The movie starts out with Valentin's father teaching his boy to 'confront his fears'... The movie ends with the child dying. What is the worst fear a parent has: their child dying, their child kidnapped, their child murdered... Somehow, there is no way to confront those nightmare scenarios until they actually happen.But I saw a movie about a man, taking care of a child who was not his to begin with. Julie thinks the child is his--or can only remember Valentin as the last sex partner she had--but subsequent DNA shows him not to be the biological father.To raise his daughter, Maggie (played by Loreto Peralta) Valentin becomes a Hollywood stuntman, and Maggie acting as his coach and trouble shooter, reviving him when he faints from doing the stunt. And Loreto Peralta as 6 year old Maggie is a real scene stealer.Well, Julie decides now after six years old, she wants custody of the now six year old girl and shows up.Sadly, the child has some sort of (undisclosed) congenital birth defect and is soon to die. Valentin knows this but he does not wish to share this knowledge with Julie.The movie ends with Maggie, Valentin, and Julie on a Mexican beach, and Maggie dies in Valentin's arms. Essentially, Valentin had fallen in love with a stranger's child, Valentin had taken responsibility for a stranger's child. Add one more fear--being involved in some kind of cosmic dupe.The movie went way beyond the expectations for "Little Miss Sunshine"-- crotchety old man takes care of cute tike. It ended up challenging our notions of what it means to take care of another's child, what it means to fall in love with a stranger.I gave it ten stars for asking this ultimate question.

It managed to touch me, make me cry, laugh, and leave feeling good despite a sad ending. The movie manages to keep you thinking the lead character is just a lovable goof, when in reality, something else entirely is going on. That was well done, and despite what a few reviews suggest, was excellent acting (played the part he was asked to with perfection). I would watch this film again just for pleasure. I can't say that of every good movie I have seen. That is all that is important to me. Quirky. Fun. Sad. Only a few smaller roles that weren't acted as well as they could have been. A wonderful little actress. Great funny faces. Nicely directed.

this movie was absolutely fantastic. at the beginning i had no idea what was going on. at first i thought my mother had dragged me into another cliché Latino movie. but then i saw that it had real meaning especially towards those who have separated or are separated parents. this movie gives a real insight into the child's mind. it shows the parent mind as well. how they console and comfort the child, and how the child can do the same for the parent. it sure is a tear jerker though. but overall i loved it and it was a beautiful movie, casted, written, and directed perfectly. i hope more movies come out like this and are Oscar nominated.

An excellent movie for grown ups. A highly emotional script for people with children... Little "Maggie" plays beautifully and "Valentin", as her dad in the movie comes out in ways you wouldn't expect. The end blew me off - never expected it. It's not just another movie... It's one of those you get to see once in a lifetime and make you think a lot... Highly recommended! I loved the Spanish-English dialogs, I loved the fact that it switches from comedy to drama and, being a parent it does help me out focus on what's really important in everyday life... In one word? Amazing! Thank you for the experience and the different point of view, it's just what I needed right now.