Michael Arndt's Little Miss Sunshine '

The critically acclaimed film, Little Miss Sunshine, written by Michael Arndt and directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Farris, follows a dysfunctional and loving family, the Hoovers. The family is comprised of seven-year-old daughter Olive, son Dwayne, uncle Frank, grandpa, mother Sheryl, and father Richard. They embark on a 700-mile road trip from Albuquerque to Redondo Beach to compete in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. Throughout the trip they encounter multiple chaotic setbacks, such as car problems and the death of the grandfather. In the end, however, the family eventually attain true bliss. A critical scene is when the Hoovers reluctantly make it to the pageant. Everything about the pageant is artificial, from the setup,

This risqué routine to “Super Freak” includes Olive spanking her buttocks, crawling on the floor like an animal, and stripping off her pants. Despite the horrified reaction from the crowd, the family cheerfully joins Olive on stage. Using Roger Ebert’s piece, “Great Movies”, he highlights the often neglected techniques filmmakers purposefully integrate. Each of the components make the film a whole. Although Little Miss Sunshine is a satirical comedy with a highly dysfunctional family, the movie is truly a unique masterpiece through the techniques of the film performance, theme of embracing a middle ground by being true to one’s self, and music composition.

The performances of each actor, as they effectively capture their character’s essence, is a phenomenal aspect. Each of the actors embody the parts that make up a chaotic, yet loving, family. The development of each of the characters is prevalent in the scene at the beauty pageant, in particularly with Olive Hoover (Abigail Breslin) and Uncle Frank (Steve Carell). Breslin captivates the audience through her personification of an average girl surrounded by unrealistic standards of beauty. This mentality lowers her self-esteem, and

During the pageant scene, two songs were played, “Super Freak” by Rick James and “How it Ends” by Devotchka. Scott D. Lipscomb and David E. Tolchinsky’s essay, “The Role of Music Communications in Cinema” demonstrates that each song has a different purpose. For example, when Olive does her risqué dance to “Super Freak” it is narrative cueing. The purpose of this technique is used when “Music gives referential and narrative cues… supplying formal demarcations and establishing the setting and characters” (Lipscomb 13). Directors Dayton and Farris want the audience to remember this scene because it is the climax. Not only is the song supporting the climax, but it also contributes to the characters. As the Hoovers dance like maniacs, the song establishes the exhilaration for the characters and audience. In the eyes of the crowd, the Hoovers are super freaks. As the Hoovers drive back to Albuquerque, the last song is “How it Ends.” Devotchka’s composition is categorized “a simplifier of emotion.” This term means that the “Soundtrack music sets specific moods and emphasizes particular emotions suggested in the narrative… it is a signifier for emotion itself” (13). In using soft vocals, a bouzouki, and an accordion, this unique piece elicits previous emotions of bliss and achievement. The Hoovers are able to reflect on their chaotic journey as a meaningful experience. In addition, the audience hears and