Little Miss Sunshine tells the story of the Hoovers, a family who pull together in the face of various obstacles on a road trip to far-off California, where little Olive Hoover (Abigail Breslin) plans to compete in the Little Miss Sunshine contest.
Themes – Winning and Losing
The theme of winning and losing, and the ability to recognize and handle both is tangible in Little Miss Sunshine. It is one of the film’s encompassing messages.
Richard Hoover (Greg Kinnear) puts his energy into a ‘Nine Steps’ route-to-success programme he’s created. For Richard, this is the be all and all, and everything to do with success or failure is touched upon, so he thinks, by the ‘Nine Steps’. Richard is lost in his obsession, blindly labelling the natural doubts and fears of life the ways of a ‘loser’. For example, as the film introduces the characters, Richard judges Frank (Steve Carell) on his attempted suicide, saying Frank ‘gave up on himself and that is something that winners never do’. This attack is made bluntly and insouciantly, revealing volumes on Richard’s nature and attitude. In the same scene, after Frank wishes Olive good luck in her pursuit as a dancer, Richard declares, ‘It’s not about luck. Luck is something that losers label their own failings. It’s about wanting to win. You’ve got to really want to win.’ Olive excitedly replies, ‘I do’, prompting Richard’s return with, ‘Then you’re gonna win’. Richard’s dazzled outlook annoys the rest of the family, who are aware that life is not as simple as Richard suggests. Watching Richard inflict his shaded beliefs on his seven-year-old daughter is unnerving, as she is easily influenced and more prone to severe disappointment and depression.
Richard’s son, Dwayne (Paul Dano), has decided on a vow of silence until he reaches his goal of flight-school entry. Richard summarizes, and so makes light of, Dwayne’s goals by comparing them to his ‘Nine Steps’ programme, saying, ‘Dwayne has utilized at least seven of the nine steps’, and then, ‘we could all learn something from Dwayne’.
Richard is repellent in character, and blind to the real ‘successes’ of life, placing too much importance on what he sees as ‘winning’. This is something Richard must eventually confront the hard way, upon his ‘failure’ to sell his ‘success’ programme.
Frank’s Journey
There is Frank, Sheryl’s (Toni Collette) brother. His attempt at suicide lands him with the Hoovers, and he progresses from a depressed state to a triumphant component of this family on a mission. We even see the line that separates his two emotional states, the moment Frank officially makes that leap, when the family must push-start the van. Frank suddenly has a ‘winning’ attitude, wanting to be involved, and when he’s settled in the van and it’s ‘mission accomplished’, Frank is clearly rushing with adrenaline, letting out a ‘Woo!’. So for Frank there is now something to live for, something new, something he’d never noticed before. Previously, the chips were down, and now he is ‘winning.’
Dwayne’s Journey
Dwayne’s discovers he is colour-blind and cannot become a pilot. Understandably he is upset to begin with - it’s another kick in the teeth, but in the spirit of the story, Dwayne comes around, and finds himself closer than ever to his family.
Along their journey, the Hoovers encounter many barriers. It is not a simple ride, but their spirit of camaraderie pushes them forward, and they strive and ‘succeed’ in every step…
Olive, Little Miss Sunshine
Then, of course, there is Olive, who ultimately ‘loses’ the Little Miss Sunshine contest. This doesn’t come as a blow, however. By this scene, Olive is more aware of life’s realities and its unpredictable nature. Her family, on deciding the game is up and Olive has ‘lost’, take to the stage with her, and ultimately get themselves thrown out. What is ‘won’ is the family’s union, the unbreakable bond that exists because of the journey they made together, emotional as well as physical. Every character had a unique path, and the task of realizing when they were ‘winning’, even when it seemed they were ‘losing’. It is apt that the contest, after such travails, was actually ‘lost’, as this works to emphasize the true ‘success’ stories of the film.
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