Few films bottled up a complex mix of melancholy and optimism quite like Little Miss Sunshine. 6c4oj

The 2006 dramedy, directed by Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton, follows an eclectic family as they venture across the country so that budding beauty queen Olive (played by Abigail Breslin) can compete in a beauty pageant. 

The all-star ensemble cast, which includes Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carrell, and Paul Dano, deliver performances that touch on both the funny bone and the heartstrings — to the point where Little Miss Sunshine is rightfully considered an indie cult classic.

The film went on to receive four Academy Award nominations, and is ed for its heartfelt depiction of unconventional family dynamics, mental health, and remaining hopeful in the face of life’s obstacles. 

The effect of the movie can’t quite be put into words, but a few similar films have hit us in the feels in much the same way as Little Miss Sunshine. If you’re craving that slice of bittersweet wholesomeness, here’s 14 movies like Little Miss Sunshine (and where you can watch them). 

1. Ladybird (2017) w5v5

Ladybird and Little Miss Sunshine share a similar wavelength in that they both follow young female protagonists going about their ordinary lives. Both Olive and the titular Ladybird (played by Saoirse Ronan) have dreams to make it out of their small towns, but their journeys are complicated by family . Ladybird is big on both laughs and tears, and ends on a note of optimism despite the roadblocks the characters face. You can watch Ladybird on Amazon Prime or Apple TV. 

2. Silver Linings Playbook (2012) 5j1g7

In what follows like a grown-up version of Little Miss Sunshine, David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook delves deeper into themes of mental health, and the connections we make to soothe it. Carrell’s character finds a match in Bradley Cooper’s Pat Solitano, who wrestles with his demons with both humor and heart. Both Silver Linings Playbook and Little Miss Sunshine end on a somewhat musical note, speaking to the optimism that courses through both films. Silver Linings Playbook is available to stream on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV. 

3. Booksmart (2019) 2o1sy

Leaning moreso into the comedic aspects of the dramedy genre, Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart feels like the older sister of Little Miss Sunshine. The misadventures of the protagonists — played by Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever — might be what Olive would face as she enters highschool, with all three characters possessing the same loveable misfit energy. While it is certainly a comedy, Booksmart hits emotional touchpoints with a sense of levity much like Little Miss Sunshine. Booksmart is available to stream on Amazon Prime or Apple TV.

4. (500) Days of Summer (2009) 6m522v

There’s a cheerful quirkiness that courses through both Little Miss Sunshine and (500) Days of Summer, despite the two films’ depiction of sad themes. (500) Days of Summer follows the demise of a relationship between Tom (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Summer (Zoey Deschanel), and while romance doesn’t play a big role in Little Miss Sunshine, both films explore the complexity of relationships. Both movies sustain the “feel-good” factor even when their characters are in crisis. (500) Days of Summer is available to stream on Hulu or Apple TV.      

5. Ruby Sparks (2012) 3v5g4u

The parallels between Ruby Sparks and Little Miss Sunshine might boil down to the fact that they are both directed by Faris and Dayton. The duo reunite with Dano for Ruby Sparks, which follows a struggling novelist who wills his female protagonist into existence and promptly falls in love. Like Little Miss Sunshine before it, Ruby Sparks packs an emotional punch while delivering rom-com style laughs. Ruby Sparks is available to stream on Amazon Prime or Apple TV. 

6. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) z3x1s

While it is undoubtedly bigger in scale, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty possesses much of the same thematic points as Little Miss Sunshine. Both Olive and Walter (played by Ben Stiller) are eager to outgrow their current situations, and embark on a tumultuous journey filled with laughs, tears, and important lessons. Stiller, who also directed Walter Mitty, even cited Little Miss Sunshine as an influence while making the film. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is available to stream on Amazon Prime or Apple TV. 

7. Juno (2007) 676p4e

Juno and Little Miss Sunshine share a similar sense of humor, and both find ways to make us laugh even during challenging moments. The 2007 movie follows the pregnancy journey of a teenage protagonist (played by Elliot Page), warming hearts with its endearing wit and optimistic sheen. Juno is available to stream on Hulu or Apple TV.

8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) kc4o

While it certainly heads to darker corners than Little Miss Sunshine, Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower treads similar territory in its depiction of adolescence and mental health. Logan Lerrman stars in the coming-of-age tale as Charlie, a highschool student navigating the complexity of friendships and growing up. It might not pack the comedic chops of Little Miss Sunshine, but it certainly dances in the sweet spot of feel-good and emotionally resonant. Watch The Perks of Being a Wallflower on Hulu or Amazon Prime. 

9. Eighth Grade (2018) b6vl

The influence of social media on a young person’s life comes to the fore in Eighth Grade, an A24 film directed by Bo Burnham. Much like Olive before her, Kayla Day (played by Elsie Fisher) is a quirky heroine you can’t help but root for, even as the weight of social expectations seems pinned against her. In some alternate universe, Kayle and Olive are best friends. Eighth Grade is available to stream on Hulu or Amazon Prime.  

10. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) 2c2z17

You might think the only similarities would be in the word “sunshine,” and while Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is certainly headier than Little Miss Sunshine, both films are driven by sentimentality. The latter stars Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey as a recently separated couple who undergo surgery to remove their memories of each other. Needless to say, many tears and fond memories ensue, making for a happy-sad tale with all the traces of Little Miss Sunshine. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is available to stream on Peacock or Apple TV. 

11. About A Boy (2002) 346567

Another precocious protagonist is given the spotlight in About A Boy, the heartwarming 2002 film starring Hugh Grant, Toni Collette, and Nicholas Hoult. About A Boy is more schmaltzy than Little Miss Sunshine, and follows more like a rom-com in its depiction of an unlikely friendship, but it certainly possesses that same feel-good, childlike factor.  About A Boy is available to stream on Amazon Prime or Apple TV. 

12. Mid90s (2018) 3f3t3b

Complicated family dynamics and the struggles of adolescence inform Jonah Hill’s 2018 directorial debut film Mid90s. Like Little Miss Sunshine before it, the coming-of-age movie details a quirky young protagonist’s journey to growth, influenced by family and guided by their tenacity. Both Little Miss Sunshine and Mid90s also have the naturalistic visual style that makes the story feel authentic. Mid90s is available to stream on Hulu or Amazon Prime. 

13. The Way, Way Back (2013) xc3l

Carrell and Collette reunite on The Way, Way Back, a coming-of-age story about a hapless teenager who finds from adults. Duncan (played by Liam James) escapes his chaotic family to befriend a worker at a local water park, with hilarious hijinks and emotional moments unfolding along the way. The Way, Way Back is available to stream on Amazon Prime or Apple TV.  

14. Captain Fantastic (2016) 565we

The Hoover family of Little Miss Sunshine met their match with the Cash clan, the dysfunctional family at the centre of Captain Fantastic. The film follows two parents (played by Viggo Mortensen and Kathryn Hahn) as they raise their children in the wilderness, chronicling the fallout after Hahn’s character dies. Fans of chaotic family dynamics will find much to laugh at (and almost cry) in Captain Fantastic. It is available to stream on Hulu or Amazon Prime.

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As family road movies of the off-beat, Sundance ilk go, Captain Fantastic is a standout, zigging whenever indie convention dictates it should zag, offering a fresh rendition of an old formula. Writer-director Matt Ross follows a clan of six children living deep in the lush forests of Oregon, led by their charismatic father, Ben Cash (Viggo Mortensen), an outdoorsman/philosopher who’s built them a life of hunting, gathering and book-fueled enlightenment, disentangled from societal norms and unplugged from the digital world altogether. Ross explores the friction between Cash’s off-the-grid credo and their extended family’s decidedly “real-world,” all-American way of life via scenarios that occasionally lack nuance but are nevertheless sharp and thought-provoking and dovetail nicely into and out of each other, making for an intellectually stimulating yet wholly approachable tale of family dysfunction and adventure. The story opens with a sensually shot rite of age: Ben’s eldest, 17-year-old Bodevan (George MacKay), has just hunted down and slaughtered his first deer, butchering the animal with his bare hands and a sharp blade. The rest of the family gathers, each of them covered in muddy camouflage from head to toe as their patriarch presents the young man with a trophy as he solemnly chomps on a chunk of the beast’s heart. Through rigorous “training,” Ben has raised his children to be super survivalists and “philosopher kings,” teaching them the fundamentals of hand-to-hand combat one day, celebrating the life and teachings of Noam Chomsky the next. The children are, in many ways, utterly extraordinary. Bodevan has recently abandoned the principles of Trotskyism and redefined himself as a Maoist; the youngest daughter, Zaja (Shree Crooks), has the entire Bill of Rights memorized and even has deep opinions on recent shifts in U.S. legislature. Teen daughters Vespyr (Annalise Basso) and Kielyr (Samantha Isler) are real-life Katniss Everdeens, while the littlest sibling, Nai (Charlie Shotwell), is an avid collector of animal skulls. Ben’s clearly developed a tight bond with all of his children, though brooding middle child Rellian (Nicholas Hamilton) seems to be suppressing a measure of deep-seated resentment. Rellian’s bitterness stems from the absence of the children’s mother, who returned to the outside world to seek psychiatric care following a mental breakdown. She and Ben built the family’s unconventional life together, but Rellian blames his father for driving her away. When the family is devastated by tragic news involving their beloved matriarch, they pile into their family bus (it’s decorated like a hippie food truck, brimming with books and camping gear) to embark on a road trip on which their unique way of life is threatened from all angles. Ben’s parenting tactics have undoubtedly made the kids strong, but perhaps he’s blind to the fact that giving them combat knives as presents and sending them on unlawful “missions” to rob grocery stores needlessly endangers their lives. The greatest virtue of Ross’ approach is his approach characterization. The Cash family aren’t portrayed as overly culty or creepily alien, nor do they come off as a picture of saccharine togetherness. They exist somewhere in the middle, with each family member dealing with their own internal struggles as their moral fiber is tested both from within and without. Frank Langella, Kathryn Hahn and Steve Zahn play relatives who are repulsed by the bubble Ben’s sheltered the children in and do their best to pop it. It’s in these encounters when the movie begins to feel too generic and binary: The kids’ suburban cousins are spoiled, mean-spirited, uneducated brats who are too heavy-handedly polar opposite and don’t provide an interesting moral contrast to the main characters because they’re so overtly one-dimensional. The best culture clash comes when Bodevan meets a girl in a trailer park and realizes that, while he’s probably as learned and politically aware as any 17-year-old on the planet, he’s woefully inept in the art of normal, fun-loving teenage interaction of the opposite-sex variety. On paper, Captain Fantastic has its high and low points. The core strength of the film, the true backbone of the thing, is Mortensen, a spellbinding leading man who’s got as firm a grip on the audience as his character does on his brood. He sells and sells and sells, and we buy, buy, buy; every idea Ben projects onto his kids, even the zany ones, sound perfectly logical when spoken by a voice so even and wise and alluring. He’s so convincing that when he finally comes to the realization that he may actually be a much bigger threat to his children’s health and safety than capitalism, smartphones or even Kanye West and the Kardashians, our hearts break for him.

Captain America, Captain Nemo and, to a lesser extent, Captain Marvel have all been making the headlines of late, but what of Captain Fantastic? Bound for Cannes Film Festival next month, Matt Ross’ imioned dramedy has today debuted its maiden trailer, thrusting Viggo Mortensen into the throes of a family crisis. Written and directed by ross, Captain Fantastic opens with Mortensen’s father emerging from a prolonged stint in the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest. Revelling in isolation, the wayward patriarch is handed a crude awakening when his beloved wife suddenly es away, leaving him to raise six wide-eyed and curious children all on his lonesome. Putting some distance between his grieving family and his far-flung haven, Captain Fantastic then sees Mortensen journey into the city, opening up a whole new perspective on parentage and life in general. Powerful stuff, in the right hands, and we’re excited to see how Cap Fantastic fares at Cannes in only a few weeks’ time. Also starring Kathryn Hahn, Steve Zahn and Frank Langella, it’s understood those youngsters will be portrayed by George MacKay, Annalise Basso, Samantha Isler, Aussie Nicholas Hamilton, Shree Crooks and Charlie Shotwell. Captain Fantastic is expected to follow-up its bow at the Cannes film festival with a theatrical release on July 8. For now, you can get up to speed on the defining journey that awaits Mortensen’s father with the official synopsis, below.

Deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, isolated from society, a devoted father (Viggo Mortensen) dedicates his life to transforming his six young children into extraordinary adults. But when a tragedy strikes the family, they are forced to leave this self-created paradise and begin a journey into the outside world that challenges his idea of what it means to be a parent and brings into question everything he’s taught them.

Some professionals can traverse the line between acting and directing with ease. One such individual is Matt Ross, who has excelled acting on TV shows like American Horror Story, Magic City, Silicon Valley and Big Love, and sitting behind the camera on shorts (The Language of Love and Human Resources) and feature films (sexy Sundance drama 28 Hotel Rooms). Currently, Ross is taking on his biggest challenge to date, directing the drama Captain Fantastic. And now, we’ve learned that his cast, previously announced to be led by Viggo Mortensen, has added another huge talent, with word that Frank Langella has signed on. No word yet on which part Langella will play, but Captain Fantastic centers on an idealistic father (Mortensen) who returns to society from living off the grid for a decade in the Pacific Northwest with his children. George MacKay, Annalise Basso, Samantha Isler, Aussie Nicholas Hamilton, Shree Crooks and Charlie Shotwell all co-star. The drama is set to get filming underway shortly in Alburquerque, New Mexico. The intriguing premise already put Captain Fantastic on our watchlist, but Langella, so good in Frost/Nixon and Good Night, and Good Luck (and even cheesier fare like The Box, if we’re being honest) is a tremendously talented actor. It will be great to watch him share the screen with Mortensen and younger stars like MacKay (How I Live Now), Basso (Oculus), Isler (TV’s Sean Saves the World), Hamilton (Strangerland), Crooks (Extant) and Shotwell (The United Colors of Amani). Captain Fantastic will land in theaters next year.

We have not heard a great deal from Viggo Mortensen recently. The Lord of the Rings star is very particular in the roles he plays, and the result is that he does not appear in films that often. His last performance in a major film was as a minor character in On The Road, and he has no credits at all for 2013. But that’s all about to change. In addition to his part in The Two Faces of January, Mortensen is taking on the lead role in Captain Fantastic from Electric City Entertainment. Captain Fantastic tells the story of a father who has spent a decade living off the grid in the Pacific Northwest and now must return to society. With six children in tow, he must handle all the issues that re-assimilation brings with it. It’s an intriguing plot synopsis, made all the more so when one considers Mortensen in the lead. The film is written and directed by Matt Ross, who so far only has one feature film to his credit, 2012’s 28 Hotel Rooms. It’s quite a coup for a young director to get such a big star, and Ross certainly appears to appreciate that:

Viggo Mortensen’s dedication to his craft and to the world of the story he’s telling have been an inspiration to me for years … There is a depth to his art that I greatly ire. Any film he’s in is a film I want to see. He’s one of the greats. Getting to collaborate with him on Captain Fantastic is quite literally the best thing that’s happened to me since my wife asked me to marry her.

I, for one, will be glad to see Viggo Mortensen back on the big screen, and Captain Fantastic sounds like an excellent film for him. He has a quiet intensity in his face and eyes that easily expresses either wisdom or madness (and sometimes a combination of both). While we know little about Captain Fantastic at the moment, I will be interested to see how the film develops. We will keep an eye on Captain Fantastic as it goes into production. Until then, you can let us know what you think about Viggo’s return to the screen in the comment section below. Does this sound like a good role for him?