US (2006): Comedy/Drama
Olive (Abigail Breslin) is a little girl with a dream: winning the Little Miss Sunshine contest. Her family wants her dream to come true, but they are so burdened with their own quirks, neuroses, and problems that they can barely make it through a day without some disaster befalling them. Olive's father Richard (Greg Kinnear) is a flop as a motivational speaker, and is barely on speaking terms with her mother (Toni Collette). Her uncle Frank (Steve Carell), a renowned Proust scholar, has attempted suicide following an unsuccessful romance with a male graduate student. Her brother Dwayne (Paul Dano), a fanatical follower of Nietzsche, has taken a vow of silence, which allows him to escape somewhat from the family whose very presence torments him. And Olive's grandfather (Alan Arkin) is a ne'er-do-well with a drug habit, but at least he enthusiastically coaches Olive in her contest talent routine. Circumstances conspire to put the entire family on the road together with the goal of getting Olive to the Little Miss Sunshine contest in far off California. Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris direct Michael Arndt's screenplay. -- Jim Beaver, IMDb
(Fox Searchlight - Web site)
4 nominations, 2 Awards
·Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role 2006: Alan Arkin
·Achievement in Writing (Original Screenplay) 2006: Michael Arndt
·Best Picture of the Year 2006: David T. Friendly, Peter Saraf and Marc Turtletaub, producers
·Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role 2006: Abigail Breslin