Light up your life... !

Rating: 8/10 (1 November 2007)

If you want a feel-good story that never gets schmaltzy, then "Little Miss Sunshine" turns out to be a great pick. It boasts a positive denouement that argues courage is a more important thing to have in your armoury than credentials. If you've never felt that you measure up, then this movie welcomes you and asks you to take heart in the fact that there's bound to be one area where you excel.
It's a message that in my opinion is delivered with much greater aplomb than something like "Napolean Dynamite" - another 'outsider' paean - for example, because it doesn't feel stilted. These people are unabashed about their foibles and won't accept marginalisation because of them. This is a story that isn't afraid to let it all hang out when it comes to personal character quirks that could potentially be awkward. Each member of the family has uncomfortable flaws that aren't shied away from, and yet somehow against all the odds they are able to pull together and function as a successful family unit when it gets down to crunch time. Whereas Napolean almost seemed content to spend most of his time on the sidelines, "Little Miss... " has all of its principals make the brave decision to get right into the thick of things.
If you yourself feel like a "superfreak", then watching this allows you a private moment to rejoice. You've finally found a place in the sunshine where you belong!