Movie Review -- Little Miss Sunshine

Let's just get right to it: Go and see Little Miss Sunshine. The always-delightful Toni Collette and Greg Kinnear star as the quirky parents in a quirky family of misfits (including the hilarious Steve Carell as a gay, suicidal Proust scholar). On the surface, the family seems dysfunctional and unhappy, but they pull together (albeit a bit unhappily) in order to get their young daughter, Olive (played by adorable Abigail Breslin) to the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant on an unexpected (and seemingly never-ending) road trip from New Mexico (three cheers for my home state!) to California. The trip is life altering on many levels and full of unexpected discoveries.

It's a comedy, sure, and witty from beginning to end; its sometimes dark humor is never predictable and you will literally be laughing outloud. But more importantly, this little film is a story about family and love and belonging, and in between your laughter, you may discover a few tears. The beauty pagent is over-the-top hilarious, and.....well, I don't want to tell you any more. Just go and see it! FIVE BIG STARS!!!!!