FILM · 2006 · USA
Little Miss Sunshine
- Directed by
- Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Studio
- Big Beach, Bona Fide Productions
39 archived facts 6 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
A family loaded with quirky, colorful characters piles into an old van and road trips to California for little Olive to compete in a beauty pageant.
39 Interesting Facts About Little Miss Sunshine
Interesting Facts (26)
- #001
The production team made sure Abigail Breslin actually listened to music through headphones so that she would not hear Alan Arkin's profanity-filled scenes.
- #002
The film's story was inspired by an incident from Michael Arndt's childhood, when his family traveled 600 miles in a VW bus with a broken clutch.
- #003
The "heroin" that Grandpa grunts about in the bathroom at the start of the film is actually crushed B vitamin tablets.
- #004
Michael Arndt had to quit his job as Matthew Broderick's assistant in order to write Little Miss Sunshine.
- #005
While filming at a market in Santa Clarita, California, a person who looked like Paul Dano walked in. Dano was late and had not been announced, so everyone thought the lookalike was Dano. After he explained that he was not Dano, they took a few photos and sent him on his way.
- #006
Contains a major spoiler — show
In the commentary, the directors note that Greg Kinnear was genuinely self-conscious about dancing because his wife had mocked his dance moves at their weddings. He was so self-conscious that he asked for the dance scene to be cut from the film.
- #007
The face on Dwayne's T-shirt is the image used in the Big Brother posters from the 1956 film version of George Orwell's "1984".
- #008
The film was dedicated to Rebecca Annitto, the 14-year-old niece of producer Peter Saraf, who died in a traffic accident in 2005. She appeared as an extra in the scenes at Pann's Restaurant and the market.
- #009
Contains a major spoiler — show
Dwayne is actually from Sheryl's previous marriage. Early on she says "he visited his dad in Florida" and shows a wedding photo with him in it, though much younger. Olive, however, is not, since her surname is Hoover, the same as her father's. Dwayne later confirms his different parentage during his rant, pointing at Sheryl as he shouts, "Divorced!"
- #010
The pageant host is a parody of Tim Whitmer (also known as Mr. Tim), the official host of child beauty pageants who can be seen or heard in various child pageant documentaries.
- #011
Initially written as an East Coast road trip film from Maryland to Florida, the film was shifted to a journey from New Mexico to California because of shooting problems.
- #012
Directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris had previously directed The Smashing Pumpkins' "1979" music video. The total of Frank's purchases at the grocery store was $19.79.
- #013
Bryan Cranston ("Stan Grossman") and Dean Norris ("State Trooper McCleary") appear in supporting roles and also appear together in AMC's Breaking Bad (2008). Breaking Bad (2008) is also set in Albuquerque. Continuing the Breaking Bad (2008) connection, there is also Mel Rodriguez ("Officer Martinez"), who had a supporting role as "Marco" in the first season of Better Call Saul (2015).
- #014
Marc Turtletaub and his fellow producers bought the screenplay for $250,000.
- #015
The four customers sitting behind Sheryl (Toni Collette) and Richard (Greg Kinnear) in the restaurant scene are the parents of directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris.
- #016
Contains a major spoiler — show
The grandfather's name is revealed only once, after his death. His full name is Edwin Hoover.
- #017
The scenes set in Redondo Beach, California, were actually shot in Ventura, California. None of the highways near Redondo Beach lead to the beach.
- #018
Although Frank's surname is never mentioned in the film, a sign outside his hospital room identifies him as Dr. Ginsburg.
- #019
Contains a major spoiler — show
When the VW bus gets stuck due to a clutch failure, the mechanic explains that you don't need the clutch to shift from third to fourth gear, but that you do need it for the other gear changes. This is not true; with a fully synchronized transmission you can change every gear using the "double clutch" procedure. So you don't have to start in third gear, but ultimately starting in first gear wasn't fast enough for the film.
- #020
Steve Carrell turned down Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby (2006) in favor of this film.
- #021
Because the film took five years to make, there would have been several Miss California winners, so a female actress plays the role during the meeting and greeting in the pageant.
- #022
Contains a major spoiler — show
Dwayne does not break his silence until the 1 hour 7 minute mark of the film, when he realizes he is color blind and cannot join the Air Force.
- #023
While Dwayne (Paul Dano) and Frank (Steve Carrell) are staying at the hotel, Frank turns on the television for Dwayne. Briefly, George W. Bush can be seen on television mentioning Donald Rumsfeld. Steve Carrell plays Rumsfeld in Vice (2018).
- #024
Contains a major spoiler — show
When Olive is asked to provide music for her dance routine, she hands the official a CD and tells them the intended song is track 12. As later revealed, Olive's dance song is Rick James's "Super Freak." Interestingly, two CD retrospectives of Rick James's career were released in 2002; on the first disc, track 12 is "Super Freak."
- #025
Larry Sugarman, the second-best Proust scholar in the United States, has a vanity license plate reading "LOSTIME," a reference to Proust's "In Search of Lost Time."
- #026
The license plate on the Hoovers' Volkswagen minibus reads "153 H8A." It is most clearly visible over the mechanic's right shoulder in the scene inside the garage at 0 hours, 30 minutes and 20 seconds.
Production Story (5)
- #027
After Focus Features pulled out, producer Marc Turtletaub bought the rights back from the studio in 2005 and announced he would cover the budget himself.
- #028
Five identical Volkswagen Type 2 buses were used during filming.
- #029
Larry Sugarman's license plate reads "LOSTIME" (the plate is clearly visible at approx. 38 minutes 34 seconds.), a reference to Marcel Proust's most famous work, "À la recherche du temps perdu," which is often translated as "In Search of Lost Time."
- #030
A VW bus used by Greg Kinnear during the filming of this movie is on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
- #031
The man with headphones at the pageant is usually interpreted as a predator. However, according to one reading, he was intended to be the weary father of a pageant contestant using headphones to drown out the music.
Characters & Cast (2)
- #032
Steve Carell was not a well-known name in Hollywood when he was cast in Little Miss Sunshine (2006). According to an article in Entertainment Weekly, the film's producers worried that he was not a big enough star and did not have enough acting experience. However, during the summer of 2005 when the film was shot and the summer of 2006 when it was released, Carell achieved major success as the star of the high-grossing The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), released in August 2005, and as the lead character of the popular NBC Emmy-winning series The Office (2005), which premiered in March 2005 and won Carell a Golden Globe in 2006 for best actor in a comedy television series. Within just one year Carell became such a star that the producers went from objecting to his casting to turning to him to give the film its notable promotion.
- #033
Bill Murray was the first choice to play Frank. The second choice was Robin Williams. Robin Williams turned the film down in favor of another road trip film, RV (2006).
Easter Eggs & References (2)
- #034
"Stan Grossman" (Bryan Cranston) is also the name of the most trusted man in the Coen Brothers' Fargo. The creators of Little Miss Sunshine used the name as a nod to the 1996 Coen Brothers film.
- #035
Contains a major spoiler — show
After Olive hugs Dwayne and starts back toward the van, a sign reading "United we stand" can be seen in the background.
Career & Awards (3)
- #036
Four members of the film's most acclaimed cast, including Abigail Breslin, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in this film, were nominated for Oscars. As of 2023, Paul Dano has not yet received an Oscar nomination.
- #037
The film's cast includes one Oscar winner, Alan Arkin, and six Oscar nominees: Toni Collette, Greg Kinnear, Abigail Breslin, Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston and Marc Turtletaub.
- #038
Alan Arkin and Bryan Cranston later appeared in Argo (2012). They do not share any scenes in either film. Arkin received an Oscar nomination for both films and won for this one.
Life & Family (1)
- #039
Contains a major spoiler — show
The grandfather's last words to his blood relatives were "I'm proud of you" to his son and "I love you" to his granddaughter.
Related pages
- Argo — Little Miss Sunshine comes up in the facts on that page
- Bill Murray — Little Miss Sunshine comes up in the facts on that page
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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