Maria and I both took our anniversary off -- and we took advantage of an extremely rare Blogger Toddler-free day by doing what the rest of you take for granted: Heading to the movies. Of course, we decided to see something that you probably saw months ago: "Little Miss Sunshine."
But the movie fit exactly what we were looking for: Something fun, charming and enjoyable for all the right reasons.
That's not to say the movie doesn't have problems. The tale of the dysfunctional Hoover family -- a motley crew of misfits who cram into a creaky VW bus and journey from New Mexico to Redondo Beach -- boasts just about every cliche in the book. The twist in which a family member dies on the road -- and whose body is then transported in an unsual manner -- reeks of "Vacation." And the movie includes that staple of dysfunctional relationship comedies, the moment in which the characters finally come together to sing and/or dance to a kitschy pop hit, revealing that Really, Everything Is Going To Be All Right.
But all of that is overshadowed by strong performances from Steve Carell and Alan Arkin, as well as little Abigail Breslin, who steals the show as charming 7-year-old Olive Hoover (whose excitement over competing in the creepy Little Miss Sunshine child pageant in Redondo Beach forms the film's plot lines). The movie also looks sharp, particularly the pain-staking attention to detail in creating the Hoovers' time warp of a home. Not only is the Hoover household unconciously stuck in the 1970s, but the family even eats chicken from Glendale's Dinah's Chicken -- whose 70s-style chicken buckets make a cameo early in the movie.
Overall, a movie so likeable that you're willing to look past its flaws. And yes, even dance and sing along to that kitschy pop hit that makes you smile as you realize that Everything Is Going to Be All Right.
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