Little Miss Sunshine

Last night, we went to see "Little Miss Sunshine". I have not laughed so hard since Ben's red jacket! However, the movie should not have been this funny. The plot reminds me of the "Vacation" films, the characters were stereotypical and some of the jokes were very predictable. Usually I start groaning when I see jokes coming, yet during this movie I started giggling and would laugh out loud with each joke. There is a joke, associated with starting the car, that they showed over and over again and I laughed out loud every time! I knew it was coming and I thought it was hilarious every time. In fact, I have a big grin on my face as I write this. What a great movie!


On the surface, this movie is about a little girl's dream of winning a beauty pageant. However, like all great road trip films, it is more about the adventure of trip and the characters involved in the trip. Even though the characters are stereotypical, they still seem to be quirky and interesting. I guess what I find most appealing about the characters is that they are not overdone. Yes, the daughter is cute, but not unbearably cute. The teenage son is sullen and miserable, not to the point of being obnoxious about it. This made the characters likeable for me.


The cast is excellent. I have always liked Toni Collette and Alan Arkin. They bring unique and interesting characters to almost every movie they make. In the past, I have not been such a fan of Greg Kinnear or Steve Carell. Especially Greg Kinnear, I have always thought of him as a game show host. Yet, both were excellent in this film. I read that Carell's part was originally written for Bill Murray. I am very glad that Murray was not able to be in this film. Carell was excellent. Now I have much more of an appreciation of Kinnear's and Carell's acting skills. I don't know much about Abigail Breslin and Paul Dano, but I am now a fan of theirs as well.

In summary, we thoroughly enjoyed "Little Miss Sunshine". Most likely we will pay good money to see it again before it leaves the theatres.