Dysfunctional family off on a road-trip to the beauty pageant

Rating: 10/10 (28 October 2006)

This movie is a little beauty! I'd read a few reviews and seen the shorts yet was somewhat unconvinced, ready for a quiet letdown. We laughed and smiled almost the entire way through. Most of the cinema had big-spirit smiles each time I turned around.
There is nothing pretentious or over cooked about this movie as it deals with hope, family, life and death, teenage anger, friendship, little town comes to big city, parenting and the crazy side of life.
This small budget film manages to keep you gripped to your seat (smiling) as we follow the family in their VW "Kombi" bus, off to the win the "Little Miss Sunshine" beauty pageant. The adorable but rather goofy looking eight year old, the only 'normal' person in the family, has high hopes that she will be the next Sunshine, with the a little help from her grandfather as they practice her dance routine.
On paper the character setups seem like textbook clichés, from the angry teenager reading Nietzsche to the father and his "Nine Steps to Success" power sales mantra. On film they all blend in naturally, a testament to the clever script, acting and directing. You can tell they all had a ball making this movie, I can't wait to see the DVD and the out-takes! It has that beautiful magic when story, actor and crew just click.
Most of the movie is shot in and around the VW bus, yet the lack of sets and locations doesn't go amiss. The kooky Kombi is just as lovable as the rest of the dysfunctional family.
Just lovely. Take the family!