Little Miss Sunshine Explained
Little Miss Sunshine, directed by Jonathon Dayton and Valerie Faris, released in 2006, is a movie about a family just trying to be normal. But they are far from normal. With a broken bright yellow station wagon bus, the blended family of six travels to California for the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant for little Olive. Because all Olive wants is to be a beauty queen and make her family proud, mainly her father, following his 9 steps to being a winner, and her grandfather, who trained her with everything she knows. This tragic-comedy movie expresses various ideas, from following your dreams to leaving no man behind(literally) in such a funny yet practical way.
The idea of following your dreams is expressed in various ways throughout the movie. The first explanation of this idea of following your dreams is Dwayne, the older half brother to Olive, and how he has a dream of becoming a flyer for the Air Force. He takes a vow of silence, works out every day and keeps tally marks so he knows he doesn't skip a day. Later in the movie he finds out that he is color blind, so he can't fly for the Air Force. He breaks his vow of silence and becomes heartbroken, and you may be asking me how he still follows his dreams. Well, he gets new dreams. To support his sister with her beauty pageant. The next explanation of following your dreams is Olive. Olive is the living representation of following your dreams. At the beginning of the movie, Olive gets a call from the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant in California saying that she has been accepted to participate in the pageant. Leaping for joy, the family packs up the bright yellow station wagon bus and travels off the California. After an adventurous ride to California, Olive arrives just in time to sign in and compete in the pageant. She meets Ms. California and her goals grow after finding out that Ms. California eats ice cream too. Olive participates in the pageant, not looking nor acting like any of the other girls in the pageant. Her special talent is dancing, and when it comes to talent time she dedicates it to her grandfather, who taught her everything she knows. And when Olive started to dance, she had the biggest smile on her face and wasn't afraid of anything. She did what she knew to do. As much as her father, half brother, and uncle didn't want her to participate because they were afraid that she would have embarrassed herself, Olive rocked the show, with her whole family dancing on the stage besides her and even Ms. California was loving the show. Even though Olive didn't win, she did enjoy her time and the whole family had fun.
Now with the idea of leaving no man behind, this is expressed through the movie by helping out Uncle Frank, the uncle that was just released from the hospital after a failed suicide attempt. He is kept with the family, sleeps in the same room as Dwayne and is forced to come to California with the family. He is not left behind, and he is not allowed to be by himself. He does have to face his past with seeing his ex, the reason for his failed suicide attempt, but he does move on and finds happiness within himself and his family. Another great example(and the literal example) of this idea of leaving no man behind. Grandpa is a drug addict, Olives grandfather and Olives beauty pageant coach. One night at the hotel, on the way to California, Grandpa puts Olive to bed, then goes to bed himself, and doesn't wake up the next morning...(I'm sorry!! I don't want to spoil it for you!!! I've already said to much!!) But needless to say, he doesn't get left behind.
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