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And then, of course, there's Abigail Breslin, the film's other acting nominee. I'd like to point out that this little girl was actually discovered my M. Night Shyamalan, and gives a stunningly good performance in Signs. Whatever else you think about Night, the guy has a knack for finding good child actors and eliciting good performances out of them. But Signs is nothing compared to her work in Sunshine. Though she has much less screen time, the film hangs on her performance as much as The Queen hangs on Helen Mirren's; we have to believe that each of these family members would put their personal squabbles aside just to make this girl smile. We do, and that is what makes its characters sympathetic and the film so heartfelt.
This is the debut film of husband-and-wife directors (not a phrase you hear much, is it? Why is it that it's always siblings- the Ferrely brothers, the Hughes brothers, the Pang brothers- but never spouses? Just a thought.) Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, and they do a wonderful job of balancing humor and pathos, and technically prove themselves quite adept. 
In particular, there are some shots of the family van passing under criss-crossing overpasses that are elegantly composed, and the shot when Dwayne finally speaks- or screams- is beautiful, especially a moment later when little Olive goes down to comfort him. The two are at the bottom of a hill beside the road, with Dwayne on the right in the foreground, Olive next to him, and the finally lined up on the road above, to the left. At first the family is obscured, but then Olive leans her head on his shoulder, revealing all of them, all in row (albeit in foreground and background), all together. The wide angle lens even keeps them all in focus and narrows the distance between them. It is a perfect, elegant visual intonation of the theme, and there isn't a word spoken.
Little Miss Sunshine isn't my pick for the best film of the year, but there's certainly something to be said for such pleasant sentiments, beautifully rendered and performed, especially among a crowd of dark and violent pictures. I think the Academy likes to feel good about it's Best Picture choice, and Sunshine is like the little independent movie that could. Like I said, it isn't my choice, but if it wins, I won't exactly be disappointed.