Little Miss Sunshine facts for kids

Little Miss Sunshine is a funny and touching American movie from 2006. It's a type of film called a "road movie" because it's all about a family's long trip. This family drives 800 miles (about 1,287 kilometers) from Albuquerque, New Mexico all the way to Redondo Beach, California. Why are they going so far? Their young daughter, Olive, wants to compete in a beauty contest for children. During their journey in an old Volkswagen Type 2 van, they face many challenges and learn to support each other.

The Hoover Family's Journey

The movie follows the Hoover family, who are quite unusual. Each family member has their own dreams and struggles.

Meet the Family Members

• Olive Hoover (played by Abigail Breslin) is a sweet, glasses-wearing girl. She dreams of winning the "Little Miss Sunshine" beauty pageant.
• Richard Hoover (played by Greg Kinnear) is Olive's dad. He's trying to sell his "nine steps" program for success, but it's not going well.
• Sheryl Hoover (played by Toni Collette) is Olive's mom. She tries to keep the family together, even when things get crazy.
• Dwayne Hoover (played by Paul Dano) is Olive's older brother. He's a quiet teenager who has taken a vow of silence. He dreams of becoming a fighter pilot.
• Frank Ginsberg (played by Steve Carell) is Sheryl's brother. He's a smart professor who is going through a tough time.
• Grandpa Edwin Hoover (played by Alan Arkin) is Richard's dad. He's a fun-loving but grumpy old man who helps Olive practice her pageant routine.

The Road Trip Begins

The family gets a surprising phone call: Olive has a chance to compete in the "Little Miss Sunshine" pageant in California. Even though they don't have much money, they decide to drive there in their old, yellow Volkswagen Type 2 van. This van often breaks down, making their trip even more adventurous.

Challenges on the Way

As they drive through Arizona and other states, the family faces many funny and difficult problems. The van has mechanical issues, and they have to push it to get it started. They also deal with their own personal struggles and arguments. But through it all, they start to understand each other better. They learn that being a family means supporting each other, even when things are hard.

Filming and Success

Little Miss Sunshine was a special movie because it was made independently. This means it wasn't made by a big Hollywood studio at first.

Making the Movie

The movie was directed by a husband-and-wife team, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. The story was written by Michael Arndt. It took a long time to get the movie made, about five years! They used five different vans during filming to get all the shots they needed. For the pageant scenes, they even used real equipment and costumes from actual beauty contestants.

Awards and Recognition

The film first showed at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2006, where it was a big hit. It later won many awards, including two Academy Awards (also known as the Oscars). Alan Arkin won for Best Supporting Actor, and Michael Arndt won for Best Original Screenplay (the script). The movie was also nominated for Best Picture. It earned over $100 million worldwide, which was a huge success for an independent film.

Images for kids

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  A Volkswagen T2 Microbus, similar to the one in the film

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  Five modified vans were used during filming to capture various angles of the characters, including this one through the windshield.

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  To make Abigail Breslin's character (centre) appear larger than the other girls, she wore a padded suit. Much of the equipment and costumes exhibited during the pageant were provided by actual contestants' parents.

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  The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah

See also

In Spanish: Little Miss Sunshine para niños