Little Miss Sunshine (2006), directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, and written by Michael Arndt, is in my opinion one of the top 3 movies of the year along with The Prestige and The Departed(Children of Men came in close 4th).
Review of the movie(contains spilers)
What does it mean to have a family? what does it means to have someone who is not perfect as your family members? This movie is all about family members who can't be further from perfect. A father who can't provide living for the family with his lectures on winners and losers, a mother who is a chainsmoker, a gay uncle who tried committing suicide when his boyfriend left him, a brother who is mute by choice until he becomes a test pilot, a grandpa who is a pothead and got kicked out of senior apartments because of that. These are the members of Olive, a little 7 year old girl who wants to participate on the Little Miss Sunshine contest. So they go on a trip they will never forget to go to the contest on a car that won't be in a gear without being pushed until about 20 mph.
The characters in this movie are so lovable and relatable. The first 5 minutes of the movie introduces the characters with minimal dialogues and we can tell we're in for a great ride. Everyone except Olive has a flaw just like we all do. It is just so funny watching them interact on the trip because they are so different. During the trip, the grandpa dies of overdose of heroine the father learns that his lectures just won't sell, the brother learns his color blind which means he can't become a test pilot and starts yelling "f&%$!." In the end, they get to the beauty peagent in which Olive shows her crazy moves to the song "super freak" and she is ordered to be stopped but the whole family the joins her and dances on the stage. At last they realize that it is the family that is the most important and go back home with hopes.
This is a movie close to perfection: perfect cast, awesome performance, awesome editing, and awesome script. Steve Carrel is always talented and it was great to see two young actor and actresses perform so well(Paul Dano and Abigail Breslin). It's a family movie that can't be shared by every family member because of the drug scene but I would love to watch this anyone older than 13. (This should have been PG-13 with language cut down a little bit). It was also great to see Dwayne(the brother) and Richard(the father) change throughout the movie as Dwayne learns he can't be a pilot and Richard learns his contract with a publisher was just a midsummer night's dream. There are so many great dialogues in this film from the first time screenwriter Michael Arndt. I think is the best dialogue from the film is when Dwayne is encouraged to live his life to the fullest by Frank(the uncle)'s speech about Proust "Anyway, he uh... he gets down to the end of his life, and he looks back and decides that all those years he suffered, Those were the best years of his life, 'cause they made him who he was. All those years he was happy? You know, total waste. Didn't learn a thing." Now that is a quote anyone can benefit from. However, I cried when Richard said "Oh my God, I'm getting pulled over. Everyone, just... pretend to be normal. " Normal?! I just couldn't stop laughing and had to stop the film for a second. Also I just love the ending of the movie which ends very smoothly, everyone just happy that they have each other. Isn't that how families are supposed to be? I am so glad I have a family albeit they maybe not be perfect.
If you have problems with your family or just want to laugh, or want to watch a great movie, do not miss this gem.
Or just watch the movie just to see the Miss California in it!
Memorable quotes from the movie:
Dwayne: I wish I could just sleep until I was eighteen and skip all this crap-high school and everything-just skip it.
Frank: You know Marcel Proust?
Dwayne: He's the guy you teach.
Frank: Yeah. French writer. Total loser. Never had a real job. Unrequited love affairs. Gay. Spent 20 years writing a book almost no one reads. But he's also probably the greatest writer since Shakespeare. Anyway, he uh... he gets down to the end of his life, and he looks back and decides that all those years he suffered, Those were the best years of his life, 'cause they made him who he was. All those years he was happy? You know, total waste. Didn't learn a thing. So, if you sleep until you're 18... Ah, think of the suffering you're gonna miss. I mean high school? High school-those are your prime suffering years. You don't get better suffering than that.
Grandpa: A real loser is someone who's so afraid of not winning he doesn't even try.
I can already see that Abigail Breslin will be bigger than 
Dakota Fanning because she was the best actress in the movie, even better than Steve Carell!!
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