all with the dedication of getting Olive to the beauty pageant on time. Along for the ride is Richard and Sheryl, an argumentative divorcing couple, with childern Dwayne and Olive, Richard’s straightforward father Edwin, and Sheryl’s suicidal brother, Frank. Throughout the trip the family learns of not only the difficulty of the journey itself but also the difficulty of life. 

As for the technical details, nothing really jumped out at me. Which is entirely a good thing, I wasn’t taken out of the world in which the film created and remained entertained the entire time. The acting was top notch and each character had their own quirks to them, which worked well with everyone else- I mean who’s really going to doubt Steve Carell and Toni Collete’s talent in the first place. That being said the characters wouldn’t be anywhere without the writing. Throughout the course of the movie, watchers are faced with suicide, divorce, teenage rebellion, bankrupcey and a plethora of other relatable problem, which in-turn creates for a hilarious yet emotional roller coaster. It seems as if while the characters are growing, the viewer grows with them, creating the perfect attachment which flows smoothly from scene to scene. Cinematography and sound went unnoticed compared to the writing, as I didn’t find myself being taken back by anything in particular, which often happens to me when watching film. Set design and costumes went unnoticed as well, aside for the obvious fact that Olive was the most “real” looking seven-year-old in the pageant and the bright yellow bus, which you would think hold only the happiest of people, holds a group of mix-matched indiviuals. Although, the majority of this film was not extrvogent, it was real. Which is why it was so easy to watch and follow along with. 

Overall, the movie is pretty adorable and I really enjoyed it but, I was left with a weird mix of optimism and melancholy. The harsh reality of how precious life is and not to take it for granted is really pushed forward throughout the plot and forces me to walk away with an odd feeling of empty happiness.