Little Miss Sunshine
Abigail Breslin, Toni Collette, Steve Carell; Directed by Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris
Olive Hoover has a dream. She has thought about it day and night, rehearsed for it tirelessly, and has even studied videos of beauty pageants. Her dream comes true when the telephone rings one day, and she finds that she has been entered into the finals of the ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ pageant. The rest of the family knows that they have to support Olive in every way possible, and since airfare to California is out of the question, the six of them pile into the family car - a clunky and fiendishly temperamental bright yellow VW bus. This story is simply about a family’s trip to the next state over, but here the Devil is truly in the details, and what happens along the way will come to permanently change the lives of every person in that...um...vehicle.
There are certain words that can instantly provoke prejudice and discrimination, and it can be different images for different people. For instance, the phrase “road movie” will sometimes instantly bring to mind visions of drunken teenagers hooting and bellowing out some horribly bad rock song while driving down an open road. There are a dozen other scenarios that can fit into the images that this phrase invokes, and there were several other phrases tied to this movie that just built up a well of judgment in me, - “dysfunctional characters”, “indie film”, “award buzz”. Those phrases were also applied to the critically acclaimed Sideways, and I disliked that film very, very much.Needless to say, I was instantly skeptical about Little Miss Sunshine.
But this film surprised me. The screenplay by Michael Arndt is a real work of art. It broke through every single pre-conception I had, moved in a different direction than I had figured on, and even ran on a higher emotional plane than I thought it would. The people in this family are as different as can be, but even when they are at odds with one another, suffering in their deepest miseries, or just hating the world around them, there is still unconditional love to support them. Every character is multi-dimensional, we see their faults and we see their strengths. At times we sympathize with them, and at other times we’d like to see them knocked out. They make real mistakes, and they succumb to addiction, depression, and bitterness. But then there is Olive, - the pure, shining light of unwavering hope and love. She and her dream ultimately tie the family together, and that bind is unbreakable by the end. It is an inspiring film with deeply touching moments and heart-wrenching drama.
And guess what? It’s a comedy! The ride is fun! With people as varied and as crazy as they are, how could it not be? The list would read like a recipe for a tragedy - a failed motivational speaker, a suicidal scholar, and a heroin-snorting grandfather - but their misfortune doesn’t drag the film down. The comedy and the fast pacing bring a kind of buoyancy and optimism to the film. All of these terrific elements (including an outstanding cast) unite to tell an excellent story, and it would not be wrong to name Little Miss Sunshine among the greatest comedies of all time.
Grading:
Story = A
Originality = A-
DVD Features = N/A
Acting = A
Enjoyability = A-
Visuals = A
Overall = A
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