Truly, truly wonderful

Rating: 10/10 (10 December 2006)

Little Miss Sunshine is in a word, fantastic. If you want in more words, it is the story of a family's journey together; helping each other through their ups and downs and showing that although you may not have everything you want- that does not mean your required to be unhappy. It centres around the family of Richard Hoover ( Greg Kinnear ); a man whose '9 steps to becoming a winner' program is not only a job for him but a way of life. He is truly someone who brings his work home with him; much to the chagrin of his wife, Sheryl ( Toni Collette ) and his children Olive ( Abigail Breslin ) and Dwayne ( Paul Dano ) who has taken a vow of silence before he reaches his goal of becoming a pilot in the air force. Their world is turned upside down when Sheryl's brother Frank ( Steve Carell ) attempts to commit suicide, thus bringing him into the family as a precaution. Also there is Richard's dad ( Alan Arkin ) who was kicked out of a retirement home for snorting heroin.
When the family's at the dinner table, the news comes that Olivia is invited to the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant in California- which involves a road trip across the country.
However this movie really proves the saying that the journey is as important as the destination, and it is proved by a great cast. But particular credit must go to Steve Carell as Frank and Paul Dano as Dwayne- their scenes together seem to just move so naturally.
Little Miss Sunshine is a movie that will help you out of whatever doldrums your in. It's not clichéd or corny nor pious or preachy but it is still heartfelt in a time where these sort of movies are becoming lost to much more Disneyfied shallow emotions.