PHOTO PROVIDED "Little Miss Sunshine" tells the tale of a dysfunctional family on their way to a beauty pageant in Redondo Beach, Calif. It stars Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin, Greg Kinnear and Abigail Breslin.

I’m a big fan of Steve Carell. I really enjoyed his work on “The Office” and he’s been solid in nearly every appearance on the big screen. From “The 40 Year Old Virgin” to the recent “Irresistible,” he’s almost always good.

One of his most underrated films, I believe, is 2006’s “Little Miss Sunshine.” He has a supporting role in the film, which tells the story of Olive Hoover (Abigail Breslin), a quirky 7-year-old who is obsessed with beauty pageants. She’s one part of a dysfunctional lower- to middle-class family, which really makes the film run.

The family is comprised of her mother, Sheryl (Toni Collette), stepfather Richard (Greg Kinnear), uncle Frank (Carrell), brother Dwayne (Paul Dano) and grandfather Edwin (Alan Arkin).

Carrell does a fantastic job playing Frank, who is fresh off a suicide attempt. Sheryl is overworked, Richard is underemployed, Dwayne doesn’t speak and Edwin is abrasive, to say the least.

Olive qualifies for the “Little Miss Sunshine” pageant in California as an alternate. The family, already struggling to make ends meet, pack up and embark on a road trip in their classic yellow Volkswagen van.

There are many speed bumps along the way. We quickly feel sympathetic for Olive and Sheryl, who have a lot to deal with. Richard is a jerk, Frank is a hot mess, Dwayne can’t communicate and Edwin is a drug addict.

They are truly a crazy bunch of misfits and the road trip is a comedy of errors. Shortly into the road trip, the clutch on the van gives out, so the group has to push it to get it into gear every time they want to get it running. About midway through the film, the horn sticks and beeps incessantly as they close in on Redondo Beach, Calif.

In many ways, the van is symbolic of the family. It has its flaws and doesn’t function well, but in the end it gets them to where they need to go.

“Little Miss Sunshine” is extremely well-written and cast. It’s hard to envision other actors and actresses in the roles. Breslin’s performance of Olive earned her an Oscar nomination and made her a superstar. She’s currently on the big screen in “Stillwater,” alongside Matt Damon.

Edwin is complex and Arkin does a great job with the character. He adores Olive, helping her prepare for her dance routine in the pageant. He’s a grumpy old man, but has a good heart. His performance was outstanding, earning him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

While Olive competing in “Little Miss Sunshine” drives the film, it’s really about relationships. Sheryl and Richard may love each other, but don’t seem to like each other very much. Edwin and Richard don’t act much like father and son. Dwayne hates everyone, even though he can’t verbalize it.

“Little Miss Sunshine” was a huge hit at the box office, earning $101 million. Critics loved the performances, screenplay and dark humor. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. In addition to Arkin’s win, Michael Arndt won for Best Original Screenplay. The film also won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

“Little Miss Sunshine” is rated R for adult language, adult themes and drug use. It’s available on Amazon Prime, Google Play, Vudu, Tubi, iTunes and YouTube.

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Chris Morelli is a staff reporter for The Express.