A brilliant commentary on the American family

Rating: 8/10 (26 January 2008)

Little Miss Sunshine is about a girl who wants to be Miss America.
Well, sort of. Actually, it's really about a family that, despite consisting of the most messed-up cast of characters you might imagine, is actually relatively normal, in all the ways that count.
A father terrified of failure, especially his own. A grandfather who likes loose women, crude language, and heroin. A brother who has taken a vow of silence until he gets his dream of entering the air force academy. A gay scholarly uncle who, after a bad breakup, has recently attempted suicide. A harried mother trying to hold everyone together. And oh yeah, a remarkably and refreshingly unspoiled little girl, who dreams in her own innocent way of being Miss America. Pile them all into a bright yellow VW bus with a broken clutch - and horn - as they try to rush Olive to the Little Miss Sunshine pageant and see what ensues.
What does unfold is not only pure comedic gold, but also a refreshing commentary on family, values and the hypocrisy of the world in general. Without revealing too much, the movie's ending exposes this hypocrisy in such a spot-on way that it has audiences leaping to their feet and cheering.
Way to go, Little Miss Sunshine! A must-see.