The Importance of Sticking Together as a Family: An Analysis of the Film “Little Miss Sunshine”
1. Introduction
The little miss sunshine film is a unique movie. The most important lesson from the movie is the importance of sticking together as a family. This is seen throughout the film when the family goes through different challenges and how they overcome them by working together. The setting, plot, and characters all contribute to this message.
2. Analysis of the film
-A) The setting
The film is set in Albuquerque, New Mexico and it takes place over the course of a few days. We see the different locations that the family goes to such as their home, the hotel, and the beauty pageant. These locations help to show us the different aspects of the family’s life and how they interact with each other in each situation.
-B) The plot
The plot of the film follows Olive (Abigail Breslin) as she tries to pursue her dream of becoming Miss Sunshine. Along the way, she gets help from her family who all have their own issues that they are dealing with. We see Olive’s mother Sheryl (Toni Collette) struggling to keep her family together, her father Richard (Greg Kinnear) trying to deal with his failed motivational speaking career, her brother Dwayne (Paul Dano) who has taken a vow of silence, and her grandfather Edwin (Alan Arkin) who has recently been evicted from his retirement home. Even though they are all going through their own problems, they are still there for each other and they work together to help Olive achieve her dream.
-C) The characters
The characters in the film are all very different but they are also very relatable. We see that each character is going through something that many people can relate to such as failure, heartbreak, or feeling lost in life. Despite their differences, they are able to come together and support each other when it matters most. This helps to show that even though families can be difficult at times, it is important to stick together because they will always be there for you no matter what.
3. The importance of sticking together as a family
-A) In the face of conflict
One of the main themes in the film is conflict within families. We see this between Richard and Sheryl as they try to deal with their marriage problems, between Dwayne and Edwin as they butt heads with each other, and between Olive and her competition in the pageant. Even though there is conflict within the family, they are still able to work together and support each other when it counts. This shows that even though families may argue or disagree with each other at times, it is still important to stick together because they will always have each other’s back no matter what happens.
-B) In the face of adversity
Another theme in the film is adversity. The family faces many challenges throughout the course of the movie such as Olive’s grandmother passing away, Dwayne’s vow of silence, and Edwin getting evicted from his retirement home. Even though these things happen, the family remains supportive of each other and they work together to overcome these obstacles. This shows that even when things are tough, families can still stick together and help each other out because they know that they can rely on each other no matter what happens in life.
4. Conclusion
In conclusion, the little miss sunshine film is a unique movie. The most important lesson from the movie is the importance of sticking together as a family. This is seen throughout the film when the family goes through different challenges and how they overcome them by working together. The setting, plot, and characters all contribute to this message.