Blu-ray Review: Little Miss Sunshine

Release Date: February 3rd, 2009
Running Time: 102 minutes

The Film

I love underdog films. The hype may begin with a little Internet chatter, then a few pre-screenings will kick the campaign into full gear. Unfortunately most of these low budget films are disappointing at the end of the day. That is not the case with Little Miss Sunshine, one of the most well received films of the past few years. On Blu-ray for the first time, Little Miss Sunshine excels in every area.

Little Miss Sunshine succeeds on the fact that less is more. This isn’t a movie of explosions or high-octane plotlines. In fact, it is the exact opposite. A young girl named Olive Hoover (Sign’s Abigail Breslin) wins a chance to be in a beauty pageant so her whole dysfunctional family gets into their VW bus to make the long trip across part of the country. Olive’s family includes: her self help teaching father, Richard (Greg Kinnear); her brother, Dwayne (Paul Dano), who is on a vow of silence; her surly drug-addled grandfather, Edwin; her suicidal Proust scholar uncle, Frank (Steve Carell); and her mother, Sheryl (Toni Collette), who may be the only grown up one of the bunch. With issues between almost every member of the family, they are forced to reconnect and enjoy each other for the first time in ages as they defy the odds on their cross-country trek in the half-broken VW.

This is a film of characters and how they interact and react to each other. From the very beginning the Hoover’s seem destined to have difficulties with the trip, and each subsequent bump in the road is simultaneously hilarious and gut-wrenching. Why the film works is because it is a testament to the power and love of the family unit, something most people can relate to. With so many large-scale films in theatres, Little Miss Sunshine is a soothing alternative and a testament to the emotional power of film that does not require special effects.

The Disc

The video is presented in a 2.40:1, 1080p High Definition transfer. Like the DVD, this transfer is exceptional considering the low budget of the film. Very saturated primary colors look phenomenal without being overly stylized. Black levels are strong with shadow detail that is only slightly crushed. Fine detail is good, not the best I’ve seen, but remains consistent both in close ups and backgrounds. With no glaring technical issues and a clean print, this is one fine looking disc.

The audio is offered in an English DTS 5.1 Master lossless audio track as well as Spanish/Portuguese DTS 5.1 Surround Sound and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound with English/Spanish/Portuguese/Chinese/Korean/Thai subtitles. The score is superb and flawlessly travels across the channels, enlivening the scenes. Dialogue is crisp and balanced. The front-heavy mix contains occasional directional effects across the channels, and appropriate atmosphere from the rears when necessary. It is not the most aggressive or immersive mix, but everything is clean and balanced.

The Extras

The disc features all of the extra content from the DVD, plus a few more! This is fantastic because I always felt the DVD was lacking in the special features department.

Two commentary tracks are offered: one with Directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris; and the other with the duo and Screenwriter Michael Arndt. The first track is disappointing simply because the participants’ energy makes it seem like they have no desire to discuss the film. For a movie that has garnered so much acclaim you think they would be excited—nope. The second track is more enjoyable track due to Arndt’s inclusion.

“On the Road with the Hoovers” is an 18-minute making-of featurette that has the standard cast/crew interviews discussing the characters and plot. Yes it is fluff, but the performances are so good in the film that I would recommend listening to what the actors have to say. “Who Are the Hoovers” is another 17-minute promo piece focusing more on the characters and casting.

“We’re Gonna Make It” is a 3-minute featurette about Mychael Danna and DeVotchKa’s work on the score while “No One Gets Left Behind” is a 10-minute piece that goes into more detail on the music.

The Deleted Scenes run just under 8 minutes with optional commentary from Dayton, Faris, and Arndt. This is a case where the scenes aren’t important, but the acting remains strong. Four Alternate Endings are offered as well with optional commentary, but none of the options are better than the one used in the film. “Do You Wanna Talk” is a very short gag real featuring Steve Carrell and Toni Collette.

The “Webisodes” section contains 26-minutes of making-of footage and interviews. Even though numerous topics are covered in short bursts, the information given here is far more interesting than either of the promotional featurettes.

A Music Video for “Till the End of Time” by DeVotchKa is offered.

The disc rounds off with a Poster Gallery and Previews.

Final Thoughts

Little Miss Sunshine is a helluva movie with an excellent technical transfer and a nice spread of special features. If you haven’t already seen this one, now is the time.