Every Night it's the @#$^ing Chicken

"You don't speak because of Frederic Nietzsche? (pause) Cool." One of my favorite lines in the movie. Spoken by Frank (Steve Carell) to his nephew Dwayne (Paul Dano), it helps establish that this movie will depart from the ordinary.

I went to see Little Miss Sunshine with a group of friends while my husband was at the Burning Man Festival. I took my husband to see it the day after he got back because I knew he would love it.

At first glance, one might think this is a very silly movie but it cuts to the quick and moves into deeper issues very quickly.

The basic premise in one sentence could be: "A family takes a little girl to a beauty pageant and has adventures along the way."

And oh what adventures they have.

The cast is packed with talent. That is where the viewer gets the bang for the buck. There is not a lot of money spent on special effects. The cinematography is interesting but not elaborate. There are long shots of the desert landscapes between Albuquerque and Redondo Beach. These long shots featuring the VW Van (a main character in its own right) are accompanied by the quirky and melancholy melodic theme that weaves its way through the film.

Olive Hoover(Abigail Breslin) has earned a place in the Little Miss Sunshine Pageant. Her father, Richard Hoover (Greg Kinnear) is the aspiring developer of a self-improvement plan for winners. He's pathetic and trite and seems to be on the verge of the big break that will never happen. Olive is "coached" by her grandfather Grandpa Edwin Hoover(Alan Arkin who won best supporting actor for this role). Grandpa is a crotchety old man who has been kicked out of his retirement home for snorting heroin.

Olive is supported by her mother Sheryl (Toni Collette) who wants her little pudgy girl to have the opportunity to compete. The issue is complicated by the arrival of the recently suicidal uncle Frank and the unwilling participation of Olive's brother Dwayne who has taken a vow of silence.

Here we have six strong personalities who have to come together on the goal of getting to Redondo Beach by day after tomorrow.

Add complications to the effort. The VW van blows a clutch and has to be push started so that the clutch can be popped from third gear. I don't think I would find this so funny if I hadn't had to push a car myself to get it rolling. There is a lot of visual comedy associated with this family moving themselves down the highway as they get this van rolling. Add the fact that the Grandpa overdoses on heroin and dies on the way. This sounds awful, but the writers and directors find a way to make it astound and amuse the viewer and rouse support for hiding his body in the trunk.

The mostly non-verbal performance of Paul Dano as Dwayne is worthy of acclaim. He is every emo kid any of us have ever known plus some. I can't repeat the first word that he does utter in this movie. The viewer will understand his angst.

And then. . . there is the pageant.

If you have ever had a relation (I have) put their child through the pageant circuit you will recognize the large financial investment and emotional intensity of the pageant parents.

Hosted by Matt Winston (late of John from Cincinnati fame as Barry the Fairy) the pageant takes on a surreal quality. The little girls are almost frightening in their precocity. The viewer can see the participants being bred to become trophy wives.

Olive steals the show. The finale of this movie is one of the most unexpected and just downright fun scenes I've ever seen. It's a kick in the pants to a lot of people.

I love this movie. It's funny, dark, quirky, sweet and overall uplifting. Buy the DVD. It will continue to entertain.

Nominated for Best Picture, Little Miss Sunshine is often sad and then sweet. It is always entertaining.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older