"LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE" — ** 1/2 — Abigail Breslin, Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette; rated R (vulgarity, profanity, drugs, nude photos).
"Little Miss Sunshine" arrives with considerable buzz after playing at the Sundance Film Festival — much like the comedies that came before, "Happy, Texas" (1999) and "Napoleon Dynamite" (2004).
However, it remains to be seen whether this film will become a smash hit like the latter film or a complete bust like the former.
One thing's for sure: It's certainly not the funniest comedy of the year as has been hyped.
Instead, "Little Miss Sunshine" is a modestly amusing movie with good performances and several promisingly absurd situations. It also ends on an appropriately accusatory note, which is probably for the best.
The film's title refers to a beauty pageant for preteens. Perhaps the most unlikely contestant in a New Mexico qualifying competition is Olive (Abigail Breslin), the hopelessly chirpy daughter of a failed motivational speaker.
As expected, Olive doesn't win her local qualifier, although, due to a technicality, she's going on to the national competition in California.
That Southwest trek turns into a grueling family affair. Along with her bickering parents (Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette), Olive is accompanied by her stoic older brother (Paul Dano), her suicidal scholar uncle (Steve Carell) and her potty-mouthed, porn-obsessed grandfather (Alan Arkin).
Husband-and-wife filmmakers Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris do have some fun exploring the various dysfunctional family dynamics, and Michael Arndt's script is filled with commentary on beauty pageants, some of which is well-observed. And admittedly, the recurring gag involving the family's broken-down vehicle is pretty funny.
The film also boasts a strong cast, and surprisingly the real standouts may be the two younger performers. Breslin ("Signs") has an appealing presence, while Dano ("The Girl Next Door") is note-perfect as her mopey sibling.
On the other hand, a storyline involving Arkin's character is unfunny and demeaning, especially for an actor of his caliber.
"Little Miss Sunshine" is rated R for crude and suggestive sexual humor (including references and slang), strong sexual profanity, drug content (mostly references to cocaine and narcotics use), and glimpses of nude photos. Running time: 101 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com