Little Miss Sunshine
Release Date: 11 September 2006
Starring: Alan Arkin, Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette
Details: US / 101mins (15A).
Starring: Alan Arkin, Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette
Details: US / 101mins (15A).
Olive (Abigal Breslin) is a young girl who dreams of winning a beauty pageant; her father Richard (Kinnear) is a wannabe Tony Robbins motivational speaker; her mother Cheryl (Collette) is sick of Richard's pipe dreams and wishes he would spend more time with the family. If anyone needs attention it's Olive's family. Her sullen, Nietzsche-loving brother Dwayne (Paul Dano) has taken a vow of silence; her heroin-snorting grandfather (Arkin) is bitter and twisted and her suicidal gay uncle Frank (Carell) is nursing a broken heart. Who would like to see all these elements lumped into a camper can and driven from New Mexico to California for the Little Miss Sunshine pageant? A family of losers are always fodder for a good movie and one of the many pleasures in Little Miss Sunshine is watching them play off one another. Knowing that the film is character rather than plot-driven, first-time directors Dayton and Faris manage to pull out career-best performances from all involved. Collette manages to walk that steady line between genuine anxiety for her family's well being and nasty hen-pecking; Breslin holds her dignity despite her obsession with the world's crassest beauty pageant, while Paul Dano seems to get better with every movie and adds to his impressive CV here. But it's the bearded Carell who really shines, as his dead-behind-the-eyes stare is a million miles from his usual comedic antics. Yes, it's one of those movies that everyone learns a lesson from, but the trio of debutant filmmakers (including writer Michael Arndt) show that it ain't what you do, it's way that you do it. Oh, and there's a real sting in the tail at the end, too.
Review by Gavin Burke
Your Comments
No comments have been posted for this article yet. Be the first!
Login or Register to leave a comment
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed here are those of the viewer and do not reflect those of Entertainment.ie. Entertainment.ie accepts no responsibility, legal or otherwise, for their accuracy of content. Please contact us to report abusive content
Search for Cinema Listings
Most Popular Reviews
|
|
Men in Black III |
|
|
The Dictator |
|
|
What To Expect When You're Expecting |
|
|
The Raid |
|
|
Marvel Avengers Assemble |




