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Rating: 4.5 out of 5
The world of child beauty pageants is a strange world that is way outside my realm. Have you ever seen shows like Toddlers & Tiaras, Eden’s World, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, and Cheer Perfection. I have seen some of these shows once, and they are freakin weird. The moms are intense as hell. You have to find the right dress and performance and make sure you have the right hairspray, or all hell will break loose. It is wild, and I have zero interest in being part of it. I had to look up what goes on in a child beauty pageant, and the following are the categories: talent, interview, sportswear, casual wear, swimwear, western wear, theme wear, outfit of choice, decade wear, and evening wear. Once again, strange. If you watch those shows, strap in because it is going to be a wild ride.
In the feature film, the directorial debut of the husband-wife team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris comes, a story of a dysfunctional family. They go on an adventure to take the youngest family member to compete in a child beauty pageant. In the great city of Albuquerque, NM, Sherly Hoover (Collette) brings her suicidal brother Frank (Carell) home to live with their dysfunctional family. Frank is homosexual and an expert in Proust who tried to commit suicide after being rejected by his boyfriend. His boyfriend decided to leave him for his greatest competitor, who became renowned and recognized as number one in the field of Proust. Sheryl’s husband, Richard (Kinnear), is a motivational speaker trying to sell self-help and improvement techniques around nine excellent and helpful steps. The only problem is that no one wants to buy the program. Sheryl’s son, Dwayne (Dano), has decided to take a vow of silence since he is a follower of Nietzsche and aims to be a jet pilot. The grandfather, Edwin (Arkin), was sent away to a retirement home but was evicted because of his heroin addiction. The family’s life is upended when seven-year-old daughter Olive (Breslin) receives a call to participate in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant in Redondo Beach, California. Against all financial reasoning, the whole family decides to load up in their old bright-ass yellow Volkswagen on a journey of a lifetime in hopes of making Olive’s dream come true.
To me, the story is explained in two parts or sections that flow nicely together. The first part of the film is the actual journey to the pageant and the second half is the actual pageant. During the journey section of the film, this is where the hilarious and strange vibe comes in. In the beginning, you meet every family member and think some of them are really strange as each of them has something they want but doesn’t quite fit the billing. During the road trip, you think they would bond, but you see more problems in the family come out. For example, Richard talks down to little Olive when she wants ice cream with her meal. He says she wouldn’t be a beauty queen winner because fat kids don’t become that, and she wouldn’t be a winner. Yet, when you look at him, he is the biggest loser in the whole family. I love how the grandpa put that notion away and ate ice cream with Olive. The entire ride in the bright yellow van shows the level of disappointment in each person. Take Dwayne, for example; he writes in his notepad and is committed to being a fighter pilot. When he finds out that he is colorblind and that wouldn’t happen, he has a nervous breakdown and unloads all his pent-up rage.
Yet, the whole first half is dedicated to the grandfather, Edwin. Edwin is the best part of the film as he is hilarious, speaks his mind, and seems to give zero f**ks about anything. Homeboy straight up snorts heroin and then goes on with his day. He asks Dwayne about getting girls and appears to be hard but supportive of Frank. He is beyond supportive of Olive, helps her with her performance routine, and gives her the confidence and love she needs when others can’t. Spoiler Alert: It is sad to see the grandfather die and the family carrying his body around in the van. Once against, straight-up weird and strange for a family.
Now the second part of the film deals with the child beauty pageant. Let me tell you, if you enjoyed this part, then you need to be checked. The whole thing felt wrong and more like a pedophile. Watching little children prance around in tiny swimsuits. I can’t believe there are parents out there who let this happen. They are babies and no more than six years old. It just felt all strange and wrong to watch. Dwayne finds his voice during this time, and Frank seems to bond with Dwayne. Now with the performance. First, Pageant Official Jenkins was a total bitch in the beginning. Couldn’t give five minutes, and your head so far up your ass. While watching, you feel sorry for Olive because, in the swimsuit part, she was very self-conscious about herself. Let’s talk about that performance. Olivie’s performance was over the top, wild, strange, and unique, but it fit her and her family. I love how the film included her family in the performance to show a sign of unity and support. Even though she was banned from performing in California for the rest of her life.
As far as the acting goes, Greg Kinnear as Richard Hoover was meh. I didn’t like him as he thought and preached about being a winner. We find out he is one of the biggest losers of the entire family. Kinnear has a way of making the character seem like idiots. It must be something with him that makes it feel like that. Steve Carell as Frank Ginsberg was a bit of a surprise. I say that because I am used to seeing him do comedy. Remember the Office? He is more toned down and mellow in this film. He has a subtle approach. Also, Paul Dano as Dwayne Hoover is such a babyface. He doesn’t talk through the whole movie until the end when he blows up and speaks his mind. Toni Collette as Sheryl Hoover is where it’s at. She is just a mother trying to hold on. You can see the stress on her face. She did an outstanding job just being a mother and holding everything together. Finally, cute little Abigail Breslin as Olive Hoover. She was perfect for this role. She was cute and just wanted to reach her dream. She was funny and cute when she needed to be along with being curious.
A big shout-out needs to be given to Alan Arkin as Edwin Hoover. Arkin made this film and was the one to watch. I don’t care what anyone says; the movie became flat when he left the film. He was honestly the best part with his tone and just smart-ass remarks. He showed Edwin as a man who lived his life and gave zero fucks about anything. I absolutely loved it.
Little Miss Sunshine is an adorable film that gets a little uncomfortable. I can’t watch the whole child beauty pageant thing. The acting is excellent in this film, with high performances from Arkin and Breslin. Watch this film and enjoy a ride with a dysfunctional family that bonds towards the end.
