My friend couldn't remember the name of this film. He kept calling it "the van movie," and there's a reason why: That's kind of what it is. Little Miss Sunshine isn't about one particular character or one momentous event; it's about a family's journey to California in their deteriorating VW van.
The film features the six members of the Hoover family. Richard (Greg Kinnear) is desperately peddling a generic motivational program, while his wife, Sheryl (Toni Collette), becomes more and more exasperated by his hopeless pursuits. Sheryl's brother, Frank (Steve Carell) -- the foremost Proust scholar in the U.S. -- recently attempted to commit suicide. Dwayne (Paul Dano) worships Nietzsche, hates everyone and has taken a vow of silence until he can get away from his family. Richard's father (Alan Arkin) is a World War II vet with a drug problem. Olive (Abigail Breslin) is a remarkably well-adjusted little girl (considering the type of people she lives with) who won a regional beauty contest and is the reason why the family is traveling across the country in the first place.
Maybe the reason why my friend couldn't remember the title is that each bizarre character leaves such a strong impression that you can't pick just one.
The strength of this film resides entirely in the actors' performances. Each of them creates a unique and quirky character from the script of first-time screenwriter Michael Arndt. Carell demonstrates that he can be something other than hilariously lost. Kinnear believably takes his character from insensitive and self-absorbed to loving and supportive. Breslin makes Olive someone you care about, but never pity, and Dano expresses Dwayne's amusement and frustration without uttering a word.
However, even with such talent on-screen, the extreme eccentricities of the Hoover clan sometimes feel overwhelming and a little forced. The characters have so many idiosyncrasies and so much emotional baggage that it's difficult to believe that they can all exist in the same time and place.
The soundtrack, by Devotchka and Mychael Danna (Monsoon Wedding), and camera work of Tim Suhrstedt (Office Space) match the off-beat story wonderfully. The film looks and sounds sunny, even as tragedies continue to pop up and delay Olive's moment in the spotlight.
The film inspires amused chuckles rather than raucous guffaws, though revelation of Olive's talent is one notable exception. The growing friendship between Dwayne and his uncle Frank is humorous and touching, and Grandpa's crass exclamations to the rest of the family are a hilarious contrast to his tender conversations with Olive.
Though it pushes the "dysfunctional family" angle a bit too hard, Little Miss Sunshine is a funny and heartfelt film about a family that's on the brink. As their vehicle falls to pieces and they race to reach the pageant on time, the Hoover family learns to appreciate their relationships and how to start a Volkswagen without a clutch.
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