Movie Reviews

Directed by: Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris
Written by: Michael Arndt
Cast: Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Paul Dano, & Greg Kinnear

You've undoubtedly heard about the vast praise received by Little Miss Sunshine in the past few months. The film about a dysfunctional family taking a road trip has already racked up numerous awards, and has even been given Oscar nods for best supporting actress (Abigail Breslin), best supporting actor (Alan Arkin), best original screenplay, and best motion picture of the year. One or more of your friends has definitely recommended it, but do you trust their taste in films?

Well, you should.

It's not the typical indie film that attempts to insert metaphors into every scene and it doesn't overuse profound words of wisdom that people like to quote in their AIM or MySpace profiles. What Little Miss Sunshine does give to its audience is a solid comedic drama, with a variety of memorable characters, each with their own unique take on what it means to be a family.

The storyline is centralized around the fact that a "cute" little girl, Olive, (she really is cute, but your supposed to think she is plain) has to fill in for the winner of her hometown's beauty pageant in a regional contest. The problematic family has to come together, take a road trip, and get their single grain of inspiration - Olive - to her destination so she can compete. Along the way, the family comes to a number of realizations, while simultaneously figuring out their lives in an intriguing and hilarious way.

Recommendation: Move Little Miss Sunshine to your must see list.