A dysfunctional family road trip movie

Rating: 9/10 (15 August 2007)

Little Miss Sunshine went on to be the sleeper hit of 2006. It may have been intended for the indie crowd, but it equally struck a chord with mainstream audiences. And it is quite a rewarding film. Its not quite as good as that dysfunctional family gem The Royal Tenenbaums, but Little Miss Sunshine has charms and strengths all its own.
LMS is admittedly more accessible than The Royal Tenenbaums. But I still believe it stands in that superior character study's shadow. Nevertheless, the Hoover family is every bit as quirky, and all the more endearing for it.
I liked the way the film introduces each member of the family individually before they all come together. First off there's Richard (Greg Kinnear), a motivational speaker. His twelve-step pyramid schemes have long since dried up. He just hasn't caught up yet. Then there's his wife Sheryl (Toni Collette), a woman who's the Pritt-Stick of the family when she should be the glue. So its no wonder the family's on the verge of flying apart.
Uncle Frank (Steve Carell) is a depressed gay teacher, who just attempted suicide after his lover left him for another man. He's with the family because he can't be trusted to be left on his own. Dwayne (Paul Dano) is a Frederich Nietzsche acolyte who's an Air Force hopeful. He's taken a vow of silence until he achieves his goal.
And then there's Grandpa (Alan Arkin), an elderly coke-addict who's just been kicked out of his retirement home. Probably because he thinks too much when the people in those places have already lost their marbles by now. Finally, there's Olive (Abigail Breslin), Little Miss Sunshine herself. A seven-year old child who lives in blissful innocence of the chaotic cracks forming all around her.
Olive has no idea how much trouble her family is in. But she proves to be a unifying force when she is nominated in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. Despite the fact this family has problems communicating, the six pack themselves up in a camper van, and begin a cross-country trip from Mexico to California to reach the pageant. But its hard to tell which will be a bigger obstacle. The van's many deficiencies. Or the Hoover's fractured psyches and deep-seated neuroses.
Little Miss Sunshine may be a tad predictable in parts, but its a smart, and refreshingly insightful road trip film. This is not the first film to feature blackly humorous dysfunctional families. And it never quite reaches the extraordinary heights of The Royal Tenenbaums, but its still a good film.
It has quite a few gentle surprises from time to time. Such as Frank's homosexuality. Its almost explained to Olive offhandedly. And when its discovered, it makes the reasons for his suicide attempt that much more poignant. Its gems like this that keep the film from sinking into melodrama.
And the ensemble playing is fine. Everyone knows their character (including Breslin), and never strays from that. Paul Dano has the toughest job out of the six, because for about three quarters of the way through, he's not allowed to speak any dialogue. So he's forced to rely upon a minimalist mode of acting. And its quite accomplished on his part. He allows for a gradual build-up in emotion, all hidden behind a thin smile and a glazed expression. And when it finally explodes, its quite powerful. And that scene is capped by a delightful moment when Olive puts her arm around him in silence. Its a sweet little scene.
Alan Arkin does what he does best. Impeccably controlled acting. And he does such a great job of making Grandpa crotchety but endearing. His little talk with Olive about wanting to be a winner is nicely played with that all too important dash of sincerity. And when he passes away halfway through, its a genuine shocker. I'd really grown to like this man, and his death was really quite saddening.
There are scenes that wouldn't have looked out of place in a Coen Brothers film. Such as trying to move a dead body, and trying to figure out what to do with it. Its broader comedy, but it works too.
The beauty pageant is a bit of an odd mixture of laughter and squirming unease. I think maybe that final scene goes on a bit too long, and could have done with some tighter editing, but Abigail Breslin gets to show off some real magnetism (and dancing ability!). She's an actress I hope to be hearing a lot of in the future.
The ending is not all that unexpected, but I'd grown to enjoy the Hoover family's company. Little Miss Sunshine is not quite as original as it likes to think it is, but its undeniably a real charmer, and has some pleasant surprises along the way.