Official Movie Website Theatrical Release 08/12/06 Home Video Not Available MPAA Rating Rated R for language, some sex and drug content Running Time 1 hour 41 minutes Genre Comedy Director Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris Writer Michael Arndt Cast Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Paul Dano, Greg Kinnear Studio Fox Searchlight Pictures |
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
SYNOPSIS
"Little Miss Sunshine" is an American family road
comedy that shatters the mold. Brazenly satirical and
yet deeply human, the film introduces audiences to
one of the most endearingly fractured families in
recent cinema history: the Hoovers, whose trip to a
pre-pubescent beauty pageant results not only in
comic mayhem but in death, transformation and a
moving look at the surprising rewards of being losers
in a winning-crazed culture. A runaway hit at the
Sundance Film Festival, where it played to standing
ovations, the film strikes a nerve with everyone who's
ever been awestruck by how their muddled families
seem to make it after all.
No one among the Hoovers quite has it together, but
it's not for lack of trying. Father Richard (GREG
KINNEAR), a hopelessly optimistic motivational
speaker, is desperately attempting to sell his 9-step
program for success -- without much success.
Meanwhile, the Hoovers' "pro-honesty" mother Sheryl
(TONI COLLETTE) is constantly harried by her family's
eccentric secrets, especially those of her brother
(STEVE CARELL), a suicidal Proust scholar fresh out of
the hospital after being jilted by his gay lover. Then
there are the younger Hoovers with their unlikely
dreams -- the four-eyed, slightly plump, seven year-old
would-be beauty queen Olive (ABIGAIL BRESLIN) and
Dwayne (PAUL DANO), an anger-fueled,
Nietzsche-reading teen who has taken
"Little Miss Sunshine" is an American family road
comedy that shatters the mold. Brazenly satirical and
yet deeply human, the film introduces audiences to
one of the most endearingly fractured families in
recent cinema history: the Hoovers, whose trip to a
pre-pubescent beauty pageant results not only in
comic mayhem but in death, transformation and a
moving look at the surprising rewards of being losers
in a winning-crazed culture. A runaway hit at the
Sundance Film Festival, where it played to standing
ovations, the film strikes a nerve with everyone who's
ever been awestruck by how their muddled families
seem to make it after all.
No one among the Hoovers quite has it together, but
it's not for lack of trying. Father Richard (GREG
KINNEAR), a hopelessly optimistic motivational
speaker, is desperately attempting to sell his 9-step
program for success -- without much success.
Meanwhile, the Hoovers' "pro-honesty" mother Sheryl
(TONI COLLETTE) is constantly harried by her family's
eccentric secrets, especially those of her brother
(STEVE CARELL), a suicidal Proust scholar fresh out of
the hospital after being jilted by his gay lover. Then
there are the younger Hoovers with their unlikely
dreams -- the four-eyed, slightly plump, seven year-old
would-be beauty queen Olive (ABIGAIL BRESLIN) and
Dwayne (PAUL DANO), an anger-fueled,
Nietzsche-reading teen who has taken
a staunch vow of silence until he gets into the Air Force Academy. Topping off the family is the
grandfather (ALAN ARKIN), a foul-mouthed pleasure-seeker recently kicked out of his retirement home
for snorting heroin.
They might not be the picture of perfect mental health, but when a fluke gets Olive invited to compete in
the fiercely competitive "Little Miss Sunshine" competition in California, the whole Hoover family rallies
behind her. They pile into their rusted-out VW bus and head West on a three-day tragicomic journey filled
with madcap surprises and leading up to Olive's big debut -- which will change the entire misfit family in
ways they could never imagine.
"Little Miss Sunshine" features the directorial debut of renowned music video directors (and
husband-and-wife team) Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, who direct from a script by Michael Arndt.
The film is produced by Big Beach and Bona Fide Productions, with Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa, Marc
Turtletaub,
David T. Friendly and Peter Saraf serving as producers, and Jeb Brody and Michael Beugg as executive
producers. The production team includes director of photography Tim Suhrstedt, production designer
Kalina Ivanov, costume designer Nancy Steiner, editor Pamela Martin, composer Mychael Danna and the
up-and-coming band DeVotchka. -- © Fox Searchlight Pictures
grandfather (ALAN ARKIN), a foul-mouthed pleasure-seeker recently kicked out of his retirement home
for snorting heroin.
They might not be the picture of perfect mental health, but when a fluke gets Olive invited to compete in
the fiercely competitive "Little Miss Sunshine" competition in California, the whole Hoover family rallies
behind her. They pile into their rusted-out VW bus and head West on a three-day tragicomic journey filled
with madcap surprises and leading up to Olive's big debut -- which will change the entire misfit family in
ways they could never imagine.
"Little Miss Sunshine" features the directorial debut of renowned music video directors (and
husband-and-wife team) Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, who direct from a script by Michael Arndt.
The film is produced by Big Beach and Bona Fide Productions, with Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa, Marc
Turtletaub,
David T. Friendly and Peter Saraf serving as producers, and Jeb Brody and Michael Beugg as executive
producers. The production team includes director of photography Tim Suhrstedt, production designer
Kalina Ivanov, costume designer Nancy Steiner, editor Pamela Martin, composer Mychael Danna and the
up-and-coming band DeVotchka. -- © Fox Searchlight Pictures
© 2003 St. Louis Movie Review Weekly. All rights reserved, except where indicated.
All movie titles, pictures, etc...are the property of their respective studios.
All movie titles, pictures, etc...are the property of their respective studios.
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