As it turns out from the journey, Olive seems to be the least flawed of the family--probably because she's only seven. Olive's overworked mom, Sheryl Hoover (Toni Collette), is married to a motivational speaker, Richard (Greg Kinnear), who banks the family's well-being on a book deal that falls through; Dwayne (Paul Dano), Sherry's son from another marriage, vows to stay silent for months until he becomes a pilot, only to find out he is colorblind; Sherry's brother, Frank (Steve Carell), is a homosexual Proust scholar who attempts suicide after a failed relationship; Richard's uninhibited father, Edwin (Alan Arkin), dies midway through the film due to a heroin habit.

Somehow, the family makes it to California, and Olive's climactic dance at the pageant is bittersweet, if nothing else.

Of the many awards it received, Little Miss Sunshine won the "Best Feature" Independent Spirit Award, as well as "Best Original Screenplay" honors at the Oscars and BAFTA Awards. Alan Arkin won "Best Supporting Actor" awards at both those ceremonies as well.

The film remains one of the biggest (and most successful) deals made in the Sundance Film Festival's history.