by Leighton Smith

Created on: July 15, 2009

The line between tragedy and comedy can be murky, but when navigated with expertise the results can be exquisite. In Little Miss Sunshine, directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris have created a movie that takes us to emotional extremes, evoking at times both devastating poignancy and hilarity.

As we get to know the characters we are forced into thinking that their situation is tragic. The daughter, Olive, is a chubby seven-year old girl who dreams of being a beauty queen. Her brother is Dwayne, a tortured, Nietzsche-reading teenager who has taken a vow of silence until he enrolls in the Air Force. These two characters share a strong and -quite literal - unspoken connection, which we observe throughout Little Miss Sunshine.

Their parents' marriage is somewhat rocky. Most of the marital tension comes from financial strife. The father, Frank (Greg Kinnear), has been trying to get his "9 Steps to Success" program made into a book with little success. The mother, Sheryl (Toni Collette), is just trying to hold the family together.

Rounding out the major characters are Grandpa and Frank. Grandpa, the dope-addict grandfather who now lives with his son's family after he was kicked out of a nursing home, is played by Alan Arkin. Frank has recently tried - unsuccessfully - to commit suicide, and is now under the care of his sister, Sheryl. Frank is played by Steve Carell in an understated, stirring performance. A homosexual academic, Frank receives constant insults from Grandpa, an old-school man with no time for the literati, or homosexuals for that matter. Their relationship may not seem very funny from this description, but believe me their exchanges are the stuff of comedic genius.

Shortly after all the characters enter the picture, they set off on the journey that makes up the majority of the movie. When the family receives word that Olive has qualified for the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant, they leave their home in New Mexico and head to California.

The adventures the family experiences on their road trip are what make this movie great. Together they face breakdowns, crises, and the ultimate loss, death. Yet, despite all this, they never lose sight of their goal and eventually reach their final destination. The trials of their travels have challenged the family's mettle, yet when they eventually head home after the pageant they are a much stronger unit than when they left.

One of the central themes of Little Miss Sunshine is the importance of family. The bulk of the movie is about making sacrifices for those you love, and the examples are overt, but there are many subtler instances of devotion. As mentioned, the two siblings share a deep bond; there are moments when the stoic Grandpa lets down his guard to tell his son he is proud of him; Sheryl, the sister taking care of her suicidal brother; and, towards the end, Frank and Dwayne connect as two outsiders trying to find their place in the world.

You could pick any number of reasons to go see Little Miss Sunshine. The story, the acting, the soundtrack - all of these components are well-done. So, if you are looking for a good film with just the right amount of highs and lows, look no further. Little Miss Sunshine does tap into some sensitive issues, but more than that it will brighten up your day.

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