Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

A family determined to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant take a cross-country trip in their VW bus.

Directors:

Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris

Writer:

Michael Arndt

Stars:

Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Greg Kinnear

Won 2 Oscars. Another 70 wins & 110 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Abigail Breslin	...	Olive Hoover
Greg Kinnear	...	Richard Hoover
Paul Dano	...	Dwayne
Alan Arkin	...	Grandpa Edwin Hoover
Toni Collette	...	Sheryl Hoover
Steve Carell	...	Frank Ginsberg
Marc Turtletaub	...	Doctor #1
Jill Talley	...	Cindy
Brenda Canela	...	Diner Waitress
Julio Oscar Mechoso	...	Mechanic
Chuck Loring	...	Convenience Store Proprietor
Justin Shilton	...	Josh
Gordon Thomson	...	Larry Sugarman
Steven Christopher Parker	...	Teen Boy #1
Bryan Cranston	...	Stan Grossman

Storyline

In Albuquerque, Sheryl Hoover brings her suicidal brother Frank to the breast of her dysfunctional and emotionally bankrupted family. Frank is homosexual, an expert in Proust. He tried to commit suicide when he was rejected by his boyfriend and his great competitor became renowned and recognized as number one in the field of Proust. Sheryl's husband Richard is unsuccessfully trying to sell his self-help and self-improvement technique using nine steps to reach success, but he is actually a complete loser. Her son Dwayne has taken a vow of silence as a follower of Nietzsche and aims to be a jet pilot. Dwayne's grandfather Edwin was sent away from the institution for elders (Sunset Manor) and is addicted in heroin. When her seven-year-old daughter Olive has a chance to dispute the Little Miss Sunshine pageant in Redondo Beach, California, the whole family travels together in their old Volkswagen Type 2 (Kombi) in a funny journey of hope of winning the talent contest and to make a dream ...

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Plot Keywords:

gay | drugs | graduate student | beauty pageant | cross country trip | 

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Taglines:

I hate everyone.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some sex and drug content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 August 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Little Miss Sunshine

Filming Locations:

Acton, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$370,998, 30 July 2006

Gross USA:

$59,891,098

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$100,523,181

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Searchlight Pictures, Big Beach Films, Bona Fide Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

DTS SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While filming in a convenience store in Santa Clarita, CA a Paul Dano look-a-like walked in. Dano was late and unaccounted for so everyone thought the look-a-like was Dano. After he explained that he was not Dano, they took some pictures and sent him on his way.

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Goofs

Although the family is leaving their home in New Mexico, the first few shots of the bus were clearly filmed near Vasquez Rocks, near Santa Clarita, California.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Richard: There are two kinds of people in this world, winners and losers.

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Alternate Versions

The DVD contains four alternate endings:

• Alternate Ending # 1 had the family stop at a rest stop the next day as they're driving back home. Richard talks fondly about Grandpa, and then the family toasts to his memory. You actually can't hear the dialogue, since the only audio option is for the director's commentary on this ending. Basically, the filmmakers thought that it was too sappy (since it was too sunny during the scene) and so they stopped filming.
• Alternate Ending #2 had the family handcuffed at the security office at the hotel. The security guard tells them that Olive is disqualified from the competition and that they are released, under the condition that they are banned from entering beauty pageants in California again. He releases the family members, and they start to walk out of the lobby. Sheryl places a crown on Richard's head, who in turn places it on Olive's head. As they exit the hotel, Richard asks "who wants ice cream?"
• Alternate Ending #3 had Olive running out into the lobby of the hotel, acting as a lookout, as you can hear everyone else arguing off-screen about stealing the trophy. She signals that the coast is clear, and so the others run out of the hotel carrying the trophy (while Frank wears the crown).
• Alternate Ending #4 is the same as #3, but it's extended. Title cards detail the family stealing the trophy from the room, running down the hall, running out of the hotel, running into the van, and driving off.

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Connections

Featured in 2007 MTV Movie Awards (2007)

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Soundtracks

Give My Regards to Broadway
Written by George M. Cohan
Arranged by Weba Garretson, Bob Remstein, and Mark Wheaton
Performed by Casandra Ashe

User Reviews

Bittersweet and almost unbearable, in every way.

I get so disgusted with Indie films about deep characters that have no real personality. Everyone says that they're real because they suffer, when really it's the audience that suffers most. Movies are not supposed to take two hours of my life and leave me feeling vacant and hopeless. I want to spend those two hours with good people who are flawed, like those in my life I love most.

That's what Little Miss Sunshine has, and much more. In the beginning, you won't be sure whether you like anyone. By the end of the movie, you'll wish they were real so you could get to know them better. Their history and their dreams about the future. Bravo, Michael Arndt, for creating something truly memorable.