MovieMantz Review: ‘Little Miss Sunshine’

Forget about Superman, who returned after all these years to fight for truth, justice, and all that stuff. Forget about Captain Jack Sparrow, who locked swords with the rest of those swashbuckling pirates over some stupid chest. Forget about Dr. Robert Langdon, who risked his life and a horrible hairstyle to expose the biggest cover-up in human history.

The real hero ? or heroine ? of the summer movie season is a four-eyed, pint-sized little girl named Olive Hoover, who single-handedly helped bring her dysfunctional family back from the brink of self-destruction. Not an easy task, especially since she had to do it while cooped up with them in a beat-up van en route from Albuquerque to Redondo Beach, but at least it was worth the trip.

It was worth it for Fox Searchlight too, which acquired ?Little Miss Sunshine? for a record $10.5 million at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. Talk about money well-spent, not only does it out-shine the rest of the summer blockbusters in terms of sheer entertainment value, but it?s also a delightful, touching, laugh-out-loud funny film that will make you walk out of the theater with a smile on your face.

?Little Miss Sunshine? tells the story of the black cloud that hangs over the Hoover family. Richard (Greg Kinnear) is desperate to establish his career as a motivational speaker, but he can?t seem to motivate more emotional support from his frustrated wife Sheryl (Toni Collette). Her suicidal brother Frank (Steve Carell) is still devastated after being jilted by his gay lover, while her bitter son Dwayne (Paul Dano) won?t say a word until he gets into the Air Force Academy. Then there?s the foul-mouthed family grandfather (Alan Arkin), who was evicted from his retirement home after snorting heroin.

But leave it to seven-year-old Olive (Abigail Breslin) to rally the troops, even if she has an ulterior motive to do so. When the would-be beauty queen is invited to compete in the Little Miss Sunshine Pageant in California, the Hoovers pile into their rusted-out VW van for a three-day trip to the west coast. That?s when they confront the emotional problems that have been threatening to tear them apart, and in the process, they learn to rally behind Olive in her moment of glory.

Dysfunctional family movies are a dime-a-dozen these days ? especially in the indie world ? but once the Hoovers take to the open road, ?Little Miss Sunshine? transcends the stereotypical trappings of the genre with a perfect blend of drama, humor and satire. Some of the deeper moments feel a bit contrived ? particularly when Frank runs into his ex-boyfriend at a gas station ? but others feel genuine enough to convey real human drama and heartbreak.

But the husband-and-wife team of Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton ? who make their feature directorial debut from a terrific screenplay by Michael Arndt ? sugar-coat these dramatic obstacles with so many funny moments that you?ll laugh ?til it hurts. And most of them come at the expense of the film?s real scene-stealer ? the Hoover?s yellow VW van, which needs to be pushed by them every time they need to get it started.

The fact that the Hoovers stay so likable despite their flaws is a testament to the strong performances of the stellar cast. Greg Kinnear takes his own motivational advice too seriously, but that?s only because he is desperate to provide for his family. He and Toni Collette have terrific chemistry, while funnyman Steve Carell (?The 40-Year-Old Virgin?) shows remarkable depth as the heartbroken brother. Alan Arkin is hysterical as the Hoover?s far-out grandfather, but the real heart of the movie is Abigail Breslin, who gives a sincere, adorable performance.

August is traditionally the month when the Hollywood studios dump their sub-par movies that didn?t have a chance during the earlier, more competitive part of the summer season. But it?s also when a lot of independent films, most of which were acquired at Sundance, finally get the chance to shine through. And that?s a good thing, because even when compared to the rest of the summer blockbusters, it doesn?t get bigger, better or brighter than ?Little Miss Sunshine.?

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