LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (2006)

Starring: Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Abigail Breslin, Alan Arkin, Steve Carrell and Paul Dano

MY RATING: ****

"Little Miss Sunshine," is the story of a dysfunctional family's road trip that goes wrong in all possible ways, yet finds some meaning for the family at loggerheads with each other. Its humanity and heart make it a natural to transcend the indie niche to a broader audience.

Richard (Greg Kinnear) is a motivational speaker. His career is on a downslide yet he is stubbornly committed to his "Refuse to lose" philosophy. His wife Sheryl (Toni Collette) barely disguises her impatience, hinting at deeper marital disharmony. Their teenage son Dwayne (Paul Dano) is a Nietzsche devotee maintaining a vow of silence until he's old enough to become a fighter pilot, while Grandpa (Alan Arkin) is doing drugs. Newest addition to the household is Sheryl's suicidal brother Frank (Steve Carell), a renowned Proust scholar who lost both the male grad student he loved and a MacArthur Foundation genius grant to a rival academic.

The family's sole oasis of serenity and self-possession is Olive (Abigail Breslin), a slightly chubby, bespectacled 7-year-old with a questioning nature and a fixation on beauty pageants. Having been taught to pursue her dreams, Olive has been privately rehearsing her talent routine with Grandpa; her shot at the Little Miss Sunshine crown is the engine that drives the comedy.

They take an old yellow Volkswagen Minibus on their trip, which is ridden with one problem after another. Along the way, the family must deal with crushed dreams, heartbreaks, and a broken down VW bus, leading up to a surreal Little Miss Sunshine Competition. On their travels, the Hoovers learn to support and trust each other along the path of life, no matter what the challenge.

Everyone overcomes great personal tragedy and finally, the unit bonds as a family. The chaotic, bonding experience works, in part because the family members are so caught up in their individual frustrations and insecurities.

The interstate trip is punctuated by hilarious setbacks and disasters, the eccentric comic tone is deftly channeled by a cast with no weak element. Alan Arkin's Academy award winning depiction of the heroin addict Grandpa, possibly has the best of lines. Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette give lovely performances, while an unlikely bond in subtelity can be seen in the Characters of Steve Carrell and Paul Dano.

It is one of those surprisingly warm movies, which without being all-mushy, keeps you feeling good. Watch it for its brilliant comedy, great characters and unique storyline.