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Little
Miss Sunshine
DVD Review, Making-of Feature & Film Clips
Little Miss Sunshine has been
described as an indie film. Worrying because these days
‘indie’ seems a byword for pretentious movies devoid of plot
that go nowhere for far too long. Thankfully, Little Miss
Sunshine is none of these things and as lovely as its
title suggests.
It features that indie staple, a dysfunctional family – dad
Richard (Greg Kinnear) gives lectures on how to be a winner,
yet is a bit of a loser himself; uncle Frank (Steve Carrell)
is a troubled and suicidal gay academic; surly teen son Dwayne
(Paul Dano) refuses to talk and Grandpa (Alan Arkin) is a
heroin-snorting porn-loving rogue. Holding it all together is
frenetic housewife Sheryl (Toni Collette) and Little Miss
Sunshine herself, beauty-pageant loving Olive (Abigail
Breslin). Another indie staple, the long road trip, follows
the family’s attempts to get Olive to the Little Miss
Sunshine contest on time.
This film has been nominated for all manner of awards, and
deservingly so because it’s fantastic. What could easily have
become a predictable cliché of a movie is elevated by great
scriptwriting and the brilliant performances of a uniformly
excellent cast. Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette, two of the
most versatile and consistent actors of the past few years, do
not disappoint whilst Alan Arkin plays the rogue perfectly (to
Oscar-nominated effect). Steve Carrell gives a subtle, sad and
finely-nuanced performance, all the more surprising given his
frat-pack credentials. But best of all is Abigail Breslin, the
heart of the movie, who is warm charming and wonderful,
without ever being cutesy.
Overall, this is a film that is funny and touching in equal
measure. It is also, despite its occasional predictability,
heartbreakingly real – the scene where Kinnear tells Olive not
to eat ice-cream is a stand-out. One of the best films of 2006
with a real feelgood factor, it’s a little indie gem.
Rachel Read
Watch the film's
trailer:
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Watch a making-of feature:
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Watch clip 1 "he started it":
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Watch clip 2 "grandpa":
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Watch clip 3 "having trouble
with your horn?":
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