Little Miss Sunshine By Valerie Faris

There are some families that love to win and influence their children to be the very best they can be. Little Miss Sunshine written by Michael Arndt is a warm heartfelt movie about a little girl named Olive Hoover with the dream of competing in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant in California. Olive is part of a very dysfunctional family which includes the supportive mother Sherrill, the determined father Richard, quiet brother Dwayne, crazy grandfather Edwin, and the suicidal uncle Frank. The family members all come together a to bring the young aspiring daughter Olive to her dream pageant. The Hoover family does not live in the best conditions and are forever going through a constant struggle, but they try to make the best of things. The family all piles into an old Volkswagen van to drive from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Redondo Beach, California. The drive is not stress free and the family encounters a few bumps along the way. They eventually make it to the pageant and Olive comes to life on stage with her family’s support. I viewed this film through the developmental perspective using Jean Piaget’s theory of development and Vygotsky’s sociocultural developmental theory. I will portray the developmental theory throughout the rest of the paper within adult/child relationships while using sections of the film and an article by Scarr and McCarthy with elements of the theory’s, capacities of children using examples from the film and an article by Scarr and McCarthy, and

Written and directed by Valarie Faris and Jonathan Dalton, the 2006 comedy-drama “Little Miss Sunshine” follows the dysfunctional Hoover family as they embark on a road trip from their home in Albuquerque, New Mexico to Redondo Beach, California. The journey is prompted by Olive, the youngest member of the family, who dreams of competing in a regional "Little Miss Sunshine" beauty pageant. Along the way, the family faces a series of comedic and strenuous challenges, including financial struggles, personal crises, and interpersonal tensions. Despite their differences and setbacks, the Hoovers come together to support Olive in her pursuit of happiness, ultimately discovering the true meaning of family along the way. Through its quirky characters

The American Dream has been redefined through different eras of the United States. At its most optimistic, the American Dream is about having the freedom and opportunity to do and be whatever one chooses, the success stemming from one’s achievement of individuality. But the influences of capitalistic ideals in the United States have shifted the common definition and instead of optimism the American Dream is now defined in more cynical terms of upward mobility and wealth. UK director Andrea Arnold’s 2016 film American Honey about a young woman who joins a roaming magazine crew critiques the American Dream through the lens of this cynicism. Conversely, the 2006 comedy Little Miss Sunshine by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie

Little Miss Sunshine is a comedy movie about a seven year old girl named Olive who aspires to win the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. To help make her wish come true, her six-member family takes a road trip from Albuquerque to Redondo Beach, California. At the conclusion of the film, Olive and her family learned to trust and support each other, no matter the situation. Olive is the youngest member of her family who is entering middle childhood and adolescence just like her older brother Dwayne. Olive is the type of girl that is cheerful, most of the time and not particularly the kind you would see in a pageant. Olive’s brother, Dwayne, could be described as “emo”. Although he claims that he hates his family, he loves his sister, Olive. Their parents, Richard and Sheryl, and their Uncle Frank are in the process of entering middle adulthood. Throughout most of the film, Richard is considered selfish because he does not want his family to be seen as “losers”. Richard is obnoxious to his family, but he still means well and wants them to succeed. Sheryl is the normal member of the family who does not tolerate anyone's antics. Uncle Frank is very sarcastic and failed at his attempt to commit suicide. He used to be a college professor, so he is considered the smart guy. The sixth member of Olive’s family, her grandpa, dies during the movie due to an overdose, but was entering the late adulthood stage. The members of Olive’s family share some similarities and differences, but since they all vary in age, developmental concepts will be different in a way for each family member.

Mental disorders can be diagnosed in infancy, childhood, or adolescence. Major depression is a lost of interest or pleasure in all activities. People with major depression experience symptoms such as a change of appetite, restlessness sleep, decreased energy, feeling of worthlessness, difficulty concentrating, and/or suicidal thoughts. A major depressive episode can lasts for about 2 weeks or more. A major depressive episode can be caused by stress, social anxiety, or other reasons. People with a milder depression are able to function and seem normal (DSM-IV-TR). A major depressive disorder affects about 14.8 million adults in America with 6.7 million at age 18 and older in the United States population. A depressive disorder can develop in any age and more likely to occur more often in women than in men and any person who is going through a hard time can develop depression. A treatment for individuals with depression is medication, psychotherapy, or attending social groups, 80 percent of the people who follow up with these treatments begin to show improvement with in four to six weeks. About 50 percent of the patients that take medicine to “cure” the depression are unsuccessful with the treatment, because they stop taking their meds due to the side effects, but the people who are in the support

In the compelling comedy-drama "Little Miss Sunshine" (2006), directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris skillfully navigate the dysfunctional dynamics of the Hoover family during a road trip that transforms them. As the Hoovers embark on a road trip to attend Olive's beauty pageant in Redondo Beach, California, the film unveils a poignant narrative of growth and unity. Amidst the satirical backdrop of unrealistic societal beauty standards, Olive's bold, unorthodox pageant performance emerges as a symbol of individuality and defiance. Through Olive's performance scene, the film explores the profound impact of unconditional family support, empowering her to embrace her individuality and challenge norms, as we can see Hoover's family slowly

“Recent data estimate the overall prevalence of depression at about 11.1% of the American population, or nearly 35 million individuals (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). A predictive models suggest that up to 50% of the population will experience at least one episode of depression during their lives” (Life Extension, 2014). Depression has negatively affected the lives of many individuals throughout the world. Look around you there may even be someone close to you that is demonstrating signs of its stifling affects. Depression does not discriminate with its suffocating

“Little Miss Sunshine” is a comedy-drama film about a 7 year old girl named Olive Hoover, whose dream is to be entered into the finals of a pageant called Little Miss Sunshine and her journey to achieving her dream with the help of her dysfunctional family. Moreover, when she discovers that she’s been qualified for the “Little Miss Sunshine” Pageant that is being held in Redondo Beach, California in 2 days her family face many difficulties. However, even through the various difficulties that arise as they still want to support Olive in accomplishing her dream. Thus, they go on on an adventurous 800-mile road trip in their old yellow Volkswagen Type 2. Despite the many bumps, and setbacks along the road despite they still work together into finally reaching to the pageant almost on time.

Not long after aspiring beauty queen Olive Hoover learns that she has qualified for the Little Miss Sunshine beauty contest, her entire family takes the road in their Volkswagen camper to make the trip from Albuquerque to California. Her family, which includes her level-headed mother Sheryl, her goal-oriented father, Richard, Dwayne, her brother - who has taken a vow of silence until he can go to flying school, her grandpa and coach Edwin, and her suicidal uncle Frank, will do whatever it takes to get Olive to the pageant on time. Unfortunately, along the way, the family hits a few bumps in the road; their van breaks down, Olive is left behind at a gas station and Edwin passes away. They eventually make it to the pageant - although the pageant itself does not quite go as planned. Throughout this analysis, I will be viewing the film Little Miss Sunshine through Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory and looking into examples of adult-child relationships, child capacities and self-regulation.

6.9%, or about 16 million people, live with clinical depression, also known as major depressive disorder. Symptoms of clinical depression include: feelings of sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness; angry or irritable outbursts, often over trivial matters; changes in appetite, sleep habits, or weight; trouble concentrating, thinking and recalling information; loss of interest in normal activities

Nevid informs palpable statistics on depression “according to recent estimates, about 17 percent of U.S. adults develop major depression at some point in their lives (Conway et al., 2006; Forgeard et al., 2011; Nevid, 2015, p. 504). Furthermore, Nevid (2015) delineates on major depression, “major depression (also called major depressive disorder), people typically feel sad or “down in the dumps” and may experience feelings of worthlessness, changes in sleep or appetite, lethargy, and loss of interest in pleasurable activities” (p. 504). This writer, for this assignment chose to share from personal experience. Once this writer was a part of the 17 percent of Americans suffering from depression. However, that the moment in time enhanced my life; it was my truth and hopefully this post will encourage and uplift. Nevid (2015) cites:

Depression and social anxiety are two major disorders that affect millions of people each and everyday. Often times people affected with depression tend to also have social anxiety disorder similarly to people who are affected by social anxiety disorder also experience feelings of depression. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America “MDD affects more than 16.1 million American adults, or about 6.7%of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year.” The mental aspect of depression results in many people experiencing an unhappy mood but it is much deeper than “sadness”. People who experience depression face many internal conflicts such as feelings of worthlessness as well as hopelessness. Depression may also cause negative impacts on one's body. Often times people with depression experience issues with their weight, whether it be weight gain or loss. They also encounter issues with feeling unmotivated and disinterested in what's going on with their life. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “Depression (major depressive disorder or clinical depression) is a common but serious mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working.”

People of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life have felt depressed and unhappy at some time in their lives. These periods of sadness usually pass after a short time, but for some people, this feeling can remain for weeks, months, and even years. (1) This prolonged state of unhappiness is called major (or clinical) depression and is characterized by a persistent sad or "empty" mood, loss of interest in favorite activities, difficulty concentrating, and many other symptoms. It is not simply a mental state but an illness that interferes with the way people feel, function, and think.(2)

Depression is one of the most common and serious mental health people face today. According to statistics, "In 2012, it is estimated that 16 million adults over 18 years in the US had at least one episode of major depression in the past year. This represented 6.9 percent of all American adults" ("Major Depression in Adults"). These figures show that there were a large number of adults who suffered bouts of depression over a period of twelve months. Also, the article notes that someone may be suffering a period of depression when you lose interest in things, have difficulty concentrating, food and sleep disorders, and suffers from fatigue; in addition, these symptoms must persist for more than fourteen days ("Major Depression Among Adults").

The 2006 film, Little miss sunshine, is about a dysfunctional family that struggles to overcome numerous setbacks on an 800-mile road trip from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Redondo Beach, CA in their yellow VW Microbus to get their seven-year-old daughter to the finals of the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. The directors Valerie fairs and Jonathan Dayton use characters and various situations to satirize aspects of American society. This essay will look at how the film explores and makes comedy out of the concept of winners and losers through the characters of Richard, olive and the pageant scene at the end of the film.