Little Miss Sunshine (Jonathan Dayton/Valerie Fairs) - 2006
So you think your family is dysfunctional. You should talk to Toni Collette. Her husband (Greg Kinnear) is a failed motivational speaker. Her son (Paul Dano) is a nihilist who has taken a vow of silence. Her daughter (Abigail Breslin) is a beauty queen/stripper wannabe. Her brother (Steve Carell) is a suicidal, homosexual, Proust scholar. And, her father-in-law (Alan Arkin) is a heroin addict and full-time curmudgeon. So, how can you deal with a family as diverse as this? My last guess would have been -- road trip from Albuquerque to Redondo Beach.
This movie's greatest accomplishment is the complete exposure of the obscenities committed by the promoters of pre-teen beauty contests. [JAM 12/7/2009]