Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Little Miss Sunshine’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

It goes without saying that every single one of us harbor some kind of magnificent dream when it comes to where we want our lives to go. Some of us dream of getting married and having a giant family, while others ponder upon a future where they do precisely what they love, or find themselves showered with fame and fortune, and while everyone’s dream is different, they’re all important and powerful because they drive us to new heights and motivate us to take risks as we work toward that one moment where we can say, ‘I did it!’, and bask in the wonder of success and achievement.
 
However, while we love to highlight the wonder of dreams and the hunt to bring them to fruition, there’s a harsh reality to this quest in that, there are going to be a lot of setbacks on the road to personal glory. We will hear no, we will see opportunities flutter away and how we handle those little failures is just as important as how we handle the wins. But those losses hurt, and they slow us down and thankfully, we often have important people in our lives, family mostly, waiting in the wings to support us when the going gets thought and recently, I had the opportunity to watch a delightful comedy that explores the power of family when the chips are down and the importance of chasing one’s dreams in, Little Miss Sunshine.
 
Now in this particular film, we are introduced to the Hoover family, a clan that quite frankly, loves to dream. But at the moment, most of their dreams are at a standstill. For Richard, the father of the family, has yet to see any real money come in from his motivational speaking gig, his son Dwayne has taken a vow of silence until he can enter flight school and uncle Frank, is coming to live with the Hoovers, because he attempted to take his own life after his unsavory actions removed him from his dream job. But there is hope for something positive for this family when young Olive, who dreams of becoming a famous pageant star, finds out she has a shot to enter and win the Little Miss Sunshine Tournament, putting this family on the road to support dear Olive and little do they know that this simple and loving act will change their family dynamic forever…

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​So, if that seems like a lot to chew upon for a movie that is a comedy, you’d be one-hundred percent right. In fact, everything we just discussed about this family is revealed to the audience within the first fifteen minutes of the movie and with good reason. Because we have quite the grand journey to go upon when it comes to this story, so it was best to pack all that in, up front, and once the Hoover family hits the road, well that’s when things truly get interesting. Because this is when the story forces this family to face their demons and their setbacks and the universe more or less demands that they handle them differently than they have in the past and that…is just downright brilliant.
 
Because it allows for us to bear witness to some incredible character growth as the journey rolls on and having Frank, Dwayne and Richard deal with their respective setbacks allows for the story to finally dive into the whole matter of supporting those we love since the family eventually bands together to help Olive live her dream of becoming a pageant star. And while that doesn’t exactly pan out the way one would hope, that awkward moment when she takes the stage fits in line with the message of the film in that, sometimes the moments we think will make us great may not pan out exactly as we expected, but how we handle life’s little setbacks is what matters more and of course, that it never hurts to have your family at your side when failure comes knocking.
 
If anything, this ended up being quite the endearing film, and its magnificent cast sells every important moment in this story, and they also keep us laughing to boot. Because we do need to discuss the quality comedy in this movie since there are some genuinely hilarious moments present here, the kind that leave your sides hurting and this perfect blend of comedy and drama makes for one magnificent motion picture, the kind that features something for everyone. For if you’re looking for something to relate to, you’ll find that here, and if you’re looking for something philosophical, that’s here too. But more importantly, if you want to laugh and laugh hard, there’s plenty of that to be found, because you cannot go wrong with Alan Arkin going off about the wonder of heroin and getting laid and really, when all is said is done, this is a film I highly recommend because it features a beautiful slice of life and it puts a smile on your face.

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