Just go see it, everyone will be talking about it soon.

Rating: 9/10 (14 August 2006)

Little Miss Sunshine The movie opens as Frank ( Steve Carrell ) the preeminent Proust Scholar in the US is released from the Psych hospital after attempting suicide. With no place to go, since he should not be alone, Frank's doctors arrange for him to live with his sister, Sheryl played by Toni Collette.
Sheryl is married to a Richard Hoover, a Motivational speaker on the verge of his big break through. Richard is played by Greg Kinnear.
Richard's father, Grandpa played by Alan Arkin was thrown out of the old folks home for snorting cocaine, so he also lives with the Hoovers.
The Hoover's have two children, Dwayne a 15 yo, is so focused on being a fighter pilot that he has gone without speaking for four months. He has vowed to remain mute until he gets his appointment to the Air Force academy.
And then of course there is Olive, who we meet last. She is seven.
Sheryl brings Frank home just before dinner time. In preparation for dinner Grandpa heads to the bathroom to take a hit. Richard comes home eagerly awaiting news of the big book and promotion deal. He is ready to hit the road as the next big motivational speaker.
As dinner starts Olive is told that there is a message about little miss Sunshine on the machine.
It turns out that the winner of the local pageant had been disqualified for using diet pills. So Olive the runner up in the local Little Miss Sunshine pageant gets to go from New Mexico to California to compete.
Grandpa has been coaching Olive so he has to go. Frank cannot stay by himself so he has to go. As it turns out the entire family heads out from New Mexico to So Cal in a rickety VW bus.
What follows is totally funny. The AFI Silver Spring write up notes that the movie is about a dysfunctional family who learns that they need to trust and support one another. This movie is quite a bit more than that. While the comedy is dark at almost every turn, it is one of the funnier movies you will see.
This movie reminds you of the movie where Alan Arkin plays the patriarch of a dysfunctional family. That had Maria Tomei in it, and some recognizable faces that have no names. Little Miss Sunshine however makes you laugh at things you never thought you would.
I don't believe that this review contains spoilers. However, I suppose that any clear description of the characters could spoil something. The words written above cover only the first couple of scenes. So, have at it.
Joseph O. Boggi