I heard an awful lot of positive things about Little Miss Sunshine, the thing that made me want to see it more than anything else was a review in which it was compared to the movie Welcome To The Dollhouse. Most importantly the movie had no press coverage prior to its arrival at a film festival, and became probably the best known independent movie of 2006 certainly one of the biggest success stories of the year. So what did the movie offer and deliver to receive such acclaim?
The story falls around a family Olive (Abigail Breslin) the daughter wants to be a beauty pageant winner and receive all the fame and accolade that goes along with it, her brother Dwayne (paul Dano) has not spoken a word for 9 months after being inspired to have a vow of silence by reading about Fredrick Niche. Richard (Greg Kinnear) the father is a man who analyses lives and desperately wants to get his 9 step help yourself life programme published. While Richard waits to be published Sheryl (Toni Collette) his hard working wife struggles to keep everything afloat. Then there is Frank (Steve Carrell), Sheryls brother who has just been released from hospital after attempting to
commit suicide. Finally there is Grandpa (Alan Arkin) an aging man convinced he is still in his 20’s he does drugs and loves sex. This dysfunctional family is thrown into turmoil when one weekend Olive is given the opportunity to be a finalised in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. What begins is a 700 mile journey in a defective VW Camper van, that ends in a journey of discovery as the family repair years of damage.
Sound interesting? Well literally that’s all there is to it; there is no fantastic wit, no great laughs; and the emotional story the family go through is nothing we have not seen before. If you remember the National Lampoons Vacation movies then compare this to that but without the laughs. While the characters all turn out nice rounded performances, there really is nothing new to this. it’s a feel good movie that wont leave you with ANY lasting memories. Yes its nice to see the family repair itself, and the interweaving of the story, but I really was expecting to see something I had not seen before; if only for the quality of acting talent.
Maybe I have been unfair in my summing up of this movie, after all it did do incredibly well at the box office. I will state that the settings were rather nice, everything about the road journey seemed well thought out giving you an overly positive view of American life. I will also take note that Olive’s end routine for the beauty pageant was a well kept secret throughout the movie, so when it arrives you cannot help but smile. But the massive transformation the whole family go though is kind of unexplained. They all seem to go through some massive change of heart, but they only encounter usual daily things that happen to most people; the standard life traumas. Which while some of them are quite final, I don’t believe its enough to make the characters change their views of life and alter their goals. The final major scene of the movie is just some cheesy pastiche moment that really makes you want to put your head in your hands, thank the Lord I never went to the cinema to see this as I’d feel mightily embarrassed.
Special Features
An Audio Commentary features Jonathon Drayton , Valerie Faris, and Michael Arndt. They are justifiably proud of their movie because it was such a resounding success. No major giveaways through this like some audio commentaries where they give information that might be useful to someone pursuing a life in movies on either side of the camera; and this annoyed me because the movie was unknown when it hit the Sundance Film Festival. I feel an mention of the transformation of the crews views of the film and how they got to get it seen might have been nice. We all like David & Goliath type stories where little people get to do something very big; but this is never addressed in any way shape or form.
The four alternate endings offer a little light entertainment. When less cringe worthy ending, one offered me my only laugh of the movie, one was more cringe worthy and the final one never even registered in my mind.
All in all would I recommend the purchase or even the rental of this movie? Well maybe a rental, but for the most part I’d say wait two years till it hits our TV screens. Even at Play.com’s price of £12.99 (roughly £5 cheaper than the shop rrp) you’ll feel a bit robbed. I asked at the beginning what this movie did to receive such high acclaim, having watched it my response to that would be that I really don’t have a clue.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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I marked your review as Very good, but could not disagree with you more about the film . I would say that virtually every shot was a master peice, and the film made me laugh out loud . How can passing your dead father through the window of a hospital be cheesy ? its a belting film, but i guess some people think MR Bean is funny ...
wjt13 27.01.2007 15:05
i disagree with this review i thought it was a great film!
Take a hilarious ride with the Hoovers, one of the most endearingly fractured families in ... more
comedy history.Father Richard (Greg Kinnear) is desperately trying to sell his motivational success programme... with no success. Meanwhile, pro-honesty mom Shery...
Little Miss Sunshine is an American family road comedy that shatters the mold. Brazenly ... more
satirical and yet deeply human the film introduces audiences to one of the most endearingly fractured families in recent cinema history: the Hoovers whose trip to...
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Advantages: Lovely bizarre road movie, perfectly balancing family dilemma and humour Disadvantages: Can seem slow and, sometimes, a little over the top
![Little Miss Sunshine [DVD] [2006]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78189332.jpg "Little Miss Sunshine [DVD] [2006]")
Jan 17th, 2007
very helpful by (99%):
helpful by (1%):
