Little Miss Sunshine: A Modern Family Tale

This glorious movie takes place under the context of a relative's suicide attempt. It really is a family movie that deals with some serious, modern issues that most families and individuals deal with. Starring Greg Kinnear, Steve Correll, and Toni Collete this movie sends a sharp message with a sharper sense of humor.

Suicide

The story begins with the the tragic suicide attempt of Stever Correll's character, who is the world's leading Proust scholar. Fired from his job for series of mishaps which overwhelm him all at once, we are introduced to the tragic character. At the same time, we are introduced to his bizzare and dysfunctional family which is somehow kept together by the wife and mother of Olive.

Olive

Olive is the loveable and endearing child of the family. She keeps things very bright in the otherwise insane world of the family. It is her goal of becoming Little Miss Sunshine (child beauty queen) that brings the family together, cross country, in a VW bus that takes on a character of its own (it has to be rolled into third).

The Rest of the Family

The son is an aspiring pilot who takes a vow of silence until he gets into flight school. The grandfather is a coke-snorting fiend who still reads porn and talks about sex incessantly.

In a series of mishaps, breakdowns (mostly emotional), the family finally gets to California where they learn that there is a price to be paid for success and beauty. The self-help books, the lure of money and fame, the pressure to succeed are all very American ideals. Yet they have become exceedingly superficial and not necessarily for the common good. In this case, the great American ideals have gone awry and the cause of much misery in this family.

When the father looks into Olive's eyes and asks her if she is a "winner" before entering the contest, he puts the pressure on. We ask ourselves the same question- are we "winners" in the public eye? Do we possess the money, the beauty and the book deals? Are we getting laid often and to "young pussy", as the old man puts it. These are all questions that have been ingrained into our minds, and, inevitably, force us to ask the ultimate question- do I deserve to live as a "failure". When little Olive asks her poor uncle why he tries to kill himself, it is question only a child can really ask. Adults seem to have a greater "understanding" of suicide, the feeling of it, and the reasons why.

The Answer

The solution or the "answer" seems to lie with the mother. She holds the family together and is under no illusions about success. Success to the mother is raising the child, feeding the family, and taking care of the sick (her brother). Toni's character has no excess or obsession, she is relatively free of vice and is the giver of love. Without her, all would be lost.

Little Miss Sunshine is humorous, moral tale, and gives us a glimpse into how we should live and exist in the world and in our families. It is a modern tragedy the ends up happily not because one person wins, but because a family comes together to accept everything life has to give them.