Little Miss Sunshine Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Where's Olive?
A family on the verge of a breakdown
Everyone just pretend to be normal
Welcome to Hell
The Hoover family is the dictionary definition for the word "dysfunctional". The dad Richard is a man who gives lectures on winners and losers, the wife is Sheryl, a chain-smoking, frazzled wife and working mother whose idea of a home cooked meal frequently consists of a bucket of chicken. Her gay brother Frank recently attempted suicide. The grandpa is Edwin, a drug addict. The son is Dwayne a rebel who has vowed not to talk until he gets into the Air Force. And then there is Olive, a seven-year old girl who dreams of going to the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. So what happens when they do?
| Abigail Breslin | Olive |
| Greg Kinnear | Richard |
| Paul Dano | Dwayne |
| Alan Arkin | Grandpa |
| Toni Collette | Sheryl |
| Steve Carell | Frank |
| Marc Turtletaub | Doctor #1 |
| Jill Talley | Cindy |
| Brenda Canela | Diner Waitress |
| Julio Oscar Mechoso | Mechanic |
| Chuck Loring | Convenience Store Proprietor |
| Justin Shilton | Josh |
| Gordon Thomson | Larry Sugarman |
| Steven Christopher Parker | Teen Boy #1 |
| Bryan Cranston | Stan Grossman |
| Jonathan Dayton |
8.10 out of 10 (52953 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Been there, done that...
posted on 30 Aug 2009Okay, so I guess I'm the only person on the planet who didn't think this movie was anything special. Don't get me wrong. It was funny, a little dark, and paced well (almost). My big problem with this movie is the fact that I didn't care at all about any of the characters.When Grampa died, I didn't care. I didn't cry, I didn't laugh, didn't feel one iota out of the ordinary. And it didn't seem like the other characters did, either. His death comes out feeling like another bump in the road. Rather than dealing with it, they decide that Grampa is only holding them back and Linda, the bereavement lady, won't let them just dump the body on the hospital. The family didn't grieve over Grampa's death except for about thirty seconds! For Christ's sake, the character doesn't even have a name! He's either Grampa or Dad. How impersonal can you get? Furthermore, there is only one dynamic character here: Dwayne. Paul Dano's character is the only one I even felt remotely sympathetic for. That may only be because he was given a better role here than in other films he's been in (The Emperor's Club, The Girl Next Door). The change he makes is rather dramatic and is an example of fine acting.I'm also getting very tired of the idea of a "road movie." The "road as a journey" metaphor only works so many times, and it only really works when the characters are actually changed by the challenges they face. It's losing its metaphor status and quickly taking the plunge into Clicheland. It works well in Stand By Me (in which friendships are strengthened and manhood is achieved by the time the destination is reached), decently in National Lampoon's Vacation (over the length of which the family's bond is first weakened and then finally realized), and not much at all in Little Miss Sunshine (where the destination is reached after several tribulations and still, nothing has changed).I appreciate the comedy, our laughter at how pathetic the characters all are (and thereby how pathetic we are). I think the film is well-shot with truckloads of unbalanced shots which throw us deeper into the chaos of this dysfunctional family. All-in-all, it's decent entertainment. I just don't think there's much here to be said that hasn't been said before and better.
Dysfunctional family off on a road-trip to the beauty pageant
posted on 28 Aug 2009This movie is a little beauty! I'd read a few reviews and seen the shorts yet was somewhat unconvinced, ready for a quiet letdown. We laughed and smiled almost the entire way through. Most of the cinema had big-spirit smiles each time I turned around. There is nothing pretentious or over cooked about this movie as it deals with hope, family, life and death, teenage anger, friendship, little town comes to big city, parenting and the crazy side of life. This small budget film manages to keep you gripped to your seat (smiling) as we follow the family in their VW "Kombi" bus, off to the win the "Little Miss Sunshine" beauty pageant. The adorable but rather goofy looking eight year old, the only 'normal' person in the family, has high hopes that she will be the next Sunshine, with the a little help from her grandfather as they practice her dance routine.On paper the character setups seem like textbook clichés, from the angry teenager reading Nietzsche to the father and his "Nine Steps to Success" power sales mantra. On film they all blend in naturally, a testament to the clever script, acting and directing. You can tell they all had a ball making this movie, I can't wait to see the DVD and the out-takes! It has that beautiful magic when story, actor and crew just click. Most of the movie is shot in and around the VW bus, yet the lack of sets and locations doesn't go amiss. The kooky Kombi is just as lovable as the rest of the dysfunctional family.Just lovely. Take the family!
An instant classic for me
posted on 28 Aug 2009I bought the DVD of Little Miss Sunshine- and alas, I wasn't disappointed. it was fantastically funny and the performances by Arkin, Carell, Collette, young Abigail Breslin, Dano and Kinnear were just top notch stuff. The Hoovers like any other family have their own problems: father Richard is a unsuccessful motivational speaker trying to instill confidence and to be able to fully motivate his family, mother Sheryl is a chain smoking wife and mother to Olive, who at times is at loggerheads with her husband in the film, grandpa J Edgar Hoover is a foul mouthed, heroin snorting junkie, uncle Frank is gay and on the verge of committing suicide after his partner left him for another guy, whilst Dwayne is a Frederich Nietzsche addict, who takes up a vow of silence, in his attempts to one day become a fighter pilot. As for Olive, she seems to be one without the problems and unaware of the problems plaguing her dysfunctional family. The family all set off in a mini yellow Volkswagen on a road trip to Redondo beach, California and to the Little miss sunshine beauty pageant that olive is taking part in. However, during their journey numerous events unravel within the plot: grandpa dies in his sleep, the family sneak his dead body from the hospital bed and attempt to load it in the van, Frank comes into contact with his former lover at a local gas station, Dwayne breaks his vow of silence after Frank tells him he is colour blind and towards the end,there is a small encore scene where the Hoovers get on stage and lark about to Rick James' 'Superfreak', which is one of the main highlights of this film. It is amusing, tragic and light-hearted all rolled into one, Little Miss Sunshine is a fab film which often tugs at the heart strings but also highlights that the beauty myth, can be so flawed due to the existence of beauty pageant shows that seek to sexualise that myth, as well as to disseminate and rob the innocence of young girls. Both Kinnear and Collette are great character actors, who seem to perform well, either as supporting characters to the main leads in a good established mainstream film, or as leads in a well written independent flick, such as Little Miss Sunshine.Overall, it is a fantastic movie that rightly deserved its plaudits
Great Fun--Even If You Are Over 40
posted on 26 Aug 2009I give it 10 out of 10, not because it is the greatest movie ever, but because in this genre, namely the not-stupid-comedy, it is simply perfect. And you can enjoy it even when you are over 40. I, and the people next to me (many of them real adults!), laughed all through the movie. There was even some applause at the end (and this was not Caracas, Venezuela, but Boulder, Colorado). It is laughter that (I think) you do not have to be ashamed of: You do not laugh because people are denigrated or humiliated (as in so many other movies, which, in my brain, leave a bad aftertaste), but because, well, because things are simply funny.By the way, I do not think that the R rating is justified. The "sexual content" was basically limited to the f-word, and maybe someone who does not know what cocaine is would be slightly surprised. But the movie is not sleazy, and the drug use (which does not play a big role anyway) is not glorified, neither in the positive nor in the negative sense. But beware, I am German, and German sensitivities are slightly different from the Americans'.I don't want to tell you anything about the story or the characters, as the less you know, the more you discover for yourself and the more fun you'll have. Go, take your spouse along, and, if the f-word does not shock you (or your kid--well, your kid probably less than you anyway), take your 13- or 14-year-old along too. A real feel-good movie!
Am I a Loser?
posted on 25 Aug 2009Spoilers below:
This movie encapsulates the American obsession with success, and more noteably not being a loser. The line in the title of my review is given by Olive, and it is just heart breaking when she delivers it. So young but she is all too acquainted with winning and losing and the stigma attached to the latter. It is her Grandpa's reply to Olive which is reassuring and touching. The movie opens with Olive viewing the moment when a contestant for Miss America (or the equivalent) learns that she has been named Miss America. Olive repeatedly replays the video clip. That winning smile.
The other characters in the movie are:
Richard, played by Greg Kinnear, is a wanna be motivational speaker; Dwayne, played by Paul Dana, is the son who wants to be the fighter pilot; and Frank, played by Steve Carell, is the Proust scholar who has his heart broken by a relationship with a student.
As each one of these character's dreams comes to naught, the family has to grow closer and closer together. Olive's hug of her brother after his realization that he will never attain his dream, and he decides to join her on her quest, is quite touching.
And finally the metaphor of the yellow VW bus, the one that can not be driven with out the entire family pushing it, is perfect. They all have to push to make the family go, together they are not losers, they are in fact trying to succeed, and that is what makes you a winner. A great movie.
supremly entertaining
posted on 25 Aug 2009Little Miss Sunshine, the little indie film that could, is in my opinion one of the best films of the year. extremly funny, quirky characters, and a simple plot that makes it work. the story is about this really dysfunctional family, the father and wife always argue, the grandpa spews profanity, the son refusses to talk, and the gay uncle tried to kill himself. however, the only normal one in the family Olive, has just been informed that she has entered the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. and with that, the family piles into a huge yellow bus and there off to California were as you can excpect things never go right. the family slowly but surley come together because of this pageant and though there far from perfect, at least there better then they started. whats best is this transformation isent shoved down our throats but is done in a very subtle yet prominent way. the humor is definently the funniest i have heard in a while but the most hilarious part is definently the pageant. i thought i was going to die laughing. the performances are also top notched, the best definently being Alan Arkin, Paul Dano, and Abigail Breslin, they just shine in the film but Breslin is the standout. i was pretty shocked that Alan Arkin won the oscar for Supporting Actor but, he's also a very nice choice though i still think Eddie should have got it. so if you want to see the most funny and dysfunctional family since the Burnhams, then this Sundance approved film is definently for you.
The best comedy of the year!
posted on 22 Aug 2009When I first saw the trailer for Little Miss Sunshine in front of Thank You for Smoking I thought to myself "Awww that looks like cornball hell". But to my surprise an enormous amount of absolutely glowing reviews came pouring in praising the film. This time you can trust the critics. Little Miss Sunshine is not only the most hysterically funny and original comedy of the year, it's also one of the very best and most delightful films I've seen all year long. That's right, it truly is. This innocence and carefree little flick serves up a great dish of bittersweet drama and plenty of quirky laughs. If the Academy Awards have any real value left to them this film would at the very least get a Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay; its proof that movies can still be funny and original without having to rely entirely on potty humor and tasteless sex jokes. This is one of those underrated films that should get more attention, and hopefully more people will go and check it out.This dramedy about a super dysfunctional family revolves around one little girl named Olive; an innocence oddball child with aspirations to win a beauty pageant named "Little Miss Sunshine". One look at her and you think to yourself, "Well that ain't happenin' anytime soon." Abigail Breslin (the little girl from Signs) is outstanding as Olive, and her performance is a real winner for such a young actress (Look out Dakota!), but this film isn't necessarily all about one great performance, instead we get six! Toni Collette and Greg Kinnear play Sheryl and Richard, the mother and father of this gang of misfits, which includes not only Olive, but her older brother Dwayne, who aspires to be a pilot and has taken a vow of silence until he achieves his goal. And then there's Frank, Olive's gay and suicidal uncle, played by funnyman Steve Carell. Carell, whose ability to whip up laughs in last year's The 40-Year-Old Virgin, keeps himself in a constant downtrodden mood and never seems to try too hard to get laughs, but he gets 'em anyway. He could have stolen the spotlight easily, but he doesn't. And rounding out the family is Alan Arkin as the grumpy and horny grandpa named, well… honestly, it's just "Grandpa". Whose complains about getting old and snorts heroine to deal with his life. All the performances are equally great, no one really seems to outshine anybody else; much like a real family they work together and together they make one of the most entertainingly fun and enjoyable dysfunctional families I've seen on the big screen in quite a long time.The majority of the film is the family packing into their busted up and literally falling apart VW minivan and traveling hundreds of miles to get Olive to the pageant on time. Sounds like a simple premise, but to anyone whose seen a road trip comedy you can bet that the journey will take plenty of hilarious detours, and the best part of Little Miss Sunshine is that most of the detours you won't see comin'; when you think you know exactly where the joke is headed it immediately takes a sharp turn and goes somewhere else entirely. The amazing script by first time writer, Michael Arndt, is full of tender and soft moments, but the film never gets sappy or corny, and instead sometimes stings with quirky humor and very deep insights into the joy of life, family, and the misery of the pressure to win and the bitter taste of losing. The great thing about the film is how it's handled and how perfectly balanced it is; it never becomes predictably trite or overly sentimental.Little Miss Sunshine is a delightful little surprise that rides a roller coaster of emotions from sad, to heat-warming to hysterically funny and enjoyable. This isn't exactly a "family movie". It's rated a mild R, for some language and sexual humor and brief drug use. But this is such a charming and entertaining film you hardly seem to notice the R rating. So if you're looking for something refreshingly original and equally funny and enjoyable and you're sick of shallow entertainment like Snakes on a Plane or Beerfest and looking for something that'll put a nice big 'ol smile on your face I'd highly recommend rushing out to the theater and seeing Little Miss Sunshine, even if you have to give your car a push start to make it to the theater, it's worth it.
U can touch this!
posted on 22 Aug 2009I have seen many movies about dysfunctional families, but rarely if ever have I seen one as good or as funny as "Little Miss Sunshine". It not only shows the fictional Hoover family's messed-up existence, but shows how daughter Olive (Abigail Breslin) is the least damaged; maybe it's because she's the youngest, so there's hope for her.Anyway, the family. Dad Richard (Greg Kinnear) hosts pep talks where he reminds people of the nine steps to becoming a winner (because, as he puts it, winners know that they're going to win); none of his steps really seem to amount to anything in his own home, especially with the advice that he gives Olive. Mom Sheryl (Toni Collette) tries to be a homemaker, but is clearly unsatisfied with life. Son Dwayne (Paul Dano) has taken a vow of silence in hopes of becoming a jet pilot. Grandpa (Alan Arkin) prides himself on his perverted - but quite hilarious - lifestyle. Uncle Frank (Steve Carell) recently tried to commit suicide and seems to have a slight form of Asperger's Syndrome, making it hard for him to read social cues. And daughter Olive, she's participating in a beauty contest.When they have to drive to Redondo Beach for the beauty pageant, they have an experience that they never could have imagined. Each one gets to see just how messed up s/he is. Even though they all seem weird, we can't help but admire each of them. But the beauty pageant itself is the highlight. It affirms that there is definitely hope for Olive, and not the kind that dad suggested! Anyway, I can't recommend this movie enough. It's one that you just gotta see.
can't agree
posted on 22 Aug 2009Sorry. I can't agree with all the kudos for this film. I found it really quite trite, inane and boring.Direction is shoddy, the characters are too disparate to make any connection and the dialogue isn't funny.The basic motif regarding life being like a beauty contest/competition and all you have to really do is simply what you love is worthy enough but overplayed and corny in the end.Some bits were nice enough but in the end I thought wow, that was silly. Maybe its an American movie. (I'm an Aussie). Then again,I thought American Beauty was crap. Leave these movies to the Euros and the Aussies who do them much better.
Sweet, sweet, sweet!
posted on 19 Aug 2009Little Miss Sunshine....What a lovely story! My husband, who has an 11 yr old granddaughter, and the usual family dysfunction, cried all the way through with intermittent snorts of laughter. At one point I laughed so hard my entire face was wet and my cheeks ache a little this morning.
This movie is about family sticking together for the important things, regardless of differences, history, etc. (It's got a healthy dose of the "F-word" sprinkled throughout, so be prepared for that. And there are other shockers, as well.)
The story is made fairly simple and clean by omitting the messy details we all know exist. The acting is so well done, and everyone was lovable.
See this one, you'll be glad you did.
ROFL
posted on 19 Aug 2009I didn't know what to expect out of this movie, but decided to give it a chance because Steve Carrell is in it. It is the most enjoyable flick of 2006, IMHO. It crosses genres and is a bit difficult to categorize, perhaps a "dark comedy".
The movie starts slow, so you'll need some patience while the director sets up the characters. It's well worth it. I almost bust a rib laughing at the horn situation... "Mmmeeep meep... mbeep.. mmmmbeep meeep". There are some unexpected twists and a creative ending.
The Funk in Dysfunktional
posted on 19 Aug 2009Little Olive, age 6, wants to be a beauty queen. Yeah, but daddy wants to be a motivational speaker and he can't. Big brother wants to be a pilot and he can't. Uncle wants to be an academic success and he can't. Grandpa wants to be something - anything - and he can't. That leaves little Olive, supporting the whole weight of their failure on her small and sloping shoulders, so off they go to the Little Miss Sunshine pageant.
Off in an ancient VW minibus, with mechanical condition that fully matches their personal condition - things happening that shouldn't, not happening that should, and utter collapse certain even if the moment of that collapse isn't so easy to predict. And so they arrive at the pageant, a bizarre world in itself. It's filled with six year old beauty queens in tiny flat bikinis, elaborate makeup and big hair, trying to be the seductresses that their mothers never were. And Olive, with her six year old babyfat and gawky walk, wondering why she doesn't have the taut tummy that the others do (and shouldn't).
Then it all comes down to the final talent competition, the one that Olive has been practicing for months and the crowning moment of the family's out-to-lunchness. How could mommy and daddy NOT have known what kind of routine she was developing with grandpa? No matter, they're all a family.
If you enjoy the kind of entertainment that leaves you happy that you're not them, you'll love it. Although the movie had its moments, I found it a bit creepy that anyone might be them.
//wiredweird
A Smarter "Vacation" for the 21st Century
posted on 19 Aug 2009This is the story of Olive Hoover and her dysfunctional family and their road trip to the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. Early in the movie, we're introduced to her family and get a sense of what's about to come. There's her overly-optimistic, can-do father Richard (Greg Kinnear). Opposite Richard is Olive's maybe-too-down-to-Earth mother Sheryl (Toni Collette). To round out the family, there is her withdrawn, Nietzsche-obsessed brother Dwayne (Paul Dano), who has taken a vow of silence (COMPLETE silence), her Uncle Frank (Steve Carell), who recently tried to commit suicide after being spurned by a male student of his, and her curse-like-a-sailor grandpa (Alan Arkin).
Most of the movie takes place "on the road" with the Hoovers as one roadblock after another tries to prevent them from making it to the pageant. Parts of this are laugh-out-loud hilarious and parts of it are shed-a-tear sad.
The family finally makes it to the Little Miss Sunshine pageant and, just when you thought the roadblocks were hurdled, more issues arise. In the end, Olive participates and the results are hysterical on a level I've rarely experienced.
After finishing the movie, I couldn't help but compare it to National Lampoon's "Vacation."
Both involve highly dysfunctional families.
Both center on a road trip with a less-than-reliable vehicle.
Both have the overly-optimistic, stay-positive dad.
Both have the maybe-too-down-to-Earth mom.
Both have the bitter elder/grandparent.
Both have the messed up relatives.
But, don't get me wrong. "Little Miss Sunshine" is still its own movie and is a big step above what was delivered in "Vacation." To me, the movies are similar enough that if you enjoyed "Vacation," you'll enjoy "Little Miss Sunshine." If you didn't like "Vacation," you actually might still like "Little Miss Sunshine" because of the added plot lines that take it from being a simple gut-busting comedy into the realm of being a smart comedy with just enough realism to hit home. Plus, Abigail Breslin is downright lovable as Olive and reason enough to watch the movie.
The only real downside to the DVD is that it doesn't really have much beyond the typical commentaries and alternate endings. I was really hoping for some outtakes (particularly with Frank, Dwayne, and Grandpa), but there were none. Thankfully, the movie was good enough that I wasn't too disappointed.
Dark Comedy
posted on 17 Aug 2009Exceptionally Funny Comedy. This comedy is dark and delicious about dysfunctional family realtionships. There are several turns and twists in the movie. When I was first watching this movie I thought that it was going to be a sleeper. I was truely surprised at the turn of events.
it was okay
posted on 16 Aug 2009I didn't enjoy this movie a lot, but it had certain good qualities. Like it had the right actors for the right parts. That is a complete must for a good movie. I thought it lacked a complete ending. I know that it wasn't supposed to end on this final thing, but when it ended it felt....empty. Like it was only halfway through the movie. Yeah, it was probably supposed to have ended that way, but it made it seem so undone. It seemed like it had no climax in the movie. I also think that it wasn't as funny as everyone claimed it was. Sure it was pretty funny, but it wasn't "laugh out loud oh my god I gotta tell everyone I know about this movie" funny. It was "ha-ha whats the next joke" funny. It was exceptionally funny, but something was off, something is missing. I must admit that Abigail Breslin did a fantastic job and made that movie ten times better. I'm telling you, she totally kicks ass in this movie.
One of the Funniest and Smartest Movies Ever.
posted on 12 Aug 2009This film is hilarious. By the end I nearly rolled out of my seat laughing. It isn't idiotic dick and fart jokes either. The comedy of this film is of a dark style that comes from the character's different perspectives on life and the types of pain that comes with the ups and downs of life. It is about living up to the expectations of others, and what happens when you put your whole life out there for everyone to see and get hurt. Don't be put off by the fact that it is intelligent comedy there will not be any math problems.Also if you are going to post comments there is a ten line limit. So even though the information needed to decide to see or not see this film is above, I have to type a few more lines.
Hated It
posted on 12 Aug 2009This movie falls between the fault of bad movies and TERRIBLE MOVIES! It isn't the worst film of all time, but watching it gives me the reason to nitpick it. All the movie is is conflict, a bunch of bobbing heads that suck at acting bickering at each other. The movie, first off was absolutely ridiculous. I felt that the movie was trying to get onto this list by making the audience realize something about family... Like there isn't enough! There's Lilo and Stitch, Pay it forward, The Wizard, and several of them are flops anyway. Why did this one think it could stand out? All this movie is is problem after problem after problem. Was the world trying to kill them? Wait, is this a "SILVER-LINING" lesson that several thousands of movies have taught you to pull through? It looks like it is because "Sticking with the family can always let you pull through problems" is another one of these aims. I've never seen one of those movies, wow, it's even less credible. Maybe they have a couple of movies that have a small bit of that here and there, but THIS MOVIE IS COMPLETELY BASED ON THIS! Stay the heck away from this movie! It's awful! 1/10
Road trip film like you've never seen before
posted on 10 Aug 2009Running gags that work, self-involved characters that work with each other, and a near-perfect blend of drama and comedy. All of these things make for a movie-going experience like no other. Say what you will about these characters: the parents are too lenient, the grandfather too raunchy, the kids left to their own devices are not developing as kids should. This is what American families are, folks. If this does not sound like your family, go to any diner in America and look for the first family unit you see. Sit close to them and listen to their conversation. Guaranteed you will hear something like the conversation the screen family has at the diner. People's concerns lie in strange places, and this film is doing nothing if not drawing them out and forcing us to look at them. Dysfunctional for a purpose. True, if you look at it from a certain perpsective, the characters can be seen strictly as caricatures. However, even with this treatment, the filmmakers are not trying to disguise this fact like most films made in our country about Americans. We are all like Olive in some way, naive but somehow strong. We are like the uncle, sad but solid in his beliefs. We are like the father, struggling to hold onto the American dream, discovering the dream will turn out the way you imagine. Like the mother, not considering what can happen when we think we are doing the right thing by allowing others to make mistakes. Like the son, determined to do what he wants at any cost. Like grandpa, throwing all cares to the wind and just letting things come as they will. We know, see and have been these people. This is what it is to live in this country. Don't knock it until you admit you've tried it. Most importantly, through the whole journey, you will come to a conclusion about what you have seen before you that makes all this somehow okay, and in the end, the true American spirit shines through.And you really will laugh so hard it will hurt!
have not expected to be so bad
posted on 10 Aug 2009I watched the movie yesterday and I was left completely disappointed. The only impression that I've got was that the movie is really cheap and full of holes. It reminds me some Russian comedies but it is just a silly attempt to reproduce them. For those who found the movie to be original I would recommend to watch a couple of Russian-Soviet classical comedies-you would definitely like them more than. Kin-Dza-Dza by Danelia is one of them. I think the main reason why The Little Miss Sunshine became so popular is that it is just different from typical sweet American comedies. It has a more "realistic content". However, it was hard to understand why the heroes of the movie had no idea what is the beauty competition and how a 15 years old guy could not know that he was colorblind. One must be completely stupid to not be aware of those things. However, the passengers of the van seem to be quite intellectual.
BEST MOVIE EVER!
posted on 31 Aug 2009That's pretty much all I have to say. I was laughing throughout the entire movie!