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Amazon.co.uk Review
It’s good to see the Blu-ray market maturing to the point where even a charming indie film like Little Miss Sunshine gets to benefit from a high definition upgrade. And a terrific ensemble movie it is too, that rightly notched itself a Best Picture Oscar nomination, and even managed to take home a prize or two.
The concept behind Little Miss Sunshine is really quite simple. When, out of the blue, the Hoover family’s young daughter Olive (played by the charming Abigail Breslin) gets a place at the Little Miss Sunshine pageant of the film’s title, it’s the catalyst for a family road trip across Australia. Much of the film is spent cataloguing said journey, and it proves to be a minefield of comedy and drama. Alan Arkin’s Grandpa, a role which won him an Oscar, snares the majority of laughs, but with a strong cast that also features Toni Collette, Greg Kinnear and Paul Dano (who would follow this up with this career-best turn in There Will Be Blood), the production simply drips with quality.
What’s particularly satisfying about Little Miss Sunshine, which looks razor sharp and improved over the DVD in its Blu-ray guise, is that it keeps its momentum running right through to its excellent final act. Too often, films waste a good build up on a poor ending, but that’s absolutely not the case here. In short, it remains a little gem of a film, and it’s great to see it get a high definition upgrade. --Simon Brew
Synopsis
Picked up after a well-received showing at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, Little Miss Sunshine is a low-budget comedy about a family road trip from Albuquerque to California. The story begins when young Olive (Abigail Breslin) is given a shot at the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant, and manages to coerce her family into driving west in their worn-down VW van. Olive's father Richard (Greg Kinnear) heads up the trip, while mother Sheryl (Toni Collette), brother Dwayne (Paul Dano), uncle Frank (Steve Carell), and grandfather (Alan Arkin) all come along for the ride. What follows resembles a modestly-budgeted version of Planes, Trains and Automobiles: seemingly endless--and hilarious--mishaps befall the family as they wind their way across the country. Couple this with the witty interplay between a well-drawn set of dysfunctional characters, and that's the Little Miss Sunshine formula in a nutshell; all the audience needs to do is sit back and enjoy the ride. The grainy texture of co-directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris's film may initially startle viewers unaccustomed to the indie film world but it's a testament to the cast and crew's efforts that the limitations imposed on the filmmakers are long forgotten by the end of the film. Any concerns about visual murkiness give way to belly laughs and bemusement as the road trip ends and the beauty pageant begins. Likely to have a broad appeal, Dayton and Faris' film resembles a version of National Lampoon's Vacation directed with the pithy eye of Todd Solondz (Welcome to the Dollhouse), and it's to the movie's credit that it manages to successfully marry these two seemingly disparate worlds.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This was another one of those films I know too little about when I saw it. That was the best thing about it. It was a complete surprise and was one of the most touching and humourous films of the year.
The old story of a dysfunctional family coming together through tough times to realise that their family really is quite special, has never been done with such skill as this.
You dont feel bogged down in any setimentality. You just enjoy the ride. Trust me its a fun ride! The characters are superb. Little Miss Sunshine herself being an extremely lovable lead. Then you have grouchy Granpa and suicidal Uncle (Steve Carrell on top form). The ruthless "must win everything" father and the caring doting mother aswell as the moody and silent older brother.
Some of the set peices will go down in history, such as, the hilarious van they use to drive cross-country. To start it up they have to push until they are going fast enough to jump gears.
This carries a strong message of family values, but doesnt ram it in your face! Its a well crafted, funny, touching and entertaining film which deserves to be watched and adored by all.
The old story of a dysfunctional family coming together through tough times to realise that their family really is quite special, has never been done with such skill as this.
You dont feel bogged down in any setimentality. You just enjoy the ride. Trust me its a fun ride! The characters are superb. Little Miss Sunshine herself being an extremely lovable lead. Then you have grouchy Granpa and suicidal Uncle (Steve Carrell on top form). The ruthless "must win everything" father and the caring doting mother aswell as the moody and silent older brother.
Some of the set peices will go down in history, such as, the hilarious van they use to drive cross-country. To start it up they have to push until they are going fast enough to jump gears.
This carries a strong message of family values, but doesnt ram it in your face! Its a well crafted, funny, touching and entertaining film which deserves to be watched and adored by all.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Right, so there it is!! Offbeat dark comedy with uplifting and life enhancing scenes illustrating impressive family and life moral issues??? Yup!! That's the sum of its parts! Good acting in relatively superficial characters that somehow provide a very enjoyable experience from beginning to end!!
That's what this is!! The wonderful sum of its dark yet accessible parts! Genious, more of this.....
That's what this is!! The wonderful sum of its dark yet accessible parts! Genious, more of this.....
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is one of the best films I've watched for ages.... touching, quirky, well acted and hilarious. It made me laugh out loud several times!
This is definitely a film that I will watch again. Highly recommended.
This is definitely a film that I will watch again. Highly recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
HILARIOUS INDIE MOVIE!
I love love love this film.
It has everything in it. Comedy, drama,and great actors.
It's a funny story that will make you smile
It has everything in it. Comedy, drama,and great actors.
It's a funny story that will make you smile
Published 5 months ago by Stuff buyer
dvd did not work.
This dvd did not work in any of our dvd players and I couldnt get address to return it.
Very disappointing. Waste of money!
Very disappointing. Waste of money!
Published 8 months ago by bolingbroke N
a wonderful moving
This is one of my favorite movie, it was funny and touching aswell. Following this family through lots of things ( happy and sad ) makes this film one of the best i've ever watched
Published 8 months ago by CynthiaK
Wonderful Movie!
I have not enjoyed a movie so much in a long time. This is an intelligent, funny film with real heart - and the performances are fantastic. Thoroughly recommend it.
Published 9 months ago by Jas
Ordinary People
The story of a disfuntional family of colourful characters apparently drowning in their own individual problems coming together on a road trip to a beauty contest for the benefit... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Shrewlord
A RAY OF SUNSHINE
Just watched this again recently,wondering if it is as good as i remembered it being,it is.
Full of great charaters that develop as the story grows,the main part being getting... Read more
Full of great charaters that develop as the story grows,the main part being getting... Read more
Published 11 months ago by BAZ316
One of the most emotional and enjoyable films - still, after a few...
This film slipped under most people's radar when it was first released, and by word-of-mouth, such a wide range of audiences came to see it. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Louise Roberts
Life is just one big beauty contest after another
I was unsure when i first watched this film, but on the second watching i grew to love it. Its a quirky little number about a dysfunctional family. Read more
Published 11 months ago by laurey
HIGHLY ENTERTAINING!
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE is a hilarious comedy. The acting is not good yes, but the plot, characters, comedy and ending are all so good they maske up for the extremely poor acting! Read more
Published 13 months ago by G. Stephenson
harmless, slightly clichéd, ultimately feel-good family comedy
This is a harmless, slightly clichéd, ultimately feel-good family comedy featuring an embarrassingly foul mouthed grandpa, an uncommunicative teen who by the end of the film... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Legal Vampire
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