Colton Fredy

Film 1010
07/27/2016

Little Miss Sunshine

Little Miss Sunshine (Dayton and Faris) on the surface is a slice of American pie in a
film: they are a white, working-class family trying to pursue their dreams with a daughter that
just wants to be a beauty queen, a hard-working father trying to make it big on his own, a mother
trying to support her husbands dreams, a son that has taken the vow of silence to pursue his own
dream, and another daughter who isnt beauty queen pretty. However, with more analysis, the
film is a criticism of American ideologies such as rugged individualism, traditional families, and
normalized gender roles.
An ideology must be defined in order for this analysis to have a frame of reference.
Ideology is a systematic body of concepts especially about human life or culture such as gender
norms and American beauty standards. Ideologies are used to form how we as humans interact
with the world around us. Jean-Luc Commolli and Jean Narbonis article,
Cinema/Ideology/Criticism connects film and its influence on how we as people for our very
tightly held ideological ways. Comolli and Narboni show there is an intricate link between film
and ideological values, stating Clearly, the cinema 'reproduces' reality but the camera and the
film itself becomes part of the tools and techniques of film making forming into part of the
reality themselves, and furthermore reality is nothing more but an expression of the prevailing
ideology(n.p.).
The consumption of films that build ideologies is a subtle process in which we as humans
very rarely realize what is happening. This is because cinema is one of the languages through
which the world communicates itself to itself (Comolli and Narboni n.p.). Films essentially uses
our own reality to slowly purvey a message. As more and more films are consumed by the

Colton Fredy
Film 1010
07/27/2016

public, ideologies are created and reinforced. Little Miss Sunshine according to Comolli and
Narboni is classified as a type five film. These are [f]ilms which seem at first sight to belong
firmly within the ideology and to be completely under its sway Little Miss Sunshine fits this
on the surface by presenting a typical white, working-class family that is struggling to achieve
the American dream. but which turn out to be so only in an ambiguous manner. However, by
further analyzing the film, one will uncover the critique of core ideological beliefs. Specific to
this film, the ideologies of rugged individualism, gender roles, and the nuclear family are both
reinforced and countered. For though they start from a non-progressive standpoint, ranging
from the frankly reactionary through the conciliatory to the mildly critical, they have been
worked upon, and work, in such a real way that there is a noticeable gap, a dislocation, between
the starting point and the finished product. In many cases, we as a people will look over the
ideological gaps and dislocations and view only the surface message that Hollywood has been
forcing down our throats for ages. This process works because [w]e disregard here the
inconsistentand unimportantsector of films in which the director makes a conscious use of
the prevailing ideology, but leaves it absolutely straight. The films present a dominant ideology,
however, literary and visual design elements are place in the way of the ideology, causing it to
swerve and get off course. In doing this, the director can use [t]he cinematic framework to let
their audience see the presented dominant ideology, but also shows it up and denounces it.
(Comolli and Narboni n.p.).
If one doesnt look to closely, Little Miss Sunshine is just another film purveying
mainstream American ideologies. However, as one looks closer, the film criticizes and argues
against the very ideologies it seems to up hold and create within itself. The film opens up with
the main protagonist Olive Hoover (Abigail Breslin) watching and mimicking Miss America

Colton Fredy
Film 1010
07/27/2016

pageant winners. This shows that Olive wants to be a beauty queen which represents/exemplifies
that all little girls want ponies and to become beauty
queens. However, Olive is not what the world would call
beauty queen pretty. Olive is an average girl, not a
typical beauty queen pageant contender. Nothing is
really extraordinary about her looks; what is
extraordinary is the belief she has in herself that she can
do be what she wants to be no matter the odds. Olives
belief in herself is completely unaffected by the ideology reference above, that one has to fit the
mold in order to succeed and in order to fit the canned standard of the typified American beauty.
Olives belief in herself and her capabilities is a prime example of rugged individualism, the
belief that all individuals can succeed no matter the odds.
Rugged individualism isnt without sacrifice, however, and the films also depicts this
tension. Richard is the prime example of what trying to pursue your own way no matter the odds
can get you. Richard is a budding motivational speaker/entrepreneur. In order to obtain his
dreams, Richard is draining the family of money and slowly putting them closer and closer to
financial ruin. This is and of itself is a counter-argument to the ideal family portrayed in films.
Richard is characterized by his own motivational tag lines, Theres two kinds of people in this
world, theres winners and theres losers. Okay, you know the difference? Winners dont give
up (Little Miss Sunshine, Dayton and Faris). Even when Stan Grossman (Bryan Cranston) says
to Richard that he will never make it as a motivational speaker. Richard replies with, I can do
this on my own no matter what you or anyone else says. Richards belief in himself gets shaky

Colton Fredy
Film 1010
07/27/2016

during the film but he never gives up and always continues to find his dreams even if they are
not what he first imagined.
Rugged individualism is an ideology this country is built upon and on the surface this
film supports it and encourages it. However, the film also argues against it by continually
showing that not one of these characters can make it without the support of all those around
them: Olive is accepted to the beauty pageant of her dream but she needs her families support to
get her to California. Dwayne, who took a vow of silence to pursue his dream of becoming a test
pilot for the United States Air Force, needs his familys support as they dont force him to talk
and also by agreeing to sign the permission slip for him to go to flight school. Richard also needs
his familys support in pursuing his dreams. In this, Richards wife Sheryl has to work to provide
for the family financially because Richard isnt making any money trying to develop his
motivational program. In doing this, the literary design of the film argues against rugged
individualism and puts forth the idea that one cant always go at it alone; and we need the people
close to us to understand and support our dreams. This support is necessary because Rugged
Individualism is presented as a societal ideology as well as a personal one; and that there are
obstacles that out of ones control that will affect ones personal success level. No matter how
talented or smart Dwayne is he cant get past the fact that he is color blind and you cant be a
pilot and color blind. Or how hard Olive works at her dance, she is not stage pretty. Support of
those that care is what the family has to turn to when the odds look to be impossible.
Another strong ideology American culture holds dear is the concept of the nuclear family.
Family no matter how dysfunctional is everything to American culture. This is shown time and
time again in television shows and films. Little Miss Sunshine, again, on the surface, portrays a
typical American white-male dominated, heterosexual family. The film reinforces the definition

Colton Fredy
Film 1010
07/27/2016

of marriage: that being, the legally or formally recognized union of a man and woman. Even the
quintessential idea of what a family is: stereotypically, a white mother and father, one boy, and
one girl that were kind enough to take in Richards father Edwin Hoover (Alan Arkin) all while
living in a white suburbia.
This representation is once again just on the surface. Look deeper, and one will see the
struggle of the traditional (Middle Class) family being taken over as the nuclear family houses
Frank Ginsberg (Steve Carell), Sheryl Hoovers (Toni Collette) brother, after he tries to commit
suicide. The film shows that a family can be much more than blood relatives and is made up of
more than just one father, one mother, and two kids. In this case the film shows that family can
be whoever comes into our lives and makes a lasting impact, even if those brought in dont
adhere to traditional middle-class values.

Colton Fredy
Film 1010
07/27/2016

The family is changed and the individuals are changed as they support each other through
their own struggles. This brings them all together and merges them into what can be seen as a
very odd core family. There are many
instances in the movie where the family
has to get past their personal differences
to obtain a common goal. Showing that
no matter where you come from families
are made up of more than a common
blood relation. The idea is epitomized in
the in the final scenes of the film where the pageant director is horrified at Olives dancing and
subsequently tells her father to get her off the stage. Eventually the whole family risks being
exposed as not normal and joins Olive on stage to complete her inappropriate dance. This is
a heartwarming moment that counters the stereotypical family concept addressed above.
Gender roles are key in the ideological race. As a people, we are bombarded everyday
with gender roles for what a man or woman should be. The film Little Miss Sunshine
characterizes many gender norms. In the paper, Ambivalent Sexism and Power-Related Genderrole Ideology in Marriage Zhixia Chen, Susan Fiske, and Tiane Lee state, Traditional values in
heterosexual dating and marriage relate to prescriptive gender-role norms about what men and
women should do or should be []. American Ideology dictates that the man of the house
protect and work for the family while the Woman is head of the house and responsible for the
homemaking and child rearing. For these [m]any norms follow a basic rule that men are
dominant in status and power, so they should be the protective provider, while women should be
obedient and dependent (n.p.). This follows that one role should be the submissive (woman) and

Colton Fredy
Film 1010
07/27/2016

the other role should be the dominant provider (male). Everyday gender norms are challenged in
the real world and proven to be false. However, mainstream Hollywood film making doesnt do
very much to challenge these gender roles, adding to the separation gap of reality and
Hollywood reality.
In Little Miss Sunshine, Sheryl has to work because Richard is bringing in no money
from his adventure into motivational speaking. This puts Sheryl in the dominant power position
since we so often relate money with power. However, Sheryl is still expected to have dinner
ready and on the table. Since Sheryl has to work it is shown that the family often eats fast food
Edwin even saying Every night its the f++++ chicken! Holy God Almighty! Is it possible just
once we could get something to eat for dinner around here thats not the goddamned f+++++
chicken? (Dayton and Faris). Anyone in the family is capable or fulfilling the role of cooking
dinner and taking care of the home but due to a societal norm of the mother being the
homemaker the rest of the family just expects Sheryl to be the one and only person that can
cook dinner and take care of the home. Sheryl both tears down the gender norm by going outside
the house and earning a living for her and her family but also reinforces the norm by not
demanding other people take over duties of the house such as cooking dinner. She just accepts
both sides of the coin as something she has to do, but it doesnt really make sense that she has to
do all the duties her role requires of her as well as her additional duties.
The film Little Miss Sunshine is a very complex film using methods to subvert against
societys mainstream ideologies. The film shows that life is not perfect and many ideologies that
we hold dear are flawed and outdated. In the end, all that mattered was the love and happiness
the family shared. Rugged individualism and gender norms arent all we hold them to be and that
the support of an imperfect family thrown together group of people that we can call family is

Colton Fredy
Film 1010
07/27/2016

whats really needed. The film presents dominant ideologies in a more realist form instead of a
Hollywood glamorized setting.

Bibliography
Chen, Zhixia, Susuan Fiske and Tiane Lee. Ambivalent Sexism and Power-Related
Gender-role Ideology in Marriage. Jun 2009. Webpage. 20 Jul 2016.
Comolli, Jean-Luc and Jean Narboni. JEAN-LUC COMOLLI AND JEAN NARBONI,
"CINEMA/IDEOLOGY/CRITICISM". 1999. Webpage. 20 Jul 2016.
Little Miss Sunshine. Dirs. Jonathan Dayton and Faris Valerie. Perf. Toni Collette,
Greag Kinnear Steve Carell. 2006. DVD.

Colton Fredy
Film 1010
07/27/2016