Little Miss Sunshine Cast Reunites for 20th Anniversary of the Oscar-Nominated Film
Sundance Gem Little Miss Sunshine Celebrates its 20th Anniversary
The stars of the 2006 Oscar-nominated Sundance Film Festival favorite, Little Miss Sunshine, reunited to celebrate the film’s 20th anniversary in correlation with the 2026 Sundance festival.
Four of the six stars of the 2006 Academy Award nominated film, Little Miss Sunshine, appeared at a recent screening at Sundance to talk about the movie and the good time which was had bringing it to life. Also on hand were filmmakers Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton who helmed the audience favorite from 20 years ago. One of the stars, Paul Dano, had recently come under fire by Quentin Tarantino who didn’t approve of the critically acclaimed actor’s work, but Dano recently stated he was glad that people came to his defense so he didn’t have to prove Tarantino’s remarks were wrong.
Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette and Abigail Breslin appeared at the screening as well which was met with a deserved standing ovation at the end. This film’s Oscar-winning co-star, Alan Arkin, died in 2023. Arkin won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2007 for his role as the inspiring grandfather of Breslin’s shy, but ambitious, character.
Screenwriter Michael Arndt spoke of how the film met him at a time when he was struggling with work. The yellow Volkswagen van/bus in the film inspired a replica which had audiences at Sundance lined up to take pictures with it at this year’s Sundance screening of Little Miss Sunshine.
The iconic moments in Little Miss Sunshine came in large doses during the film’s ending where Kinnear, Collette, Steve Carell and Dano got on stage and danced with Breslin, the little daughter of Kinnear and Collette’s characters. In the movie, Breslin’s character wants to be a model and the family is on a journey to a beauty contest that is geared specifically for young girls. Things don’t go well as Breslin dances to the song lyrics, “Super Freak,” in a dance she only showed to the grandfather Arkin played so well prior to the event.
Little Miss Sunshine is a story of family, disappointment and coming together in tough times. The Volkswagen is not a suitable vehicle for getting around in the film and requires all family members to push it from behind to get it moving, but when it gets pushed, the family jumps in and magic happens as the family fights to try to achieve the American Dream against the odds. Kinnear, Collette and Breslin were near-perfect in their roles and Breslin received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her heartfelt work in the picture.
It’s truly sad Alan Arkin couldn’t be there to remember the wonderful film that Little Miss Sunshine was and still is. His Oscar-winning work was such a big part in what became known in Hollywood in 2006 as the little movie that could.
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