Little Miss Sunshine Reviews

1. "Another example can be found, studied and savored in the online trailer. It's the moment when Olive asks her grandfather if she's pretty, and the scruffy old guy says, "You are the most beautiful girl in the whole world." Abigail Breslin plays at least four emotions -- belief, disbelief, desperation and love -- almost simultaneously while she replies, "Ah, you're just saying that." How one gets that kind of complexity in a very young person's performance is mysterious, to say the least, but there it is on screen."
- The Wall Street Journal

2. "At the heart of the film is Olive, a plucky little girl played to perfection by Abigail Breslin. Her portrayal is not only adorable but also intelligent and surprisingly nuanced for a 9-year-old actress."
- USA Today

3. "Gracefully sidestepping all the usual traps of too-cute screen tykes, Breslin is a delight, anchoring the comedy with a balance of guilelessness and innate wisdom as a kid who marches to her own drummer."
- Variety

4. "...and Abigail Breslin, who nearly stole the movie Signs in a tiny part as Mel Gibson's daughter, is an acting career waiting to happen. She's not "cute" in the usual Hollywood sense, like those terrifying children in the Welch's grape juice commercials. She's cute the way real kids are: unpredictable, vulnerable, resilient, and tender."
- Slate

5. "But as the starry-eyed, wannabe pageant queen, Breslin is amazing; she captures the heart of the film."
- The Austin Chronicle

6. "...And Abigail Breslin (who made her debut in Signs) shows herself to be more capable than about 95% of the performers in her age group. She's talented, understands her part, and avoids the terminal cuteness that afflicts too many portrayals by young actors."
- Reelviews Movie Reviews

7. "The cast is uniformly superb, with Abigail Breslin's Olive almost stealing the show from the frazzled..."
- Urban Cinefile

8. "The performances in Little Miss Sunshine is proof that an ensemble cast can collectively elevate each other. The title role is brilliantly inhabited by a rare talent in Abigail Breslin. She goes deeper in her role than child performers normally do."
- The FreshSite

9. "Abigail Breslin was great as the daughter and the Little Miss Sunshine contestant. She actually had one scene that sent me to the upper deck of my movie theater to be by myself so I could cry as hard as I wanted to."
- Blogcritics

10. "I’ve saved the best for last. Abigail Breslin is just fantastic. She’s the one that I hope gets nominated for the Oscar since her performance is excellent. Excellent all around and not a miscast or poorly performed bit in the bunch."
- Monsters and Critics

11. "We have a top-notch cast in attendance - you can't go wrong with Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette and Alan Arkin, though the three of them are confined to roles that, whilst not exactly caricatures, never really go anywhere. The same can be said for Steve Carell and Abigail Breslin, though their performances are certainly something to take notice of... Breslin is another child prodigy (we seem to find at least a couple a year) and she's simply stunning, in fact giving the adults a run for their money."
- Hoopla.nu

12. "But it’s Arkin and Breslin who secured the Academy nominations for their performances in support roles, with Arkin delivering cheekily cantankerous with perfect timing and Breslin a natural in a role that allowed a kid to be a kid."
- Late Film

13. "But, honestly, Greg Kinnear, Paul Dano, Steve Carell, Alan Arkin, and even young Abigail Breslin deserve consideration for supporting-role nominations. They are that good."
- Movie Every Day Blog

14. "Abigail Breslin (Signs), who plays 7-year-old Olive, is enchanting on screen as the heart of the film and the last shred of innocence and hope left in a family that always seems on the brink of falling apart."
- MoviePatron.com

15. "Solid casting in every role reaps great rewards, as it's hard to imagine anyone doing a better job for each role than the respective actors do here, with especially fine performances by Alan Arkin (Firewall), Toni Collette (The Night Listener), and Abigail Breslin."
- Qwipster's Movie Reviews

16. "The cast works extremely well together. As Olive, Breslin (The Princess Diaries 2) is herself a little Miss Sunshine. Her cherubic chubbiness and affecting cheeriness are perfect qualities for the role."
- Ray's Rave Reviews

17. "First noticed in M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs," 10-year-old Abigail Breslin offers the second great child performance of 2006 (the first being Sarala in Deepa Mehta's "Water") as Olive, a child whose obsession with beauty pageants seems more a desperate plea to be special to someone. A scene with Grandpa in a motel room is both heartbreaking in terms of its emotional honesty and powerful in the way it will shape Olive in the very near future. Likewise, the look on Breslin's face as she looks around the pageant she has always dreamed of winning and realizes that she is "different" than these girls is like looking inside the soul of the young girl. Breslin's performance is insightful, thoughtful and, in its simplicity, becomes one of the most authentic performances by a young actor in recent years."
- The Independent Critic

18. "There isn't a weak spot in the cast, and all of the actors' supremely fine performances are a large part in why the whole of the film works as well as it does. Making the biggest impression is 10-year-old Abigail Breslin (2004's "Raising Helen"), who is such an irresistible and ultimately touching scene-stealer that end-of-the-year award consideration is fully warranted. Breslin has shown some acting skills in the past—her debut turn in 2002's "Signs" was superb—but she comes into her own as a full-blown artist in "Little Miss Sunshine," rather than just a cute child actor. The adept intuitions she brings to portraying Olive rival the awe-inspiring depths of Dakota Fanning at that age."
- TheMovieBoy.com

19. "The real gem here is Abigail Breslin, who wins our hearts with every line she delivers. Olive is so cute and so sweet, you can't help but fall in love with her."
- BigFanBoy.com

20. "The praise heaped up the tiny shoulders of Abigail Breslin is completely deserved. She gives a remarkably natural performance, free of the artificial “tiny-adult” qualities often found in movie children. Olive becomes the emotional glue that ultimately keeps this family from completely going off the rails and this young actress serves notice that Dakota Fanning is not the only pre-adolescent who can play with the big girls and boys."
- Celluloid Heroes

21. "As for Abigail Breslin, she is adorable as the plain Olive who aspires to accomplish many goals in her young life, and never realizes she may not be able to fulfill them."
- Cinema Crazed

22. "It’s got a fine cast of actors and thankfully all are put to great use, even the young Abigail Breslin as Olive who - like the rest of them - shines throughout."
- Close-Up Film Reviews

23. "If Collette is the glue that keeps the cast together, it's the young Abigail Breslin who is the heart of the movie. Breslin steals the show as the optimistic Olive whose chance to compete for a beauty pageant comes true. Breslin brings a lot of depth to a young girl wanting to have her family on her side despite their dysfunctions while dealing with her own physical features as it's the family that supports her. Breslin is the real breakthrough as she proves her worth in every scene, especially her dance in the competition as she knocks everyone dead. Move over Dakota Fanning, there's a new little girl in town!"
- ePinions

24. "Young Breslin is simply a revelation as Olive. Her range is extraordinary, and she really makes the role her own."
- FilmJudge

25. "But even though the adults in this film fit their characters like that lucky pair of jeans we all have in our closet, the really unique and wonderful performance by young Abigail Breslin is what makes this film so great. She exudes this adorable honesty and sense of curiosity throughout the journey, keeping the family balanced. Just when you think the film has taken a more dramatic and serious tone, little Olive is right there to lighten things up. She really gives the film its overwhelming sense of honesty and her cute personality lights up the screen like a little ray of sunshine."
- Film School Rejects

26. "And Breslin is a delight. Never so cute as to irritate, with a sharp awareness of the role’s requirements, she displays a talent that’s simply beyond most performers her age."
- Future Movies

27. "...While Abigail Breslin avoids every single “precocious child” cliché to deliver a performance that is heartwarming."
- The Aisle Seat

28. "Abigail Breslin steals the show with her cuteness and charm, and will absolutely steal your heart, too. She's sassy and knows what she wants, and won't let anyone stop her or tell her no. It was a nice touch that she was nominated because she is, basically, the whole picture."
- Oscar Movies Reviews

29. "The true breakout star here is young Miss Breslin. She is adorable but her appeal goes far beyond that. For one so young she has mastered her craft better than actors who have been working twice as long as she has been alive."
- Home Theater Info

30. "Most impressive of all, Abigail Breslin. I don't think that they could have cast anyone better for the role then her. She was adorable, funny, and talented. I dont think that I need to elaborate, but let's just say, she has a future in acting."
- MatchFlick

31. "Arkin's Grandpa projects crass incorrigibility, but he skillfully manages to pepper the curse-laden performance with surprising tender moments. Especially in scenes with Breslin, with whom chemistry is tangible, the depraved octogenarian shines as a deeply loving and wise champion. Breslin's portrayal of gawky, awkward Olive gives her character admirable, albeit self-oblivious courage. She is unaware of the breadth to which she lacks stereotypical pageant qualities. You will root for her, even when cringing."
- Movie Gazette

32. "It is Carell and Breslin who nearly steal the whole darn thing, the former going so far beyond his star-making turn in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” you almost don’t believe your eyes. Breslin, meanwhile, touches the very center of your heart with her performance, a beguiling, innocent, split-second what-the-hell-are-you-doing glance at a singer trying to serenade pageant contestants enough to send me both into fits of chuckles and bring tears to my eyes."
- MovieFreak.com

33. "The real find in the film, however, comes in the smallest package. Ms. Breslin has stolen moments in films like "Raising Helen," "Keane," and "Signs," but here she runs away with the whole thing. The success of the film depends on the slight actress's ability to convince the audience of both her emotions and the effect they have on the adults around her. She wholly succeeds at both. Olive has a sweet demeanor, awkward dressing habits, and what appear to be the free plastic lenses that healthcare companies have inflicted on generations of badly sighted children. If Ms. Breslin had played the part with even a bit of saccharine sentimentality, many trivial set pieces would have been laid bare."
- The New York Sun

34. "For her part, Breslin gives a delightfully guileless and charming performance which is impossible to resist. With this role and her turn in Lodge Kerrigan's Keane, she has shown herself to be a remarkably talented young actress."
- Picture Show Pundits

35. "All of the acting is outstanding, with Abigail Breslin turning in a performance for a child that will unlikely be exceeded this year."
- ReelMovieCritic.com

36. "Young Paul Dano and especially Abigail Breslin obviously feel the energy, sincerity and enthusiasm their older peers project, and it brings out the best in them."
- The Nedpages

37. "The cast are all excellent, with particular credit going to young Breslin as Olive and the ever wonderful Toni Collette."
- The Screen Directory

38. "The kids, Paul Dano and Abigail Breslin, are both really good, but it didn’t occur to me they wouldn’t be good."
- The Stop Button

39. "... Olive (played with break-your-heart sweetness by Abigal Breslin)"
- Three Movie Buffs

40. "Abigail Breslin ("Sunshine"), who had appeared in several Disney movies, including "The Princess Diaries," and could prove to be the next Dakota Fanning."
- Metro News

41. "The undoubted star - playing the character whom all the others revolve around and eventually look to for stability in their family - is Breslin, who began her career as Mel Gibson's daughter in M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs." She perfectly plays Olive, who is not the conventional entrant in a beauty pageant, but who has the dream and desire to compete regardless. Comparisons to Dakota Fanning are easy to make, but Breslin shows a much broader and wide range of talent than Fanning has ever shown. Her best trait, which makes the movie so endearing to the viewer, is the ability to act as a character who is markedly different than everyone around her, but yet feels no shame or embarrassment from this. Her performance is stunning to watch and goes down as one of the best screen performances of 2006."
- The Observer

42. "Abigail Breslin, who plays the little girl, turns in the kind of superb performance that gets you cast in the next Spielberg movie (if he figures Dakota Fanning is too old)."
- IMDb Sundance 2006 Blog

43. "Abigail Breslin, just perfect as Olive, has a moment of silent understanding and remorse so powerful that it could melt a hundred Grinch hearts and confirms just how big this film’s is – and it’s just getting warmed up."
- eFilmCritic

44. "Abigail Breslin is a vital blend of klutziness and grace as the ambitious grade-schooler."
- The Hollywood Reporter

45. "Even though Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette are the "stars" of movie, it really belongs to Abigail Breslin."
- Unknown

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