Little Miss Sunshine 2006

     Sheryl Hoover lives in Albuquerque New Mexico with her family.  She has a brother Frank has he’s been having a lot of problems.  She is hoping he will start to get better living with her.  Sheryl’s husband Richard is trying to sell his self-help and self-improvement technique using nine steps.  He hasn’t had any success and he’s actually a complete loser?  Sheryl’s son Dwayne has taken a vow of silence and he wants to be a jet pilot.  Sheryl’s seven-year old daughter Olive has a chance to compete in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant in Redondo Beach California.  The family travels together in their old Volkswagen Type 2 Microbus and they have hope!!

     This family is very dysfunctional but their love is solid.  A LOT of true-to-life comedy and a LOT of laughs!!  There are also some tears thrown into the mix.  4* (I really liked this movie)

104 min, Comedy directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris with Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Greg Kinnear, Abigail Breslin, Paul Dano, Alan Arkin, Marc Turtletaub, Jill Talley, Brenda Canela, Julio Oscar Mechoso.

Note:  Imdb 7.8 out of 10, 91% critic 91% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3 ½*, Empire Online 4* out of 5*, Metacritic 80 out of 100 with 36 critics 7.4 out of 10 with 627 reviews, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 1007 reviews, Independent Critic 3.5*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Flagstaff, Chandler, Phoenix, Arizona.  Ventura, Acton, Santa Clarita, Los Angeles, California.  Abigail Breslin was listening to music on her headphones so she would not hear Alan Arkin’s profanity-laced scenes!!  All the participants in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant were veterans of real beauty pageants except Abigail.  She wore a fat suit for the role of Olive.  Writer Michael Arndt quit his job as Matthew Broderick’s assistant to write the script.  Five identical Volkswagen Type 2s were used during filming.  The DVD contains 4 alternate endings.  Budget was estimated at $8 million and worldwide gross was $100,523,181.

Awards:  Academy Award Best Actor in a Supporting, Best Original Screenplay, Screen Actors Guild for Best Outstanding Performance by a Cast, BAFTA Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Original Screenplay and two young actors, Critics’ Choice for Acting and Screenplay, Independent Spirit for Best Supporting, Screenplay and Director, Cesar Award for Best Foreign Film, Producers Guild for Best Picture, Writers Guild for Best Screenplay, GLAAD Outstanding Film.