Film Review

Little Miss Sunshine
Director: Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
A-

The quirky characters would feel right at home in a Wes Anderson picture. And the dark but comical tone is reminiscent of a Todd Solondz film such as, Welcome to the Dollhouse (one of my all time personal favorites), albeit, Solondz on Prozac. This is dark comedy at its finest, delving into uncomfortable and disconcerting scenarios that resonate with truth and pain. But where Directors Solondz or Steven Soderberg insist on pushing the uneasiness with unflinching scrutiny, Dayton instead alleviates the awkward tension with deft humor just before it reaches intolerable levels.
Overall, the fractured, flawed family at the center of the story is caring, likeable and striving for goodness; which lends an innocent and good-natured charm to the optimistic but often unsettling story. The strong bond of family is a central theme to the movie and I quickly became invested in these characters whole-heartedly, rooting for them to overcome their obstacles, enjoying each triumph, and agonizing over every bump in the road.
The casting and acting is spot on: Steve Carell’s performance as Frank is nuanced and understated, taking a less-is-more approach when he could have easily gone over the top and detracted from the movie. Honestly I don’t think Carell could be unfunny if he tried. Greg Kinnear plays Richard Hoover; the earnest, naively optimistic father whose misplaced faith provokes both nervous laughter and tempered sympathy. There isn’t a weak link in the cast, each playing their quirky roles with respect and dignity, refraining from any demeaning cheap shots.
Once or twice I found the situations slightly forced and the comedy a little obvious or safe. Nevertheless, I have a hard time seeing anybody not falling in love with this film. It's an Indie flick, but watered down and sweetened up just enough to appeal to wider audiences.
DeVotchka provides the majority of the soundtrack, often collaborating with Mychael Danna. Sufjan Stevens also contributes a couple tracks, all of which work beautifully to accentuate and capture the mood of the film.
A tertiary benefit to viewing the film was it introduced me to the excellent band DeVotchka, whose 2004 release, How It Ends, is a wonderful and dramatic album, which reminds me of Sigur Rós, albeit Sigur Rós on Zoloft. (Who says I can’t use the same simile twice in one review?)