'Little Miss Sunshine" is an outwardly original work of art with a brilliant and sweet message about finding the strength in everyone, and how everyone is a winner.

Rating: Null/10 (5 July 2014)

When you look at yourself in the mirror, what do you see? Michael Arndt, the writer of 'Little Miss Sunshine" would say a winner. The whole theme of 'Little Miss Sunshine" is how every person is full of strength and is truly a person of triumphant talent. This original masterpiece is about a lower middle-class family in New Mexico, who's youngest daughter Olive ( Abigail Breslin) competes in little girl modeling pageants and has a dream of becoming a supermodel. She is a very quirky child who has a very odd family. Her uptight dad with a failing business (Greg Kinear), her boring mom (Toni Collete), her suicidal homosexual uncle (Steve Carrell), her miserable brother who doesn't speak (Paul Dano), and her raw, cynical, loud Grandpa (Alan Arkin) who trains her to model. When Olive gets a call stating she can compete in a Little Miss Sunshine model competition, her family takes an old vehicle and takes a road trip out to California! Much conflict erupts due to the trip, but more victory is achieved as each character finds out who they really are and how to become happy. Each character has goals they are fighting for that give them something to strive for. Each actor is delightful and portrays each character to the point where it's almost impossible to picture anybody else playing these characters. The humor that this unique family brings to the screen in more humorous than you'll find in any Ben Stiller movie. To top of the natural humor, you'll get sometimes sad, powerful scenes as well as deep messages that can indeed be life- changing. Everyone is triumphant, everyone matters. If you struggle with those topics in yourself, see this film. This delightful masterpiece is a gem that reminds us the true power of independent cinema.