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Elham Bayati

Professor Collins

English 101

20 May 2021

A Review of Little Miss Sunshine

Little Miss Sunshine was released in 2006 to critical acclaim and profits at the box office.

After watching it, viewers get truck by the unique stroke of genius that fueled the writer, Michael

Arndt, and the directors to create a cinematic marvel that received praise even years after its

release. The film, directed by Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton on their directorial debut,

features an ensemble cast that includes Steve Carell, who enjoyed prominence in cinema due to

the hit sitcom The Office. Supporting cast members feature actress Toni Collete, famous for her

dynamic acting skills, in addition to Paul Dano, Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin, and Greg Kinnear.

The chemistry between the actors ensures that the audience remains glued to the screen and

enjoys the plot as it gradually unravels, culminating in a befitting conclusion of the film leaving

the audience satisfied. However, the special thing about watching this movie is discovering how

the intertwining of the characters and the mise-en-scene (lighting, sound and camera movement)

bring out the concept of the American Dream.

The American Dream, to many people, is visualized in terms of improved social mobility.

This is why America is prone to immigration since many people view life in the country as

indicative of success and prosperity (Bush Center, par. 1). Therefore, the American Dream is an

ideology viewed with the promise of social and economic success, which many people aim to

achieve in life. According to the George W. Bush Institute, many associate the dream with
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houses surrounded by picket fences, symbolizing social security and financial prosperity (par. 1).

In other words, the American Dream paints America as the land of opportunity for all, ensuring

happiness and overall satisfaction to individuals.

The film's plot unfolds linearly since every event follows a pattern that effectively fits

into the previous one. The movie opens up with a close-up of Olive's eyes seen through her

glasses (Ebert, par. 1). This shot includes a glimpse into her dream, i.e., winning a beauty

pageant. This already sets the pace for the rest of the film as focusing on people's dreams and

aspirations for their lives, something that every person in Olive's family will embody as the film

progresses. The scene that follows features Richard giving a motivational speech in winning,

perfectly aligning with the precedent that the opening scene set. These two scenes are instances

of the linearity that the creators sought to integrate into telling the story of this family (Ebert, par.

1). Furthermore, these two scenes introduce the audience to the ideas that the film will use to

explore its themes. The main idea introduced by these two scenes is winning, which is an

important fabric of the American Dream since it epitomizes individual triumph as integral to the

defining individual and societal wellbeing.

The film adequately mirrors real life as exhibited through the characters. For example,

Frank is unemployed, and the family's road trip is awash with family tensions. The film's script is

penned in a manner that mirrors this tension through the family's van breaking down, hinting at

the dysfunction within families being able to affect other aspects of the environment (Martin, 5).

This symbolism hits home since, in my experience, issues within families limit the members

from achieving goals, gradually exceeding these filial boundaries and also affecting friends of

the members within these families. The movie's exploration of shattered dreams perfectly mirrors

society since each individual has aspirations that they cannot pursue due to various limitations
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(Martin, 5). These shattered dreams become evident through Frank's interaction with an ex-

boyfriend who is revealed to be the cause of his attempted suicide and Richard's loss of a

contract that would have ensured the success of his business venture as a motivational speaker.

These two instances of shattered hopes are relatable since many of us long for a fulfilling life

characterized by fruitful romantic relationships and professional advancements. Through these

interactions, it is evident that the creators want the audience to realize the impossibility of

achieving the American Dream, setting the tone for the movie’s intended message.

Various sources put forward different arguments concerning the film's plot. For instance,

many argue that the film explores the philosophical schools of thought established by Nietzsche

and Proust. Many of the film's fans consider it nihilistic, classifying it as an embodiment of

Nietzsche's ideology, especially through examining Dwayne (Martin, 4). After realizing that he

is color blind and that it shatters his dream of joining the Air Force, he reacts to the news by

completely accepting the nihilistic philosophy of Nietzsche since he views his life as worthless

(Martin, 4). Therefore, he rejects his family and points out their flaws since everything is

worthless to him. Frank embraces the same but applies and quotes Proust by saying that suffering

is what gives life meaning (Martin, 4). He particularly centers on suffering, saying that it makes

people who they are. These two characters are well versed in philosophical knowledge and bring

it out when the chance presents itself.

The philosophical knowledge possessed by Dwayne and Frank forms the foundation on

which the creators build the film's underlying theme of absurdity in conforming to societal

ideals. The idea of conformity to social ideals forms the main argument of the film's plot. The

conformity to social ideals becomes evident since the movie also explores American values such

as self-entitlement, an important building block of the American Dream (Martin, 3). Self-
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entitlement is the right to ownership of wealth and property, deeply engraved in capitalism,

which the film initially reinforces and then eventually criticizes. For instance, the opening scene

of the film insists on the importance of success through winning (Martin, 3). The film clarifies

that Olive wants to be a beauty queen by reflecting the footage of a beauty pageant on her

glasses. The camera movement makes this scene a close-up so that the audience can resonate

with her vision (Farris, and Dayton, 1:00). She also imitates the actions of the winner of the

pageant, drowning in the applause that the winning contestant receives from the audience (Farris,

and Dayton,1:00-1:30). The applause is an instance of the film's soundtrack that reinforces the

American Dream by tying winning to receiving rewards. In other words, the applause indicates

the financial and social security that form the backbone of the American Dream.

This scene, much like many others, reinforces the American Dream. First of all, the

American standard of beauty is the most globally accepted form for beauty pageants. The main

characteristics of this beauty standard include physical attributes such as slenderness. Therefore,

beauty pageants, including the one Olivia watches in this scene, reinforce the American ideal of

winning as indicative of success and prosperity. This scene also presents an opportunity for the

creators to criticize these American ideals. Olive challenges these ideals since she is a plump

young girl, a total opposite of what winners of pageants look like, hoping to win a beauty

contest. Her body starkly contrasts the perfect body required for winning a pageant, making her

an underdog. The differences between the contestants' bodies and Olive's serve as an indication

that the American Dream is irrelevant and that people should do what makes them happy,

whichever way they can. In order to bring out this contrast, the film cuts into a wider shot of

Olive to show her chubby figure, unmatching attire, and weirdly held-back hair. The wide shot

puts a significant distance between Olive and the idea of glamor presented on television.
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The film also explores the American ideal of individuality embedded in capitalism,

making it an essential aspect of the American Dream. The principle of individuality holds that

people will always act in their own interest, i.e., doing what makes them happy. Olive is an

underdog whom the audience acknowledges as incapable of winning a beauty pageant. She puts

herself first after qualifying for the Little Miss Sunshine contest (Martin, 3). During her trip to

the event, she starts doubting herself and her prospects of winning the event and questions her

physical appearance. One important example in the film is when she adamantly refuses to eat ice

cream during the trip. Her father upholds the American ideals concerning beauty by pointing out

that ice cream will make her fat, but the rest of her family convinces her to eat the ice cream. In

many ways, her father symbolizes Uncle Sam since he prioritizes winning, indicated by his

profession as a budding motivational speaker. Furthermore, his opinion concerning Olive’s

consumption of ice cream shows that he accepts the generalized American standard of

femininity. Olive ultimately decides to eat the ice cream, choosing her own happiness over

expectations. She embraces individuality and does what pleases her, disregarding what anyone

else will think about her.

As a principle of the American Dream, individuality also becomes evident in the final

moments of the movie. Throughout the film, Olive's underdog status is focused on extensively.

She does not conform to the American beauty standards, as is evident when she lines up with her

fellow contestants from the Little Miss Sunshine beauty contest. The other contestants

effectively abide by the societal beauty standards that these pageants require while Olive stays

chubby. In my opinion, she is a healthy, happy little girl on a mission to live out her dream. The

audience at the pageant considers Olive as laughable when compared with the other participants.

In the climactic scene that features her performance, some members of the audience seem
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disgruntled by it and walk out. Olive, not caring, continues to perform her strip-tease dance to

"Super Freak (Farris, and Dayton, 1;20;14)." This scene cements individuality as important,

shunning societal expectations and perfectly aligning with the American Dream. This scene

further supplements the words earlier uttered by Olive's mother: "We've got to let Olive be Olive

(Martin, 5)."

In achieving the American Dream, individuals become assured of financial prosperity

that results in the overall happiness and wellbeing of families. Unlike the general

acknowledgment of the dream as indicative of success through upward social mobility, the film

portrays a family suffering. Mr. and Mrs. Hoover are a dysfunctional couple, straying from the

idea of a perfect marriage (Martin, 4). This family negates the idea that America is a land of

immense joy where everyone is happy since Sheryl has gone through a divorce, her second

marriage is in turmoil because her husband, Richard, is a struggling motivational speaker trying

to kickstart his business while Frank and Dwayne have their own internal battles (Martin, 4).

Frank is still hurt by the failure of his previous relationship while Dwayne is a teenager full of

angst and might snap at any moment. The disagreements within the family serve as an indicator

of the futility of the American Dream since none of them is entirely happy. Each character

undergoes some form of stress that would not exist if the American Dream was easy or possible

to achieve. Sheryl, for instance, is stressed by the fact that she is the sole provider of the family

because her husband is financially struggling. On the other hand, her husband Richard is under

pressure from his financial struggles, which often cause arguments between him and his wife.

The film's ideologies completely conform with the ideologies explored in class. For

instance, every piece of literature relevant to the course points to the importance of upward social

mobility to the American Dream. The film, albeit subtly, hints at the importance of finance in
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ensuring upward mobility (Martin, 4). The Hoovers are struggling financially since the sole

breadwinner is Mrs. Hoover, who also doubles as the head of the family, hoping that her

husband's business picks up in the future. Likewise, Mr. Hoover has all his hopes for the success

of his business and is disgruntled when he loses an important contract (Martin, 5). He

particularly embodies the failure of the dream since he tries to build his life around it. Richard

ignores actions he considers unacceptable and is detached from the lifestyle that suits him. He

tried to achieve his role as the provider of the family and ultimately fails when his deal tanks,

thrusting him into bankruptcy. The film also explores individuality, another integral aspect of the

American Dream, particularly through Olive. In the end, the film supports individuality by

insisting that one should always prioritize their interests and put them first.

When watching the film, the one thing that stood out for me was the unintentional use of

symbolism, especially in the opening scene. Here, Olive is watching a beauty pageant and

mimics the actions of the winning contestant. The film later establishes that this is her dream,

justifying her delight when she qualifies for a pageant. Olive appears so fascinated by the footage

that she rewinds it to relive the moment in the opening scene (Farris, and Dayton, 1:00). Her

possession of the remote to control the footage of the beauty pageant symbolizes the magnitude

of her influence, steering much of the film's events (Martin, 2). As a result, she reinforces

individuality by dragging every other family member to the contest with her, causing moments

of catharsis for Frank, Dwayne, and herself.

The film continues to receive praise for its focus on mental health and philosophy,

making it a subject of many studies. Concerning the American Dream, the film reinforces the

very ideals that make it relevant to American society. The movie upholds ideals that form the

core tenet of the American Dream. These principles include individuality and self-entitlement,
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brought out through Olive. Furthermore, the movie uses the mise-en-scene to convey this theme

as indicated by the use of applause during the coronation of the first pageant. The creators also

use props such as the family car and the remote control to emphasize on the imperfection in

American society. Eventually, the film supports that the American Dream is unattainable in

totality if one considers judgment from society and does not prioritize oneself. However, the film

also points out the flaws in the American Dream since it does not insist on the importance of

material wealth as definitive of success.

Works Cited

Bush Center. "A Brief History of The American Dream | Bush Center". A Brief History of The

American Dream | Bush Center, 2021, https://www.bushcenter.org/catalyst/state-of-the-

american-dream/churchwell-history-of-the-american-dream.html.

Ebert, Roger. "Little Miss Sunshine Movie Review (2006) | Roger Ebert". Rogerebert.Com,

2006, https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/little-miss-sunshine-2006.

Farris, Valerie, and Jonathan Dayton. Little Miss Sunshine. Big Beach Films Bona Fide

Productions Deep River Productions Third Gear Productions, 2006.

Martin, Nikki. "Little Miss America: An Ideological Analysis Of "Little Miss

Sunshine"". Cinethesia, vol 1, no. 1, 2012,

https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1018&context=cine.

Accessed 20 May 2021.