D.C. MOVIE GUYS

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

Chekov’s comment about the nature of happy families has, in the years since it was made, likely launched a thousand and one tales of disfunction among brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers. Obviously, the author never met the Hoover family, portrayed in “Little Miss Sunshine.” These are five people who live in the same house, but each seems to live alone.

Frank, the father (Greg Kinnear) is a dreamer, a motivational speaker who’s looking to be the next Tony Robbins. He’s zwaiting a call from his agent about a book deal and keeping his family living on a shoestring until it happens. His wife Sheryl (Toni Collette) is a secret smoker who loves her family and believes in her husband, but uses a steady stream of platitudes to calm things down in tense moments. Frank’s father (Alan Arkin) lives with them. A tough guy whose seen and done it all, he’s been kicked out of his retirement home because of his language and sexual appetites.

Teenage son Darryl (Paul Dano) has taken a vow of silence until he achieves his goal of admission intro the U. S. Air Force Academy. Seven year old olive (newcomer Abigail Breslim) is the family’s gem, a sweet, shy child who loves and centers everyone around her-or tries to. When the family gets a surprise call from California, where Olive participated in a qualifying pre-pageant for the national “Little Miss Sunshine” title while visiting relatives, they are told that the winner has been disqualified and Olive has three days to get to the finals to compete.

Despite Richard’s desire to wait for his agent’s call, the family piles into an old VW bus and takes a road trip from their New Mexico home to Redondo Beach to get Olive there in time. Disaster, pain and realization tag along for the ride.

Michael Armdt’s screenplay seems, at first glance, to be traveling over familiar territory. A miss-firing family is forced to spend a short, intense period of time together in a confined space, learns to appreciate and truly love each other. But every time the movie threatens to turn soft and sentimental, Armdt and co-directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, turn things 180 degrees in the direction of painful honesty mixed with dark comedy.

The cast is excellent, with Kinnear, Collette and Arkin doing some of the best work of their respective careers here. Dano and Breslinn are excellent, delivering performances of depth and complexity that belie their youth. Buit the real delight and surprise of the movie is Steve Carell (of “40 Year Old Virgin” fame) who delivers a sensitive, moving and very funny portrait of a man at absolute rock bottom. He plays Frank, Colette’s brother, a leading Proust scholar who’s just lost his lover, job and a major grant at almost the same time. He reacts by trying to commit suicide. Colette gets him out of the hospital and agrees to watch him for a while. Thus, he becomes a rather bemused observer of the family on the trip. His work here proves he’s much more than the flavor of the month; he’s a real actor.

This movie won’t be for everyone. My thought is that, if you enjoyed last summer’s late season hit “Junebug,” you’ll really enjoy this film. It has really guts, heart and humor, albeit while looking through a glass darkly. “Little Miss Sunshine” rings true and clear, like the sun after a thunderstorm full of lackluster comedies.

MPAA RATING: R for profanity, mild violence, drug and sexual content.

JOE’S RATING: FOUR STARS.

Related Reading:

Mamma Mia!: The Movie Soundtrack Featuring the Songs of ABBA (Piano Vocal Guitar)

Short History of the Movies, A (10th Edition)

Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film, Second Edition (with DVD and Writing about Movies Booklet)

Film Directing: Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen (Michael Wiese Productions)

Movie Posters: 2009 Wall Calendar