Smuggling a corpse across state lines really shows just how far the Hoover family will go to make it to an out-of-state beauty pageant.
However, smuggling a corpse as if it were moonshine is just one of the many laughable, albeit odd, situations that arises in Jonathon Dayton's and Valerie Faris' "Little Miss Sunshine." The film focuses on one family's struggle to come together despite the issues that have been created by their own differences.
Much of the conflict arises from father Richard's (Greg Kinnear, "As Good as It Gets") unrealistic expectations for his family. Despite the fact that he is a failed motivational speaker and businessman, he expects them to succeed at everything they set out to do. His personal motto is, "There are two types of people in this world: winners and losers," and he hates the fact that he has to live with the latter.
The pressure placed on his children, seven year-old Olive (Abigail Breslin) and 16 year-old outcast Dwayne (Paul Dano) is tremendous. Dwayne has taken a vow of silence in order to detach himself from his surroundings, and Olive begins sucking in her tummy while looking in the mirror after her father reminds her that the ice cream she loves so much is very fattening.
The ensemble cast works well together. Alan Arkin plays Richard's crack-addicted father and Olive's pageant coach. Arkin is bitter and mean at times, his kindness only surfacing to reassure his granddaughter.
Richard's wife Sheryl, played by Toni Collette ("Muriel's Wedding") is obviously frazzled by her husband's relentless need for perfection. At the beginning of the film, their marriage teeters on the verge of divorce as she tries desperately to hold her family together.
Steve Carrell ("The 40-Year Old Virgin") is surprisingly impressive as Frank, Sheryl's suicidal brother. Carrell's profoundly expressive eyes and face provide the depth and sadness that offsets the often-silly nature of the film.
Olive's desire to enter the Little Miss Sunshine Beauty Pageant in California creates additional tension. The family's finances are buckling under the recent failure of one of Richard's motivational tapes. Sheryl thinks that allowing Olive to compete would be a welcome break from the family's pent-up animosity towards one another.
It is impossible not to empathize with Olive, a peppy and bright little girl, who, despite the challenges created by her family, remains the most happy and optimistic of the bunch.
Olive's appearance could be considered nerdy. She wears large, plastic-framed glasses and mismatched clothes. However, the sweetness with which Breslin portrays Olive makes her immensely charming and lovely.
Even though the film is named after the beauty pageant, "Little Miss Sunshine" is by no means about glory on the runway.
Olive isn't the typical pageant contestant, and Sheryl isn't the typical pageant mom. For the competition, she pulls Olive's hair back in a ponytail and applies almost no makeup to her face.
Standing onstage next to a row of girls with big hair and spray tans, Olive looks painfully out of place, but her presence reflects how grotesque and abnormal the beauty queen culture really is.
Much like their lives, the family's trip cross-country is mired with problems, the biggest of which is their Volkswagen van breaking down. Despite the obviousness of this symbolism, it is difficult not to find the family's slow progress immensely entertaining. The growth among them is gradual enough to feel realistic, and therefore it is satisfying to watch.
"Little Miss Sunshine" is a sarcastic comedy that digs deeply into the anatomy of an American family, exposing the truth about a culture obsessed with winning and perfection.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
