‘Little Miss Sunshine’
In light of Alan Arkin’s tragic passing, I recently watched Little Miss Sunshine on Max.The tragicomedy follows the Hoover family’s road trip in a broken down yellow VW bus from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Redondo Beach, California in pursuit of their youngest daughter Olive’s (Abigail Breslin) dream of winning the “Little Miss Sunshine” beauty pageant. Arkin’s Edwin Hoover is an unhinged, bad ass grandfather who is determined to make Olive a pageant star, while reminding her that “a real loser is someone who’s so afraid of not winning he doesn’t even try.” However, the 2006 film also brings in more complexities, as the family tackles suicide, financial troubles, and loss throughout their journey. It is equal parts devastating, heartwarming, and funny, highlighting the talents of Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Greg Kinnear, and Paul Dano, in addition to Arkin and Breslin.