A road comedy that's a celebration of all that is quirky and looney in America

Rating: 7/10 (13 June 2018)

"Little Miss Sunshine" is a luv-it or hate-it film. A charming road comedy that builds its premises out of the pain of its characters, and over the fact that they can eventually outlive this pain and eventually laugh at it, it also celebrates all that is quirky and looney about the place where it's made and set: America. Porn, drugs, striptease, a dead body being carried in a minibus, a gay character who tries to kill himself--all these do not make a family friendly movie or one which anyone under the age of twelve should watch. There are plenty of explicit sexual references, a grandpa who sniffs dope and advises one to bed as many women as possible. But if you can stomach such chaos, you will be treated to a well put together, excellently cast road comedy.
The plot is quite simple. A family of eccentrics, recently joined by the mum's brother who tried to kill himself over an unrequited gay affair, decides to hit the road to L.A. for the sake of their seven-year-old daughter who qualifies for the Little Miss Sunshine contest. In the ensuing ride, mishaps happen, one member dies, and despite all their initial misgivings and unhappiness they bond. The script upends stereotypes (although it never really builds up the character to a depth dramas do), but manages to do so in an endearingly madcap manner, so the movie treads a very thin line without making it darker or more uncomfortable that it might be. The direction and screenplay ensure the film's flicker of pain and momentary darkness never overshadow the lively performances from all six ensemble actors, including the adorable daughter (Abigail Breslin), the taciturn 15-year-old son who worships Nietzsche and vows not to talk (Paul Dano), or the 70-year-old granddad who takes heroin and reads porn (Alan Arkin).
With hindsight the movie might seem superficial, making light of its dark edginess, but thanks to an excellent cast never seem syrupy, soppy and heavy-handed, celebrating the madness of the dysfunctional in America. It's not really a film for everyone, but in this age of cliched scripts the movie is well worth a watch--if you can stomach its raucous explicitness.