BlownPotential

Little Miss Sunshine
Review by Joel Fowler

They call it ‘The Sundance Curse,’ and it’s not an easy cinematic disease to shake off.

Every January, the American public is told by way of Park City, Utah, what the hot, edgy ‘must see’ independent films of the year will be. “If you don’t score at Sundance, you’ll never score,” is the general theory, thought the box-office toteboard has been a little off in terms of the general population’s taste during recent years. Oh sure, the Coen Brothers (with their first feature Blood Simple) were one of Robert Redford’s festival’s first big discoveries, as were works by talented new directors such as Steven Soderbergh (sex, lies, and videotape), Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs), and Kevin Smith (Clerks).

But, as the years go by, not every ‘must see’ Sundance film is actually worth seeing. The Spitfire Grill? Hedwig and the Angry Inch? Primer? All of these films fell off the public radar shortly after their celebrated snowy seasons, leaving the overly-excited distribution studios holding the bag (with often times sizable financial losses).

For Sundance 2006, two possible forerunners have emergered to carry on the over-hyped hex – the Hispanic drama Quinceañera (planned for a September opening) and this week’s release, the comedy Little Miss Sunshine. Packed houses and sellouts surrounded this little indie by famed music video directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. Crowds buzzed at how bizarrely hilarious this road trip-family vacation movie was in highlighting the talents of Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, and comedian Steve Carrell. But, as the old saying asks, ‘will it play in Peoria?’

Part Drop Dead Gorgeous, part Waiting for Guffman, Little Miss Sunshine is one of the few movies that actually lives up to the snobbish hype that usually oozes out of Utah. The ensemble cast could not have been more natural or more palpable in their quest to make it from New Mexico to California in time for their youngest member Olive (Abigail Breslin from Signs) to compete in a little girls’ beauty pageant, despite harrowing setbacks. If I were a betting man, I would say Little Miss Sunshine will have the same surprising cult success as the last big Sundance smash, a little film from Idaho by the name of Napoleon Dynamite.

Potential: Realized

Also recommended Napoleon Dynamite (2004), Best in Show (2000), Slums of Beverly Hills (1998).

Related Articles:
Celebrity Scoop on Little Miss Sunshine’s directorial team Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris.

Little Miss Sunshine stars Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Steve Carell. It opens August 4^th and is rated R for language, some sex and drug content.