A heart-warming, off-beat movie

Rating: 10/10 (19 August 2006)

I didn't know what to expect when I went to go see Little Miss Sunshine - all I knew was that it starred Steve Carell, who I love, and it was an indie movie about a family on a road trip (in an old VW van that keeps breaking down), taking their daughter Olive to a beauty pageant in California. After the first 15 minutes, I knew I was going to love this movie. The characters are very well written, which is a rarity in movies these days. Almost all movies these days star one-dimensional characters, each one the same as the next. When chemistry like this happens, it's magic, even if not all the characters are likable (Pageant Official Jenkins, anyone?) It's been years since I laughed so hard during a movie, and Little Miss Sunshine proved itself to be one of only a few films that made me roll in hysterics and cry at the same time. If you're considering seeing this movie, wait no longer - as far as movies go, this is the diamond in the rough of summer 2006.