Every year sees one film that seems to sweep away the public and win over critic after critic because it is heartwarming, cute and generally a feel good movie. In 2006 that honor went to Little Miss Sunshine, a film that seemed to come out of nowhere and grow into a phenomenon. In the case of Little Miss Sunshine, even the words "Academy Award" found themselves in the same sentence and in this case the film found itself a contender for Best Picture honors and winner of Best Supporting Actor (Alan Arkin) and Best Original Screenplay. It is the kind of film where an unfavorable comment about it draws puzzled looks and almost immediate interrogation as it is an almost unthinkable thing. How could someone NOT like Little Miss Sunshine?!Once the dust had begun to settle and the buzz subdue a bit, I finally got around to viewing this film. I went into it with nothing but good things ringing in my ears. Everyone I know who had seen it loved it, so I was looking forward to an enjoyable film. I can honestly say that it was a good film, but for me the level of praise it was receiving was a bit high.
The film centers on a family that is dealing with a whole mess of issues - a father trying to land a book deal (Greg Kinnear), a brother who has recently tried to kill himself (Steve Carrell), an anti-social son whose only wish is to be an Air Force pilot (Paul Dano), a drug-addicted grandfather (Alan Arkin), a mother trying to support the family (Toni Collette) and the young daughter, Olive, whose only ambition is to be a beauty queen (Abigail Breslin).
The strengths of the film comes from the fact that the humor isn't forced and the family could really be any family. Of course, the adventure they end up having is anything but normal. One weekend they finds themselves racing from New Mexico to California in their old VW van in order that Olive might compete in a child beauty pageant. However, the family is normal from the aspect that they feel natural - they nag, gripe, fight and yet still deeply care for and love each other which is revealed through their collective (even if begrudging) effort to help Olive's ambitions be realized. They all have issues and one by one confront them throughout the film. They are also an extremely odd bunch, but I think that is exactly what many people relate to that. We almost all feel like our families are crazy.
The VW bus is an obvious vehicle (no pun intended) for comedy, but the interactions of a stressed-out family confined to a small space for hours on end provided plenty of material all its own. In a day when way too many films rely on forced jokes and stale premise, directors Jonathon Dayton and Valerie Faris present a story that feels natural and that is probably the single biggest aspect of the film I've heard people mention as the reason they really loved it. I for one liked the film, but I did not find it to be the best thing since sliced bread. I was entertained but never found myself laughing out loud or anything like that. I also didn't find it to be something that I really felt I could relate. That just goes to show how different films and stories connect with different folks and that's perfectly well and good.
Little Miss Sunshine did field an excellent cast! Abigail Breslin stole the show for many receiving extra acclaim for her portrayal of Olive, but Kinnear and Arkin along with the rest of the cast really brought their "A" game. I'm confident that a mediocre cast probably would not have been able to sell this film nearly as well. Nuance is everything in a film like this and they were able to bring exactly what was needed to their characters.
The awkward, yet entertaining ending to this film should provide all the evidence one needs to convince them that child beauty pageants are not a healthy phenomenon and definitely flirt with the obscene. YIKES! The parody of it all scores double-points with me.
I enjoyed this film, but I can easily say not as much as those people I know who have also seen it. They loved it. I only liked it. That said, it is a good, original film with enjoyable characters that I can easily recommend to viewers across the board. If you're looking for a lighter flick to fill your evening or Sunday afternoon, you probably can't go wrong with Little Miss Sunshine. 8/10
1 comment:
Maybe coming from a dysfunctional family helps the enjoyment of the film. Ultimately, though, what raises Little Miss Sunshine above like and into love, for me, are three things (the last of which I didn't even pick up on fully until a second viewing).
One, the soundtrack. You can't go wrong with DeVotchKa and a heaping helping of Sufjan Stevens. I honestly can't believe that this movie wasn't nominated for best original score, simply because it was so perfect for the film.
Second, the cinematography. Little Miss Sunshine does an excellent job of bringing out the beauty of the mundane with a number of slightly off center shots and back drops that threaten to detract from the real action (a certain Oil Derrik comes to mind).
The final, and in my opinion the best, thing is what I perceive to be the ultimate message of the film. We're all broken, and we can't do a damn thing about it. Love for one another is the only thing that even comes close to making us whole and driving away the depression of the self-focused life.
Maybe I'm talking out of my ass, but I'm honestly shocked that Calvin didn't show Little Miss Sunshine this year, as this message is about as Christian as movies get these days.
Glad you liked the movie, in any case. Some of these themes just strike me much more strongly than most people.
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