Little Miss Sunshine

Review by Clint Morris

There are films that make you cry. There are films that make you laugh. There are films that keep you on the edge of your seat. And, there are films that make you think. Usually, it’d cost you about the equivalent of renting a Tux to give every one of those emotions a workout, but thanks to Little Miss Sunshine there’s now an easier, equally satisfying, alternative to seeing back-to-back movies at your local AMC on opening day. You get a little bit of everything with this new comedy/drama, so much so that theatres are going to be asking Fox Searchlight for remuneration.

Don’t get me wrong though, cheap and satisfying definitely aren’t terms worthy of stapling to this film’s bind. In fact, the film is as solid as an undefrosted freezer, with an idea that’s as fresh as handpicked cherries. Rather than calling it cheap, it’s more simple or straightforward, a relatively hassle-free idea that will have many a whistle tooting.

At the same time, it is one of those films that will probably have audiences keen to see anything but (in my case, I nearly skipped it and went to Clerks 2 instead, because frankly, the plotline just didn’t rock my boat) once they read the synopsis - which sounds little more than a micro waved reheat of a National Lampoon’s Vacation sequel – so hopefully the ‘critics say’ marketing campaign is only a few days away.

A ray of Sunshine among the over-ambitious uber-bloated crop of Summer crap, the film fixes on an eccentric, squabbling, mostly unhappy, family who decide to – or are rather, forced – fulfil the youngest member of their clan’s wish, and drive her from the boondocks to Los Angeles to participate in the children’s beauty pageant, Little Miss Sunshine.

Along the way (on their crazy road trip), one of them decides to do away with his ‘no talking’ rule, another manages to pull the carrot out from his rear, a broken marriage begins to re-stitch, and another discovers the ugly truth about substance abuse. Meantime, the littlest one practices her dancing moves for her big moment at 3pm.

This is such a wonderful film. It’s funny, it’s cute, it’s touching, it’s dramatic…it’s, well, real. It may be crazy, but it also plays true. These are real folks, with real feelings, and real [and not especially exceptional] problems. The writing is impeccable; squeezing every little detail out of it’s singular troupe, and giving the actors – who are all sensational by the way, especially young Abigail Breslin – some of the tastiest and most grisseled meat they’ve had to chew on in agers (or in Steve Carell’s case, who is unusually tame here, possibly the best).

Cry. Laugh. Cringe. Howl. Weep. Smile. Shout. Yahoo. With just a little “Sunshine”. Do yourself a favour, and check out one of the most entertaining, not to mention best, films of the year.

4 out of 5

Little Miss Sunshine
Australian release: 12th October, 2006
Cast: Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Courteney Cox Arquette, Alan Arkin
Director: Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton
Website: Click here.