Movies don’t always need to be about big budget special effects or the largest names in Hollywood to become something captivating and unique. There are a wealth of movies that really break the mold and are set so far apart that they become memorable and admirable simply for their different approach. Movies like Napoleon Dynamite or even Welcome to the Dollhouse are just two examples, and 2006 has brought another movie that easily fits into the same company.

Little Miss Sunshine can easily be lumped into many different categories as far as the overall story is concerned, but what is most important is that the comedy drama focuses on the Hoover family, yet another shining example of the word dysfunctional. Husband and father Richard (Greg Kinnear) has been trying to sell a book idea for his self-help program with no success while his wife Sheryl (Toni Collette) is the only breadwinner of the family. Their 15-year old son Dwayne (Paul Dano) has taken a vow of silence until he can achieve his dream of becoming a pilot while their daughter Olive (Abigail Breslin) has stars in her eyes and hopes to become a beauty pageant queen under the tutelage of her grandfather. The family now has another member when Sheryl’s brother Frank (Steve Carell) comes to live with them after a failed suicide attempt.

Everything changes with one simple phone call. Olive has the chance to participate in a beauty contest she’s been hoping for; Little Miss Sunshine. The family packs their bags and heads out on the road from the long trip from New Mexico to California. Along the way, every manner of mishap manages to befall them, and not necessarily in a comedic fashion either. Despite hardships though, they soon begin to learn an important lesson, and that is the value of their family itself, no matter how many problems each of them may have.

At first, Little Miss Sunshine seems to be aiming at being a road movie, and to some extent it truly is. There are even moments that have a quality that isn’t unlike the comedy classic National Lampoon’s Vacation, but everything in Little Miss Sunshine isn’t about trying to make you laugh. Many of the sad and unfortunate events may have comedy associated with them, but the script really isn’t that far out in left field and at times, may even hit close to home for some.

The family has decided to take an old VW van on their trip which ends up having mechanical problems leaving them no choice but to push start each and every time. Why not get repairs? There’s no time, and the clock is ticking away, counting down until the beginning of the pageant. Grandpa on the other hand is very vocal in his opinions and beliefs, and while it may not always be the right advise, the family soon learns just what an important part of the family he is when the reaper comes looking for him. Even Frank has his problems, and not just the suicide. Having lost his job, his apartment, and living a gay lifestyle, he seems to not really fit in anywhere in the life that he knew before and yet can comfortably work his way in with the family that has always bee there for him.

I really did expect there to be a lot of predictability within the script of the film, but that actually wasn’t the case. Instead, Little Miss Sunshine takes any ideas that you might have as far as what direction it’s going to take and tosses them aside. In fact, we even see that winning really isn’t everything, and you can be a winner in your mind no matter what the overall outcome happens to be. The movie instead shows us that yes, all families do have their problems, they have their differences, but with true strength and perseverance, not matter what life hits you with, you can still boldly go about your day and know that you’re stronger from it. Suffering breeds character, and that’s exactly what the movie accomplishes. The Hoover’s aren’t perfect, far from it in fact, but that’s part of the charm of both the film and the movie. Were it too outlandish or the characters removed from reality, Little Miss Sunshine just wouldn’t work, but there’s no fear of that here.

The movie does a wonderful job at going back and forth between serious moments and then comedy, but one of the finest moments comes towards the final minutes of the film. As we see, Olive is severely outclassed by the other contestants, and while the family tries to stop her, the show must go on. Her talent portion is dancing and she breaks into some moves which her late grandfather taut her, all performed to the song Superfreak. This sequence fantastically mocks the world of beauty pageants, particularly those where young contestants are made up like dolls and their parents attempt to make them far too sexy for their age. What we are left wondering however is if this was really grandfather intention, or is this what he thought would win the crown? Regardless, it’s pure comedy.

Little Miss Sunshine is like many of Fox’s recent DVD releases where you’ll find the widescreen and full screen editions on one disc. The film also includes two separate commentary track; one with director’s Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. The duo also provides additional commentary with screenwriter Michael Arndt. There is also a collection of alternate endings complete with explanations of why they didn’t work as well as planned as well as a music video from the film.

Little Miss Sunshine really is one of those rarities in cinema that stands apart from the rest of the Hollywood schlock as a film that is in a class all by itself. It certainly has similarities to other movies, but it’s one that is memorable, touching in some ways, and certain has the power to make you laugh. This is one spot of sunshine that you won’t want to miss out on, and Little Miss Sunshine is undoubtedly one of the can’t miss titles that is a must have for you DVD collection.
 

-mike-