Little Miss Sunshine

As the summer season winds down and we venture into awards territory, the quality of films might lag as studios prepare their fall blockbusters. But that isn't the case with this most delightful comedy of the summer, "Little Miss Sunshine." A darling at this year's Sundance, it follows a family of six as they make the 1,000 mile journey from Albuquerque to Redondo Beach to realize the dream of their youngest: to compete and win the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. What ensues is a daring perspective into each individual, and their affect on the whole family unit. While Michael Arndt's cleverly adept script and its characters seem off-center and politically incorrect, they shock and inspire those who don't fret over taboo. And the audacity of the actors and directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris make this one of the most underplayed, yet amazingly fierce comedies in recent memory.

Each member of the family makes their own special contributions to keep the trip engaging. Olive (Abigail Breslin), the youngest and muse for the entire story, is hell-bent on winning the contest, if only for her over-imposing father Richard (Greg Kinnear), a motivational speaker who can't seem to get it together, leaving the family finances solely in the hands of mother Sheryl (Toni Colette). Grandpa (Alan Arkin) has a cursing problem, a masturbation problem and a cocaine problem, all of which manifest themselves through his own rants and raves, which often result in shouting matches with his son. Opposite him on the spectrum is sullen teen Dwayne (Paul Dano) who has taken a vow of silence out of manufactured love for Nietzsche, and his own obsession with becoming a pilot. Rounding out the group is Sheryl's brother Frank (Steve Carell), a suicidal gay Proust scholar, still teeming in his own depression over the recent loss of his student-turned-lover to his rival Proustian. Standouts of the cast include Carell, who plays Frank with a refreshing honesty, and Breslin, who skillfully acts as the glue holding everyone together by mere drops.

The group encounters both hilarious and upsetting roadblocks, all of which add a timely movement to both the storyline and development of each other. One problem occurs when the clutch in their beat up VW van goes kerflunk, and the entire family must push in order to get the wheels rolling. Obviously, this activity brings them together as a family and we get to see a little bit of joy in each person's eyes, a rarity for all except the all-smiles Olive. Other telling scenes include the inevitable blowout between Sheryl and Richard over their future, Dwayne and Frank finding a common ground, and Grandpa's special brand of advice, which he disposes on both Dwayne and Olive. We're left with a delightful experience, with all the characters fully realizing their place in the family, and place in their own lives. Ultimately, we're all left with that perspective which only occurs after profound, touching stories, one that may not necessarily signify a shift in life, but at the very least, an appreciation for those who have the courage to continue, and to those with the fearlessness to change.