A tightly constructed and stellar comedy.

Rating: 8/10 (30 June 2010)

A dysfunctional American family includes a failed motivational speaker (Greg Kinnear), facing financial ruin; an oversexed, drug-taking grandfather (Alan Arkin); a sulky mute teenager (Paul Dano) who communicates only by notepad; and a suicidal uncle (Steve Carell). With the family's relatively sane mother (Toni Collette), they travel in their dilapidated Volkswagen bus to a California beauty pageant in which their nine-year-old daughter Olive (Abigail Breslin) is a contestant. Then 10-year-old Breslin was nominated for several Best Supporting Actress and Breakthrough Performance awards.
Little Miss Sunshine is an achingly funny comedy, shrewdly cast. Its script overflows with witty lines and snappy dialogue, but also speaks volumes about the American obsession with winning. The Hoover family, at first glance, are losers, but their ability to stick together through trying times makes them anything but. It's a joyous film that succeeds on its own terms, and even dispenses friendly wisdom.