Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
A divorced, bankrupt, suicidal family attends a beauty pageant.
Presentation:
I was going to say the Little Miss Sunshine is one of the best road trip movies, but then I realized the genre is stacked with cinematic masterpiece after masterpiece. What Little Miss Sunshine does differently is conceive of one of the most dysfunctional families of all time, yet makes each member equally important and likable. Each cast member has a distinct role and wastes no screen time in delivering sardonic laughs or poignant truths. I particularly like Paul Dano’s performance, but maybe because I have a soft spot for outcast teens. What’s most impressive is the deep focus cinematography is quite adept half of the film inside a yellow bus driving through rural American freeways.
Conclusion:
This an impressively funny film similar to Napoleon Dynamite, but without the iconic ending. But the rest of the film is so focused in maximally balancing light hearted fun and thematic social commentary that you will be shocked to know this is the directorial debut of the two directors. There is so much more under the hood of what appears to be a formulaic coming of age popcorn drama. This might be peak tragicomedy.
Recommendations
A divorced, bankrupt, suicidal family attends a beauty pageant.