Richard and Sheryl Hoover (Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette) preside over a household of barely functional individuals. Then the couple’s seven-year-old daughter, Olive (Abigail Breslin), becomes a finalist in the Little Miss Sunshine contest, and everyone’s sanity is put to the test. It’s a road trip for the family and they have difficulty navigating the logistics of home, let alone on the roll in an ancient VW bus.

Richard’s got an agent pitching his self-help book to publishers as he tries to become a successful motivational speaker but he seems to strike out more often than not. How does one remain optimistic when the answer is always "no?" Sheryl has a job outside the home, and attempts to keep up with her plump, spectacle-wearing daughter, who is obsessed with being a beauty queen. Their teenage son, Dwayne (Paul Dano), is into his ninth month of a vow of silence until he gets admitted into the Air Force Academy. Richard’s dad (Alan Arkin) now lives with them, after being thrown out of his retirement home for possession of heroin. Oh yes, and Sheryl’s gay, suicidal brother, Frank (Steve Carell), is with the family after his release from the mental hospital. Sheryl not only never has a dull moment, she never has a moment at all.

Olive was runner-up in a regional Little Miss Sunshine contest and when the winner is disqualified Olive now can compete in the finals in California. Mom and Dad are so into their own lives, that they are not aware of what Olive’s talent is. By the way, Grandpa’s her coach.

Along the way they each experience life changing events. Most of us can identify with a man whose dreams of a great career just can’t take off. We all know a working mother whose only private time is when she’s driving to and from the grocery store. Senior citizens don’t want to be told what to do. There are kids who think the world is against them and they simply want to withdraw. And in our current culture, we probably all know someone, perhaps a sibling that is depressed.

Take all of that and overlay it with family values that allow kindergarten and early grade school girls to skip being children so they can compete in beauty contests with the intensity of Miss Universe. Are we living an image at the expense of our own logic?

Rick James’ song "Superfreak" takes on a newly significant and humorous meaning by the time the scene in which it is used is finished. In a charming way, it captures the real essence of the film, in that a fractured family like the Hoovers may look dysfunctional on the outside but may really have it all together on the things that count the most. All of the acting is outstanding, with Abigail Breslin turning in a performance for a child that will unlikely be exceeded this year.

It’s easy to see why this was such a huge hit at the Sundance Film Festival. "Little Miss Sunshine" is a real crowd-pleaser, and one of those films that come to mind when people ask, "Why can’t Hollywood make fresh and original films any more?" This one is the answer.