Q 01/05

In which city does the Hoover family live at the start of the film?

A) Tucson, Arizona

B) Las Cruces, New Mexico

C) Albuquerque, New Mexico

D) Flagstaff, Arizona

Answer · why

C) Albuquerque, New Mexico

The script was originally an East Coast trip from Maryland to Florida before budget issues moved it to the Southwest.

Q 02/05

Where is the Little Miss Sunshine pageant being held?

A) San Diego, California

B) Redondo Beach, California

C) Las Vegas, Nevada

D) Santa Monica, California

Answer · why

B) Redondo Beach, California

Olive learns she has qualified with only two days' notice, prompting the whole family's 800-mile drive.

Q 03/05

What make and colour of vehicle does the family drive to the pageant?

A) A red Ford station wagon

B) A white Winnebago

C) A yellow Volkswagen van

D) A green Chevrolet pickup

Answer · why

C) A yellow Volkswagen van

Five VW Microbuses were used in filming; three had engines and two were mounted on trailers for camera work.

Q 04/05

After the van's clutch breaks, how does the family get it moving?

A) They tow it behind a passing truck

B) They push it and jump in the side door

C) They roll it down every hill they find

D) They hot-wire the starter each time

Answer · why

B) They push it and jump in the side door

Later the horn starts honking on its own and the side door falls off; all three problems came from writer Michael Arndt's own childhood road trip.

Q 05/05

Which of these van problems in the film was NOT based on writer Michael Arndt's real childhood trip?

A) A broken clutch

B) A flat tyre

C) A stuck horn

D) A detached door

Answer · why

B) A flat tyre

Arndt chose the VW bus for its high ceilings and clean sight lines that let the camera see everyone from the windshield.