The "Little" Movie That Could

Rating: 8/10 (12 August 2006)

Each summer has a breakout film. With the exception of the inspired absurdity of "Napoleon Dynamite", as well as the delicious charm of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", I have loathed most of them. "March of the Penguins?" Dull. "Bend It Like Beckham?" Duller. But this is an indie I can truly stand behind, a dark comedy with wit and energy to spare. A cluster of semi-stars (Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin), bring the cardboard characters to breathing, believable life. "Sunshine" takes a look at the lives of the Hoovers-a sex-obsessed grandpa (Alan Arkin), a calm and reasonable mother (Toni Collette), a suicidal Proust scholar (Steve Carrell), a snobby motivational speaker dad (Greg Kinnear), a silent teen (Paul Dano), and a giggly child (Abigal Breslin), who is competing to be the Little Miss Sunshine of the title. So they all set off in a microbus to reach California. Directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris give the movie pizazz, but Michael Arndt's script is the real success here. The running gags (the microbus's fault engine) work well, as does the dialogue. The actor's really are enjoying themselves here, especially Carrell and Dano, and the poppy score by Devotchka is excellent. Little Miss Sunshine is a surreal (and frighteningly realistic) comedy, and the most refreshing movie of the summer.