Little Miss Sunshine
Little Miss Sunshine is an enjoyable movie about a dysfunctional family that travels across the country in a VW bus. Such well-realized characters that it’s a pleasure to watch them act off one another. There’s an uncle recovering from a suicide attempt who’s just moved in with the family. There’s a belligerent but lovable grandfather living in the basement. There’s an adolescent son full of existential angst who’s sworn a vow of silence. There’s a father trying to redefine himself as a motivational speaker. There’s the mother trying to stay calm in the midst of all this. And there’s a sweet little daughter who just got accepted into a beauty contest. It might be a bit too quirky and contrived for some, but if you’re not feeling too critical and you’re in the right mood, it works as feel-good movie.
Tags: Abigail Breslin, Alan Arkin, Greg Kinnear, Jonathan Dayton, Michael Arndt, Paul Dano, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Valerie Faris