Little Miss Sunshine

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2:26

Little Miss Sunshine

R

2006

1h 42m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

216 Reviews

91%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

The Hoover family -- a man (Greg Kinnear), his wife (Toni Collette), an uncle (Steve Carell), a brother (Paul Dano) and a grandfather (Alan Arkin) -- puts the fun back in dysfunctional by piling into a VW bus and heading to California to support a daughter (Abigail Breslin) in her bid to win the Little Miss Sunshine Contest. The sanity of everyone involved is stretched to the limit as the group's quirks cause epic problems as they travel along their interstate route.

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Critics Consensus

Little Miss Sunshine succeeds thanks to a strong ensemble cast that includes Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin, and Abigail Breslin, as well as a delightfully funny script.

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Namrata Joshi

Outlook

Jan 24, 2019

3/4

The best thing about American cinema is that besides the studio-assembled big ticket movies, there's also the flourishing indie film movement which keeps throwing up some delightfully refreshing movies.

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Brian Tallerico

UGO

Mar 24, 2007

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

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Melissa Anderson

Time Out

Feb 3, 2007

2/6

All indie-movie families may start out unhappy in their own way, but by the time the final credits roll, everyone remains complacent, confident of their brood's superiority.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Jul 3, 2023

4/4

...a continuously engrossing endeavor that gets off to a memorable (and instantly-captivating) start...

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Sep 14, 2020

3.5/4.0

The best film of 2006.

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Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

Aug 11, 2020

4/5

The most unlikely (and effective) feelgood movie you might ever see.

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Huntin P

@PaxVobiscum80 15 hrs ago

Peculiar Indie flick that gives us a family on a fraught and really rather pointless journey by van across country. They are on their way to a talent show, the little girl of the family is going to compete. Along the way, various things happen, various challenging situations. Maybe they all learn a little something. Toni Collette, as always, is the best thing in it. Worth seeing once.

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festana D

@RT11422772 2 days ago

I wish movies like this were still being made today

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Robert P

@Superbad 4 days ago

Little Miss Sunshine is a *5* star Movie!

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treeart Z

@RT18173845 Oct 6, 2026

任任何人评价你多么的烂，多么的失败，也要把自己最真实的烂，精彩的呈现给这个世界吧

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Jon P

@JonPop Oct 4, 2026

Joyful. Great cast.

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Ron J

@RT47696882 Sep 23, 2026

Little Miss Sunshine is a funny, tender road movie about a family that feels broken in every direction, yet cannot stop showing up for each other. Olive’s dream of competing in a beauty pageant gives them a reason to climb into a yellow van and face the mess of their lives together. The dialogue has bite, the characters have heart, and beneath every argument is a bond that holds them close. They are flawed, stubborn, wounded, and full of love, even when they cannot find the words for it. By the time they reach the pageant, the prize no longer matters. What matters is that this odd, beautiful family stands together, cheering for one another when the rest of the world does not.

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Jonathan Dayton

Director

Valerie Faris

Director

Greg Kinnear

Richard

Steve Carell

Frank

Toni Collette

Sheryl

Alan Arkin

Grandpa

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Synopsis

The Hoover family -- a man (Greg Kinnear), his wife (Toni Collette), an uncle (Steve Carell), a brother (Paul Dano) and a grandfather (Alan Arkin) -- puts the fun back in dysfunctional by piling into a VW bus and heading to California to support a daughter (Abigail Breslin) in her bid to win the Little Miss Sunshine Contest. The sanity of everyone involved is stretched to the limit as the group's quirks cause epic problems as they travel along their interstate route.

Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
Producer: Marc Turtletaub, David T. Friendly, Peter Saraf, Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa
Screenwriter: Michael Arndt
Distributor: Fox
Production Co: Big Beach, Bona Fide Productions
Rating: R (Language|Drug Content|Some Sex)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 20, 2006, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Jul 26, 2006
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 2, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $59.9M
Runtime: 1h 42m
Sound Mix: Dolby

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