Little Miss Sunshine

Don’t even think about missing this one. Little Miss Sunshine, which sparked a major bidding war at Sundance, is worth every penny. It’s a riotously funny movie that skewers so-called “family values” and shows the true value of family. This film’s dysfunctional clan is crammed into a VW bus headed for a California beauty contest. Greg Kinnear plays a failed motivational speaker and the father of a pageant-obsessed daughter (Abigail Breslin) and a brooding son (Paul Dano) who’s taken a vow of silence. Rounding out the group is an optimistic mother (Toni Collette), a foulmouthed grandpa with a heroin addiction (Alan Arkin) and a suicidal Proust scholar who’s just been dumped by his boyfriend (Steve Carell). This independent effort from a husband-and-wife directing team, previously best known for Smashing Pumpkins videos, is touching and genuine—a rarity among the light summer fare. The finale at the garish pageant is priceless, but it’s the journey that makes this a must-see.