Dana and Tom with returning guests, Christine Duncan (Wife of Dana and Mother of Tom) and Heather Stewart (The Revisionist Almanac's Senior European Correspondent), to discuss the indie comedy Little Miss Sunshine (2006) for its 20th anniversary: directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Feris, written by Michael Arndt, cinematography by Tim Suhrstedt, music by Mychael Danna, edited by Pamela Martin, starring Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin, Paul Dano, Abigail Breslin, and Steve Carell.

Plot Summary: Little Miss Sunshine is a comedy-drama about the Hoover family, a group of very different people trying to support one another. When young Olive Hoover (Abigail Breslin) qualifies for the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant, her parents—motivational speaker Richard (Greg Kinnear) and stressed but caring Sheryl (Toni Collette)—decide the whole family will travel with her from New Mexico to California. They pile into a rundown yellow van that becomes the setting for both humor and tension.

Along the way, Olive’s foul-mouthed grandfather Edwin (Alan Arkin), her depressed uncle Frank (Steve Carell), and her silent, angry teenage brother Dwayne (Paul Dano) each face their own struggles. As the trip goes wrong in unexpected ways, the family learns that winning is not as important as sticking together. The film balances comedy and emotion to show how love and acceptance can come from even the most imperfect family.

Guests:

Christine Duncan

1. Wife of Dana and Mother of Tom
2. 19x guest

Heather Stewart

1. The Revisionist Almanac's Senior European Correspondent
2. @heatherjstewart on IG, X, Letterboxd
3. Previously on Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979), Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction, Cast, and Background for Little Miss Sunshine

02:57 Welcome Back, Heather and Christine!

10:58 Why Are Comedies So Overlooked by Awards?

17:50 Personal Relationship(s) with Little Miss Sunshine

26:19 What is Little Miss Sunshine About?

29:43 Plot Summary for Little Miss Sunshine

31:00 Did You Know?

39:26 First Break

40:15 What's Happening with Heather and Christine

43:54 Best Performance(s)

01:03:46 Best Scene(s)

01:21:50 Second Break

01:22:40 Best/Funniest Lines

01:27:27 The Stanley Rubric - Legacy

01:39:27 The Stanley Rubric - Impact/Significance

01:45:40 The Stanley Rubric - Novelty

01:52:08 The Stanley Rubric - Classicness

02:00:59 The Stanley Rubric - Rewatchability

02:06:22 The Stanley Rubric - Audience Score and Final Total

02:08:12 Remaining Questions for Little Miss Sunshine

02:14:48 Thank You to Heather and Christine / Remaining Thoughts

02:18:41 Credits

You can also find this episode in full video on YouTube.

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For more on the episode, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/little-miss-sunshine-2006-ft-christine-duncan-and-heather-stewart

For the entire rankings list so far, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/greatest-movie-of-all-time-list

Keywords:

Little Miss Sunshine, dark comedy, family dynamics, film analysis, Academy Awards, comedy genre, movie podcast, 20th anniversary, character relationships, film discussion, comedy, character development, grief, movie legacy, Oscar nominations, independent film

Ronny Duncan Studios