Little Miss Sunshine is a 2006 film based on the dysfunctional Hoover family who set out to fulfil their daughter Olive’s goal of winning the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant, directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. The film serves as a satirical criticism of the American Dream through the exploration of the themes winning and losing, by exposing the flaws of society today, and advocating a loser status above artificiality. Through an array of film techniques, Dayton and Faris successfully communicate these ideals to middle classed adults in Western societies.
Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris attempt to reshape understandings of being a winner or a loser in contemporary society through camera shots and angles. During the opening scene, Richard Hoover is depicted as a success, achieved through the sequence of close up and medium shots which show Richard confidently delivering a motivational speech. However, the camera then cuts to an eye level shot from Richard’s point of view, to show only nine people in the audience, and one person applauding his speech.
Following this, a range of close ups and mediums shots set the scene of the film, showing Richard’s wife agitatedly smoking and capturing conflict between family members. These shots manipulate Western adult’s to assume Richard is a failure in multiple aspects of his life, including his career and family. As a result, it is highlighted that although Richard acts and feels like a winner, he is seen as a failure to the rest of the world.
However, in the ending scene of the film, the audience is shown that an individual’s perspective of themselves is the only one that counts, and is what truly makes a ‘winner’. This is achieved by the use of low camera angles whilst Olive is competing on stage, increasing her height, thus emphasising her self-confidence. By the horrified expressions of people in the audience enhanced through close ups, it is obvious Olive does not have a chance of winning the beauty contest. Despite this, the low angles of Olive portray her as a ‘winner’ based on how she views herself.
As a result, the audience is shown that being a ‘winner’ ought to be based on how you feel about yourself, rather than how others perceive you. Therefore, the use of camera shots and angles in both scenes, explore the themes of winning and losing by redefining what it means to be a true winner, in a society which suggests otherwise. The directors of Little Miss Sunshine depict that Western life is one giant contest, through the characterisation of Richard, Frank and Dwayne, and the dialogue between protagonists.
Richard’s character is portrayed as being blind to the real successes of life and placing too much importance on winning and losing, emphasised by his attempt to sell his motivational program called the Nine Steps to Success. His boldly ironic character fanatically follows his methods, only to find in the end he himself becomes a ? loser’. Brainwashed by American society, Richard tries to impose conformity upon Olive, insisting “There are two kinds of people in this world, winners and losers” and “there’s no sense in entering a contest if you don’t think you’re going to win.
Consequently, through dialogue the audience is shown Richard’s winning mentality associated with status and repression which reflects dominant values in contemporary society. This winning mentality is also enriched in Frank, who was the number one Proust scholar in the country, until he gets fired from his job, thus leading to an attempted suicide. Through dialogue, Grandpa states “you tried to check out early” in which Frank responds “Yes. And I failed at that as well. ” As a result, the audience is shown the importance Frank places on being a ‘winner’.
Additionally, Dayton and Faris’ characterisation of Dwayne, who takes a vowel of silence until he can reach his goal of becoming a Fighter Pilot, further enhances the idea of society being obsessed with winning. This is particularly emphasised when Dwayne breaks his vowel at the end of the film and tells Frank “It’s like life is one beauty contest after another these days. School, then college, then work. ” Due to Dwayne’s vowel of silence throughout the movie, this quote holds great significance and sends a direct message to the audience about life replicating a contest.
The idea that society is one big contest in which one person always wins, and the rest are considered ‘losers’, emphasised through characterisation and dialogue further highlights the themes of winning and losing. The combination of lighting sound and costume assist in portraying Olive as a winner for attempting to follow her dream, thus emphasising the central themes of the film. Throughout the film, Olive is depicted as a tomboy, wearing muscle tee-shirts, comfortable shoes and glasses.
In addition, towards the end of the film, the audience is shown the contrast between Olive and the pageant girls, whose costumes are all similar, consisting of short dresses, tiaras, tight curls and makeup. Therefore, through costume the audience can assume that Olive is not the typical beauty pageant type, yet she still believes she can win. This allows the audience to question if an individual can really be considered a ? loser’ for daring to dream and embracing their individuality.
Furthermore, at the conclusion of the beauty pageant, the audience is shown Olive is still considered a winner, despite losing the contest, and that success depends on how you define it. This is evident through the diegetic sound of the family’s laughter and cheering as they take off in their yellow van, and the natural light used to create a happy atmosphere at the end of the film. Olive’s specific costume choices in conjunction with natural lighting and diegetic sound create positivity around losing and encourages individuals to dare to dream, therefore repudiating all of society’s values associated with winning and losing.
Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris effectively demonstrate criticisms of the American Dream through their exploration of the central themes of winning and losing in the film Little Miss Sunshine. This is achieved through a variety of film techniques such as camera angles, camera shots, characterisation, dialogue, costume and lighting. As a result, the film successfully refines society’s definition on being a winner, emphasises the idea that life is a constant contest and allows the audience to consider the positive outcomes of losing.
