\n<\/p>\n
A delightfully dysfunctional family. Little Miss Sunshine<\/em> quickly became a beloved cult classic after it was released in 2006.<\/p>\n The Oscar-nominated film centers on the Hoovers who take a spur-of-the-moment road trip from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to California after their daughter Olive (Abigail Breslin<\/strong><\/a>) qualifies for a beauty pageant. However, with every member of the family dealing with their own personal issues \u2014 from suicidal Frank (Steve Carell<\/strong><\/a>) to overbearing Richard (Greg Kinnear<\/strong>) and hedonistic grandparent Edwin (Alan Arkin<\/strong>) \u2014 the getaway doesn\u2019t go smoothly. After arriving at the pageant with moments to spare, quirky Olive gives an iconic performance<\/a> of Rick James\u2019 \u201cSuper Freak.\u201d Her family joins her onstage to the concern of the pageant directors and the delight of a few fellow weirdos in the audience.<\/p>\n Part of the appeal of Little Miss Sunshine<\/em> was the dynamic between the various members<\/a> of the Hoover family, which was a result of the cast\u2019s strong bond. \u201cI remember in rehearsal our directors were trying to establish a family dynamic, and they said, \u2018Why don\u2019t you guys get in the van in character and we\u2019ll go drive,’\u201d Paul Dano<\/strong><\/a>, who played Dwayne, recalled during an October 2018 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n Immediately after they pulled onto the road, Arkin and Kinnear got into an argument<\/a> about stopping for the bathroom, with the latter insisting that they wait until they arrived at their destination.<\/p>\n \u201cArkin was like, \u2018At the next red light, I\u2019m getting out to pee,’\u201d Dano continued. \u201cAnd Greg Kinnear ran the next red light. Just because he did not want to give into grandpa, who clearly needed to pee [and] just to piss him off. \u2026 And that was the family dynamic.\u201d<\/p>\n While the cast still has fond feelings about working on Little Miss Sunshine<\/em>, Breslin confessed in July 2021 that she has struggled to get people to separate her from Olive. \u201cSometimes people forget that I\u2019m 25 years old<\/a> and not 9 anymore,\u201d she explained to the U.K. news outlet iNews at the time. \u201cPeople tend to want to keep you in one specific pigeonhole.\u201d<\/p>\n She continued: \u201cI don\u2019t want to disrespect [Little Miss Sunshine<\/em>]. It\u2019s sweet in a way because I think people felt so emotionally attached to that role and to that film. They want me to be Olive<\/a>. I understand that. I\u2019ll always have a bit of Olive in me, but I want to try new things.\u201d<\/p>\n