Yes, the Sun Will Shine.

Rating: Null/10 (11 May 2007)

A totally dysfunctional New Mexico family which includes a failing motivational speaker (Greg Kinnear), his stressed-out wife (Toni Collette), her suicidal, homosexual brother (Steve Carrell), and their son who has chosen a life of silence (Paul Dano) come together along with Kinnear's foul-mouthed, heroin-addicted father (Alan Arkin's most wonderful performance) to get the couple's young daughter (the adorable Abigail Breslin) to a beauty pageant in California in the family's old, beat-up yellow Volkswagen van that doubles as a supporting character itself. Absolutely great and life-affirming little film that was to 2006 what "Sideways" was to the cinema back in 2004. "Little Miss Sunshine" works due to a brilliant script and outstanding turns by the aforementioned performers. Everyone does the best work of their careers in this funny and yet highly dramatic slice of atypical American life in the early-21st Century. Although this group of people seems totally selfish at times, they all rally around one another unwittingly to get the little girl to her pageant in the hopes of making her adolescent dreams come true. A strong winner that will not only be remembered as one of the best films of 2006, but as one of the best films of this decade. 5 stars out of 5.