Oh, what a cute little movie. Odd, quirky, funny and sad it's certainly not worth a Best Picture Oscar nomination but is definitely worth a watch. This family on the edge of a meltdown road trip, directed by Jonathan Dayton, follows the Hoover family as they trek cross-country to ensure their daughter, Olive, can participate in a beauty queen (for 8 year-olds) pageant. On route, flop motivational speaker father, Richard, suicidal brother-in-law Frank, mute son Dwayne and heroin addict grandpa (played by Alan Arkin) all face personal breakdown points. There's many messages here about love, and support, and commitment to family and it's all done very well. But Oscar-nominated worthy ... for Arkin? for Abigail Breslin? (who plays Olive), for Best Picture? ... heavens, I think not! If anything Toni Collette as mom, Sheryl, deserves the nod here for holding this family (and movie) together. Olive, while not winning the Little Miss Sunshine pageant, sure teaches us a few things about dancing and the good stuff little girls are made of.
My rating 8 out of 10.
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