The inspirational effect of "Rocky" combined with the irresistible charm of an early-season Simpson episode ...

Rating: 10/10 (30 November 2011)

"Little Miss Sunshine" is one of these unexpected gems like only Cinema can produce and definitely, one of the most defining and endearing films of the last decade.
I so would have loved to see the independent-spirited underdog win over the conveniently acclaimed Scorsese's "The Departed" but 30 years after "Rocky", times have changed, and there's no place for 'little' movies anymore. But since I learned one thing from "Little Miss Sunshine" is to see the bright side of life, I'm confident that in 30 years, "Little Miss Sunshine" will be regarded as an immortal classics with the same appeal than "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Back to the Future" and the picture of the family running and jumping in the yellow Peugeot van as one of the most iconic of American cinema
When Family films were reduced to a bunch of sappy moralizing dramas or brainless comedies where kids outsmart the parents, "Little Miss Sunshine" resurrected the genre with a sweet, touching and intelligent comedy-drama involving a dysfunctional but united family, the Hoovers and an inspiring but not patronizing message about 'winning'. I hope the non-fans won't take the comparison too literally but I found that the film had the same appeal than a touching Simpson episode from the earlier seasons, and I guess my reference is also inspired by the heart-warming yellow that defines the film's sunny mood, putting a little sunshine in our hearts with so many touching moments. More than the triumph of a film, it's the triumph of a spirit, conveyed by a beautiful score and a clever Oscar-winning script.
What's the secret of "Little Miss Sunshine", the special little thing that makes the difference? I believe the movie's greatness relies on the performance and the characterization of Olive, by Abigail Breslin, so naturally balanced between smartness and innocence that the perfect note was found to provide a character the kids could identify with. Breslin plays a little girl excited to be selected in the "Little Miss Sunshine" contest, which might be surprising because this kind of competitions are infamous for having girls posing and acting like 'little women'. But Olive is determined, she prepared a secret number with Grandpa Edwin (Alan Arkin), Richard, the father (Greg Kinnear) preaches the concept of winning in his conferences and Sheryl (Toni Collette) is the kind of loving mother that would do anything to please her daughter. Olive is the emotional core of an order that would collapse without her.
Indeed, without Olive, the whole unity and solidarity of the family is undermined, the grandpa is a foul-mouth and pervert old man, the father is alienated by his own theories, Dwayne, Olive's brother has made a vow of silence to fulfill his dream to become a pilot and expresses the thoughts of his implosive anger in a notebook and Frank, the step-brother, played by Steve Carell, is a homosexual literature expert with suicidal impulses and as he loves to remind, the number one fan of Marcel Proust. And it's up to Sheryl, the mother to deal with all these personalities in the road to the "Little Miss Sunshine" contest, and the plot is so well constructed that they all must go together, starting a touching road movie in which all these egos, all these stories' arcs will converge with each member of the "Little Miss Sunshine" family having one moment to shine, through laughs, cries, breakdowns  poignant outbursts of strong and vulnerable humanity.
And this leads to the other secret of "Little Miss Sunshine", it's a movie for outsiders. In the road, it's hard to imagine that this cute chubby girl with glasses stands a chance in a beauty pageant, but in a way, we don't really care about the result, since we already have in mind that the film isn't about winning, it's about letting your little voice be heard. And in the family, each one represents a part of human personality that finds something difficult to communicate, the frustrated number two, the insecure teenager, the blinded know-it-all, the grumpy old guy, they are less stereotypes than representations of the little differences that poison the lives but enrich the world, or vice versa. And when Olive is confronted to the girls in the pageant, we realize how the girls all look identically 'artifical' while Olive is clearly the only visible one.
"Grandpa, am I pretty?" candidly asked Olive. This question touched something deep in my heart as it summarizes our own fear of not being accepted. Olive is confronted to a double dilemma, losing because she wouldn't be pretty, and disappointing her father, Grandpa's answer is simple, and remains as one of the truest words of wisdom ever spoken in a film. A loser isn't someone who doesn't win but someone who doesn't do anything because he's afraid of losing. And with that idea on mind, we're already confident about little Olive, and only wish that she would have the opportunity to express herself in the pageant, the result doesn't really matter  didn't I mention the similarity with "Rocky" by the way?
But all the inspiring messages of the world would be meaningless if they didn't have great movie moments to immortalize them, and like the iconic finale of the 1976 Best Picture, "Little Miss Sunshine" ends in an apotheosis, when we finally discover Olive's secret number. The musical climax is the movie's highlight and the best illustration of its positive message. At the end, all the members of this unforgettable Hoover family have corrected some aspects of their life's conception, and so we did.
To conclude, whether it's about winning and losing, one thing the movie would surely win is your heart.