A Wee Piece of the Sun

Rating: 9/10 (6 February 2007)

Little Miss Sunshine is a film that shines in every facet of the word. Opening with a little bit of introduction to characters you presumably do not know, Sunshine seems to draw you in with a bit of wonder. This is the story of a girl who wants to compete in a massive beauty contest in California, and is given that chance by the sheer luck of coming in second at a previous contest. The winner of the former contest is forced to drop out, and Olive, the little girl, gets her chance to be Little Miss Sunshine. Olive's seemingly dysfunctional family sets out on a road trip in an iconic yellow 'VW Minibus.' Each of the family members has some unique story, and state of mind, that makes each one very interesting to watch as the film progresses. A homosexual uncle who's on suicide watch, an overachieving father, the estranged mother who's desperately trying to stop the seams from snapping, the silent brother, and of course, the heroin addicted grandfather. The trials that each member of this family goes through during the course of this flick is. on paper, very tacky. With that being said, this movie is far from tacky, and that is credited to the great writing, and the absolutely perfect cast. Steve Carell is the biggest star, and pulls off his role with the utmost class, and his quirkiness completely sells the believability of the character. There was no bad performances, however, at least two more must be noted. Paul Dano is as good, if not better than his more experienced counterparts, as the aphonic Dwayne... and considering he doesn't speak for a majority of the film, that's quite the achievement. The best actress in this film is undoubtedly Abigail Breslin. This girl outplays every single one of her co-stars, because she brings such a natural and sheer believability to her character Olive.
When it comes down to it, this movie is so fantastic, because it doesn't rely on big names, special effects, or huge budgets to communicate a heartwarming, yet sad, believable, realistic story and sacrifices nothing. The sheer genuine feeling that flows through your body at the end of this awesome flick is reason enough to see it. You won't be disappointed.