A family on the verge of a breakdown

Starring: Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Paul Dano, Abigail Breslin, Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, Beth Grant

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #33 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Little Miss Sunshine

"I'd like to dedicate this to my grandpa, who showed me these moves." - Olive Hoover

Why watch this? Imagine the family road trip from hell. Then multiply it by 100.

Plot Summary: The Hoover family embarks on a chaotic cross-country road trip to get their young daughter, Olive, to the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant in California. Along the way, the eccentric family faces a series of setbacks and personal struggles that force them to re-evaluate their notions of success and happiness. The journey culminates in Olive's unconventional performance at the pageant.

Dad's Preview: This film is a superb ode to the wonderfulness that resides in families that are blessed to be 'non-normal'. I am proud to say this fits my family. Each family member is thoroughly fleshed out, and it's pretty clear that every one of them (except sweet tween Olive) is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Together they load up their yellow VW van to take Olive to compete in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. You will laugh until you cry during this dysfunction-laden road trip. It's pure genius - mostly because it reminds us our own family dynamics.

Big Beach Films, Bona Fide Prod., Third Gear Prod.; Fox Searchlight Pictures