Little Miss Sunshine
Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
A dysfunctional family road-trip comedy (shades of Daytrippers) with an emphasis on the dysfunction. Motivational speaker (and creator of The 9 Steps) Richard Hoover fights with his wife Sheryl over money problems; his father is a rascally heroin junkie; her brother is a failed suicide attemptee; their son is obsessed with Nietzsche and has taken a vow of silence; and their precocious daughter wants to take part in the titular contest. The movie is carried by the strong ensemble cast and Carrell proves he can do drama as well as comedy. While the quirky characterisations raise some laughs, it’s the tiny truthful moments of familial interaction that resonate. A literal running sight gag involving the VW bus didn’t hurt either.
Have been creeped out by pageants for little girls after pictures of JonBenet Ramsey all dolled up and decked out were splashed all over the media. If you’re queasy about such events, the kicker of a finale in the movie should prove satisfying.