As I settled into my seat at the theater I could not help but notice that I was most certainly the youngest person there. I thought to myself that maybe I had overlooked the fact that the film Little Miss Sunshine was not exactly targeted towards my age demographic.
Worry set in as I watched the previews along with all the gray hairs in the audience. Could I possibly relate to a movie that my elders came in droves to see? However, my fears were quickly dashed when I had the good fortune to take in this movie. This film sticks out from the rest of the new releases because of its originality and genuine attempt to portray an actual American family.
The film begins by introducing us to the Hoover family and then presents the audience with the zany adventures they encounter while traveling to California so that 7-year-old Olive Hoover, played by the adorable Abigail Breslin, can live out her dream to compete in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant.
Accordingly to any situational drama, the family has to deal with their malfunctioning van, the occasional mishaps on the road, and ultimately the surreal world of child beauty pageants. The only character able to balance out the family, and ultimately the entire journey, is Sheryl Hoover played by Toni Collette. She does a brilliant job of giving her character dimension when it could have easily seemed flat. All the while she is holding together her family despite the disarray.
Then we have the captain of the helm, Richard Hoover, a fledgling motivational speaker who oddly enough seems to have taken a page from our very own Franklin Covey featured in ETSU’s General Speech class. However, Richard’s motto of “there are only winners and losers” is a little too much for Sheryl’s brother Frank to handle. In the beginning we come to find out that he was apparently beaten out of the title of the number one Proust professor in the country and was just released from a mental hospital after his failed attempt at suicide, so obviously his nerves are a bit frazzled.
Steve Carell’s portrayal of Frank is a departure from his infamous funny man characters in The Office, 40-year-old Virgin, and Anchorman, but it is undeniable that his talent to encapsulate sarcasm plays well during his scenes with the character of Richard and Richard’s father, brought to us by Alan Arkin.
Dubbed simply as Grandpa, Alan Arkin gives to the audience a grandparent never seen before. His vernacular full of obscenities and bathroom visits filled with snorts of heroin not only help to clear up the question of why grandpa takes so long in the restroom, but also adds scandal not usually associated with the elderly. In this instance, the change is very refreshing.
Finally, we have Dwayne Hoover, a 15-year-old so obsessed with the author Nietzsche that he has taken a vow of silence until he can join the air force. While somewhat fanatical, the moviegoers see how Dwayne is capable of acts of kindness towards his younger sister Olive and finally to the rest of the family. Also, though he is silent almost the entire duration of the film, Dano’s acting aides in the awkward but yet funny tension embedded within the family dynamic.
Moreover, I know the acclaim that the Sundance Festival bestows upon films has a polarizing effect on the public. The movies that do well leave Indie film enthusiasts waiting with anticipation for a film’s release, while the opposite side of the spectrum believes it is all undeserved hype.
I’m here to tell you that any buzz accredited to the film is due. Sometimes the character’s quirks seem a little unbelievable, but if we think about it, life is stranger than fiction. Who’s to say that your grandpa cannot be a junky and your brother has not taken a vow of silence and communicates through head nods? In addition, it is needless to say that the casting for the film is amazing. Each actor, even the young Abigail Breslin, brings subtle nuances to their roles that make each character definable.
The chemistry between the cast is undeniable. The audience really believes that these people are a family, and most likely a crazier family than our own. With excellent performances and moments that leave you feeling uncomfortable and also laughing at the same time, this film is a great satirical work that I would recommend anyone to go out and see. MPAA has rated this film R for sexual and drug content.

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