Screenplay:
Michael ArndtCinematography:
Tim SuhrstedtComposer:
Mychael DannaCast:
Abigail Breslin, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Paul Dano, Beth Grant, Dean Norris, Wallace Langham, Geoff Meed, Mary Lynn Rajskub (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
Father Richard (Greg Kinnear) is desperately trying to sell his motivational success program... with no success. Meanwhile, "pro-honesty" mom Sheryl (Toni Collette) lends support to her eccentric family, including her depressed brother (Steve Carell), fresh out of the hospital after being jilted by his lover. Then there are the younger Hoovers - the seven-year-old, would-be beauty queen Olive (Abigail Breslin) and Dwayne (Paul Dano), a Nietzsche-reading teen who has taken a vow of silence. Topping off the family is the foul-mouthed grandfather (Alan Arkin), whose outrageous behavior recently got him evicted from his retirement home. When Olive is invited to compete in the "Little Miss Sunshine" pageant in far-off California, the family piles into their rusted-out VW bus to rally behind her - with riotously funny results. (20th Century Fox UK)
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Reviews (9)
A similar "sensation" as, for example, Sideways. Meaning a slightly bitter in places, but mostly reliable comedy, where either love adventures or family troubles are dealt with. The filmmakers cannot be denied a flair for situational humour and solid dialogue, as well as well-drawn characters, mostly well acted. It’s nothing groundbreaking or revolutionary for the genre, but it delivers solid entertainment with one American redneck family.
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A very satisfying and original family drama with a charming humorous side and six well-written characters, whose disparity and forced coexistence is the dominant element of the narrative. The simple story doesn't stand out from other crazy road movies, but thanks to the imaginative direction and the excellent performances of all the cast, it delivers such an endearing and non-violent picture of life's little escapades that you just can't resist devouring it whole. Kinnear is already a household name and the role of the uptight father suited him perfectly, Carell surprised me again and confirmed his considerable acting talent, and the veteran Alan Arkin is simply flawless. They all work impressively well and, together with the smart script, they made an impressive film, unforgettable despite its naivety and absurdity... 80%
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A great mixture of comedy and drama about a very quirky family. The dad comes across as a real jerk, Peggy Bundy is an excellent cook compared to the mom, the grandpa is a heroin addict, the uncle a suicidal homosexual, and the kids follow their peculiar dreams. Against all odds, this near-dysfunctional family is brought together as they take chubby little Olive to a beauty pageant. I enjoyed the trip to California, Grandpa's awesome one-liners were the highlight of the car conversations, and even "mute" Dwayne was great. It was just becoming increasingly obvious what Olive's talent performance would be like. I found the beauty pageant itself a little baffling, suddenly there were all these little Terminators everywhere and I was surprised to find Olivia's performance the least creepy. Steve Carell played probably the most serious character in this film, and dmittedly, he was very good. I had a great time watching the film.
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Once every few years it happens that an inconspicuous film unexpectedly hits a golden vein in the form of great audience interest and favourable critical response, but at the same time the buzz and the aura of "wonderful comedy" created around it far outweighs its real value. Recent examples include My Big Fat Greek Wedding and now Little Miss Sunshine, the most overrated comedy of recent years. A pleasantly tedious 97 minutes, with completely banal humour, a few blatant constructs (the somewhat belated discovery of colour blindness) and one of the most incomprehensible Oscar nominations for Alan Arkin as a cackling grandfather. An over-hyped affair that will certainly not become a classic in the future. The dance of the cute Abigail Breslin won’t save it.
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This is the kind of classic inconspicuous film where interesting actors come together to play even more interesting roles. Mainly, Steve Carell fascinates me in such roles. It's fun, it's playful, sometimes it's quirky, occasionally hard to believe, but altogether it forms a great whole. And yet it's really "just" a road movie. It’s a beautiful example that something beautiful can have very diverse forms.
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