Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Premise: Runner-up regional winner Olive (Abigail Breslin) gets a chance at the national Little Miss Sunshine title when the winner is involved in a diet-pill scandal. The entire family accompanies Olive on her trip across the country: Mom/Sheryl (Toni Collette), who keeps the family together with fried chicken and new age platitudes; Dad/Richard (Greg Kinnear), who is desperately trying to turn his nine step self-help program into a book; brother/Dwayne (Paul Dano), who has taken a vow of silence until he achieves his goal of becoming a test pilot; uncle/Frank (Steve Carrell), who recently attempted suicide after his lover leaves him for his academic rival; and Grandpa (Alan Arkin), Olive's choreographer, who snorts heroin and swears like a sailor because "[he's] old."

So, in other words, everyone is forced to come along with her because of contrivance. There were a few moments in the beginning of the movie where I rolled my eyes at the over-the-top quirkiness of it, but you sort of fall into a lull after a while and start to enjoy it. Plus, Carrell is really, really good in it. Technically speaking, everyone is really good in it -- it's the quality of the performances that elevates the piece above the trappings of the script. I have to single out Carrell, though. That deadpan? Those dead-eyed looks? That nerd run? Fantastic.

By the time you get to the completely ridiculous, completely unearned, completely hysterical climax, you've been won over. Like the beat-up VW they drive, it's slow to start, but there's no stopping it once it starts humming along. Husband and wife directing team Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Ferris keep a tight reign on newcomer Michael Arndt's screenplay, and the viewer is the beneficiary. A-