This is because the moment is played straight and doesn’t wink at the audience. What could have been
contrived and mocking is, instead, executed with a
sweet and admirable innocence. Because of this, we
care about Olive, laughing with her, not at her. The
film is filled with moments like this, and even though
none of them are particularly innovative, they still
win us over every time.The film follows Olive’s family as they travel across
country in an old Volkswagen bus, determined to get to
the pageant on time, and not letting any of the
countless distractions that occur get in their way.
The characters include all the staples of an eccentric
family: The father obsessed with winning (Greg
Kinnear); the put-upon mother (Toni Collette); a
rebellious older brother who refuses to speak (Paul
Dano); a bizarre uncle (Steve Carell) recovering from
a recent suicide attempt; and, of course, the horny
ol’ granddad (Alan Arkin). Even the Volkswagen bus
could be considered a character, as the majority of
the story revolves around the increasingly dilapidated
vehicle.
In a lesser film, these characters would be vicious
stereotypes, each assigned one thin joke and forced to
carry it the entire film. The joy of “Little Miss
Sunshine,” however, is in how real, how human,
everyone seems to be. The family acts exactly as a
real family would, and the film takes great pains to
maintain this. Even the most bizarre of the comic
situations are handled truthfully, never falling into
parody. Indeed, the closest the film ever gets to
caricature is its mockery of child beauty pageants,
which is as funny as it is deserved.
A large chunk of the film’s success in this should go
to the pitch-perfect cast. Greg Kinnear’s talent
returns after a long absence in “Bad News Bears”
country, and he plays his character with gusto,
expertly walking the line between unlikable and
sympathetic. Steve Carell is great fun as the
depressed uncle, and proves there’s ample dramatic
range to the "40-Year-Old Virgin". Alan Arkin is as
great as you’d expect him to be, although he seems to
be saddled with the most cliché of the characters. The
biggest revelation, however, is Abigail Breslin, who
has that rare ability to act like a real child and not
just some cutesy movie version of one.
This film is not going to sweep the Oscars or change
the way you look at cinema. It has ample laughs, but
few surprises. What the film lacks in originality,
however, it makes up for with a strong cast and an
overwhelming sense of good cheer. Check out “Little
Miss Sunshine” and I guarantee you’ll be smiling for
the rest of the night.
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