RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Little Miss Sunshine
Little Miss Sunshine

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Bookmark and Share

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
91 %
Tomatometer

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted: 191

Fresh: 174

Rotten:17

Average Rating: 7.7/10

Consensus: What happens when you stuff a failed motivation speaker, his wife, the nation's number one Proust scholar, an elderly potty-mouthed heroin addict, a teen who’s mute by choice, and a bespectacled little pageant hopeful into a mini VW bus for a three day road trip? You get this hilarious but moving satire about a dysfunctional family obsessed with winning. Credit must go to the ensemble cast that includes Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin, and Abigail Breslin and the delightfully funny script by Michael Arndt, which first-time directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris handled perfectly.

Runtime: 3 hrs 2 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:Jul 26, 2006 Limited

Box Office: $59,831,476

Synopsis: "Little Miss Sunshine" is an American family road comedy that shatters the mold. Brazenly satirical and yet deeply human, the film introduces audiences to one of the most endearingly fractured... "Little Miss Sunshine" is an American family road comedy that shatters the mold. Brazenly satirical and yet deeply human, the film introduces audiences to one of the most endearingly fractured families in recent cinema history: the Hoovers, whose trip to a pre-pubescent beauty pageant results not only in comic mayhem but in death, transformation and a moving look at the surprising rewards of being losers in a winning-crazed culture. A runaway hit at the Sundance Film Festival, where it played to standing ovations, the film strikes a nerve with everyone who's ever been awestruck by how their muddled families seem to make it after all. No one among the Hoovers quite has it together, but it's not for lack of trying. Father Richard (GREG KINNEAR), a hopelessly optimistic motivational speaker, is desperately attempting to sell his 9-step program for success -- without much success. Meanwhile, the Hoovers' "pro-honesty" mother Sheryl (TONI COLLETTE) is constantly harried by her family's eccentric secrets, especially those of her brother (STEVE CARELL), a suicidal Proust scholar fresh out of the hospital after being jilted by his gay lover. Then there are the younger Hoovers with their unlikely dreams -- the four-eyed, slightly plump, seven year-old would-be beauty queen Olive (ABIGAIL BRESLIN) and Dwayne (PAUL DANO), an anger-fueled, Nietzsche-reading teen who has taken a staunch vow of silence until he gets into the Air Force Academy. Topping off the family is the grandfather (ALAN ARKIN), a foul-mouthed pleasure-seeker recently kicked out of his retirement home for snorting heroin. They might not be the picture of perfect mental health, but when a fluke gets Olive invited to compete in the fiercely competitive "Little Miss Sunshine" competition in California, the whole Hoover family rallies behind her. They pile into their rusted-out VW bus and head West on a three-day tragicomic journey filled with madcap surprises and leading up to Olive's big debut -- which will change the entire misfit family in ways they could never imagine. "Little Miss Sunshine" features the directorial debut of renowned music video directors (and husband-and-wife team) Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, who direct from a script by Michael Arndt. The film is produced by Big Beach and Bona Fide Productions, with Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa, Marc Turtletaub, David T. Friendly and Peter Saraf serving as producers, and Jeb Brody and Michael Beugg as executive producers. The production team includes director of photography Tim Suhrstedt, production designer Kalina Ivanov, costume designer Nancy Steiner, editor Pamela Martin, composer Mychael Danna and the up-and-coming band DeVotchka. -- © Fox Searchlight Pictures [More]

Starring: Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin

Starring: Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin, Paul Dano, Nick Urata Devotchka

Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris

Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
Screenwriter: Michael Arndt
Producer: Marc Turtletaub, David T. Friendly, Peter Saraf, Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa
Composer: Mychael Danna
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Trailer
    >
    Trailer #2
    >
    The Directors
    >
    Porn & Poker
    >
1 - 4 of 4

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Apr 21, 2009

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Little Miss Sunshine

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
Arrange By: Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/23/09
Peter Keough
Boston Phoenix

...mediocre black comedy.

Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment Comment
04/21/09
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: NPR.org | comment Comment
10/18/08
Bob Mondello
NPR.org

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
08/07/08
Jonathan Kiefer
Sacramento News & Review

Writer Michael Arndt has cleverly captured the bribery and corruption which lie at the heart of most families.

Full Review Source: Eye for Film | comment Comment
06/13/08
Amber Wilkinson
Eye for Film

The chaotic dinner scene pops like syncopated jazz, setting the tone for a warm, funny film that has more smiles than belly laughs.

Full Review Source: Paste Magazine | comment Comment
06/08/08
Robert Davis
Paste Magazine

Accumulates depth and fleshes out its characters.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
03/11/08
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

Charming, moving, warm and brilliantly hysterical, Little Miss Sunshine is easily the funniest thing I have seen in a theater in years.

Full Review Source: BrandonFibbs.com | comment Comment
02/28/08
Brandon Fibbs
BrandonFibbs.com

A cheap Sisyphean metaphor literally drives the thing: at first played for laughs, it's recycled to the point of nausea.

Full Review Source: Cinematical | comment 4 Comments
02/01/08
Karina Longworth
Cinematical

A hilariously caustic package that makes its ultimate uplift genuinely feel-good instead of insufferably saccharine.

Full Review Source: Mr. Brown's Movies | comment Comment
08/26/07
Michael Dequina
Mr. Brown's Movies

a family road movie brimming with spot-on performances, hilarious situations, and plenty of good feeling - and it treats its comic characters with a rare affection.

Full Review Source: musicOMH.com | comment Comment
06/19/07
Anton Bitel
musicOMH.com

A wonderful message movie, warts-an-all!

Full Review Source: Upstage Magazine | comment Comment
05/25/07
Kam Williams
Upstage Magazine

The film is part of an emerging trend that taps into the very real and urgent concerns of working people in increasingly pauperized Bush's America.

Full Review Source: WBAI Web Radio | comment Comment
04/22/07
Prairie Miller
WBAI Web Radio

It doesn't exploit its characters for comedy or life lessons; it simply embraces the family members and lets them be themselves.

Full Review Source: UGO | comment Comment
03/24/07
Brian Tallerico
UGO

It works better than most movies with a quirky Sundance pedigree, because the filmmakers aren't quick to paint any of their characters as morally wrong.

Full Review Source: Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia) | comment Comment
03/15/07
Mark Palermo
Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Just a glorious movie.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
03/01/07
Frank Lovece
Film Journal International

Royal Tenenbaums meets Malcolm in the Middle. Oh, and let's not forget Weekend at Bernie's.

Full Review Source: Cinemania | comment Comment
02/25/07
Dan Jardine
Cinemania

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
02/03/07
Melissa Anderson
Time Out New York

full review in Greek

Full Review Source: Movies for the Masses | comment Comment
01/14/07
Joseph Proimakis
Movies for the Masses
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
all

Latest News for Little Miss Sunshine

March 17, 2009: Five Favourite Films with Greg Kinnear
How do you describe the career of a guy who started as the host of Talk Soup on E! and within five years was Oscar nominated for a role opposite Jack Nicholson? Greg Kinnear is... More...

April 22, 2008: Exclusive: RT Visits the Set of Three and Out
We wrap up warm for a London-based night shoot in Winter on the set of a new black comedy starring Mackenzie Crook, More...

February 14, 2008: Abigail Breslin Is My Sister's Keeper
The Fanning sisters may have exited Nick Cassavetes' My Sister's Keeper, but the New Line drama is still moving full steam ahead. More...

August 30, 2007: Box Office Guru Preview: Halloween Strikes on the 31st
The four-billion-dollar-plus summer comes to a close over the long Labor Day holiday weekend with three new wide releases all targeting male moviegoers. Slasher fans get to... More...

See More Topics...

Related Forums for Little Miss Sunshine

Click here to be the first to post a message on this forum.

See All

More DVDs

Close
Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
79%
79%
Gran Torino
30%
30%
12 Rounds
23%
23%
Confessions of a Shopa…
—
The Code
39%
39%
Inkheart

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
22%
22%
Push
12%
12%
The Unborn

More New Releases…

RT On Current TV

What’s Hot On RT

5 Favorite Films

5 Favorite Films

Director Kathryn Bigelow on Hurt Locker, more

Revisiting Hogwarts

Revisiting Hogwarts

Day 2: The Chamber of Secrets

Humpday Clip

Humpday Clip

An exclusive peek at the indie comedy!

RT on Current TV!

RT on Current TV!

Check out the RT Show this Thursday!

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Spider-Man 4 Gets Its Third Writer Source: Latino Review
50
  • Warners Wins Favorable Ruling in Superman Case Source: Variety
16
  • Remo Williams Rides Again Source: Risky Biz
10
  • Mortal Kombat 3 Filming in September? Source: Slashfilm
82
  • MacGruber Gets a Director Source: Variety
39
  • PG-13 Turns 25 Source: VideoETA
8
  • Weekly Ketchup: Universal Takes on Asteroids
92
  • Brandon Routh Talks Superman's Future Source: Moviehole
98
  • Sony's Amy Pascal Explains Moneyball Balk Source: Los Angeles Times
6
  • Three Theaters Getting Harry Potter in IMAX Opening Day Source: Collider.com
18
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Deconstructing Harry, Day 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
66
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Transformers and Ice Age Tie for Top Spot
59
  • Weekly Ketchup: Universal Takes on Asteroids
46
  • Five Favorite Films with Kathryn Bigelow
39
  • Critics Consensus: Bruno is Certified Fresh
29
  • RT on DVD: Knowing, Push, The Unborn Unleashed
26
  • Total Recall: Mock Docs That Rock
26
  • Deconstructing Harry, Day 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
24
  • Five Favourite Films with Jaime Winstone
17
  • Watch RT on Current TV
6
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • RT Interview: Director Carlos Cuaron on Rudo and Cursi
0
  • RT Interview: Tony Scott on The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
10
  • Cannes 2009: RT Interview - Sally Hawkins on We Want Sex
2
  • RT Interview: Tilda Swinton on Julia
5
  • Hollywood Legend Debbie Reynolds Reflects On her Life in Showbiz
10
  • Exclusive: McG Talks Terminator Salvation
24
  • Georgia Groome - Fresh Talent on RT
5
  • RT Interview: Reading The Reader with Stephen Daldry
11
  • RT Interview: Oscar Nominee Melissa Leo
7
  • Carey Mulligan - Fresh Talent on RT
7
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Little Miss Sunshine at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Little Miss Sunshine at IGN
  • Little Miss Sunshine at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
Point-Counterpoint: Bruno
Point-Counterpoint: Bruno External Link

MSN's David Fear and Frank Paiva go head to head discussing the pros and cons of Bruno star Sacha Baron Cohen.

The New Cult Canon
The New Cult Canon External Link

The AV Club's Scott Tobias takes a second look at David Lynch's cult classic, Lost Highway.

Tom Cruise's 10 Best Roles
Tom Cruise's 10 Best Roles External Link

TIME takes us on a 25-year long journey into the superstar's career, giving us a look at his 10 best roles.

A Baywatch Comedy?
A Baywatch Comedy? External Link

BuzzSugar reports on Paramount's plans to rebirth the iconic TV show as a comedy film.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.