Many problems occur on the way to the competition. The car stalls in first and must be pushed to 20mph before it can be set in gear to drive, Olive is forgotten at a gas station, Richard looses his opportunity to get a book deal, Frank is reunited with people who were responsible. Little Miss Sunshine 2006 ★★★★★ Rewatched Dec 20, 2020 BiScreenwriter’s review published on Letterboxd.

In this silly, cinematic adventure of Little Miss Sunshine, many of the main characters are experiencing an array of psychological disorder. Although a comedy, one could argue the darkly humorous film addresses various mental illnesses within the disaster-filled road trip of the Hoover family. The father could be seen as a diagnosable narcissist or could quite possibly have a twinge of Ego Integrity vs. Despair stage of Erikson. The Uncle, who tried to take his own life, is possibly a victim of depression or an acute anxiety disorder. Even the son and grandfather foster surmountable psychological problems and addictions throughout the course of the film.

Richard

Richard Hoover, played by Greg Kinnear, is a great example of a narcissist. He inherently reverts back to his own self-centered ideology during the family’s journey. He goes back to this not only as if no one else’s point of view matters but as if no one else’s point of view exists in the rational world. This could also support the conclusion he suffers from Erikson’s Ego Integrity vs. Despair and has a quite heavy amount of cognitive dissonance. It is clear that Richard sways from both a mindset of severe emotional regret and an overly inflated sense of satisfaction from what has recently transpired in his life. He struggles with this inability to cope and furthermore is unable to accept what life means without a his quasi-successful career.

Although slightly redeeming in the end, Richard spends most of the movie as that one character the audience just can’t stand. A most representative example of that is when he tries to guilt young Olive into not eating ice cream because “skinny beauty queens don’t eat ice cream”. After this, Olive becomes self conscious of her weight as just a young, seven year old girl. His narcissism and need for attention overshadows his ability to empathize and offers little productive support for the rest of his family. In order for his character to actually have a narcissistic disorder it must be deviant, distressful and dysfunctional. He deviates from others, it therefore causes him distress and it creates dysfunction not just for him but also for the relationships in his life.

Richard truly deviates from the family in his selfish endeavors and ideas, he causes distress and annoyance every time he attempts to demonstrate his intelligence or power and he may have even caused permanent dysfunction for not only himself but also his daughter. In this day and age, Olive is already predisposed by the media to develop a mild form of body dysmorphia and this could statistically contribute to an eating disorder in the long run. He simply adds fuel to the fire of a young girl’s self destructive tendency, not exactly a loving, fatherly vibe. Richard Hoover shows all the verifiable signs that he may possess some kind of Integrity vs. Despair and or a form of diagnosable narcissism and it is repeatedly expressed as the film progresses.

Frank

Uncle Frank is probably the most likable character of the movie and it could be said that the audience tends to sympathize with him greatly. Even though he starts the movie out on a severely negative experience and mindset, it could be argued that throughout the film he is perhaps a direct representation of the audience. His expressions and attitudes all reflect some deeper inkling of curiosity and empathy for most of the other characters in the movie. His patience runs thin for Richard and his destructive, arrogant nature yet even then he seems patient and willing to understand. He also mirrors the anxiety the audience may be feeling, however since he remains a character in the story, we see the affects of this anxiety rear its ugly head. He is frequently singled out as the ‘odd ball’ of the bunch, still aside from his depressive state and abnormal anxiety levels, he seems to have a hold on reality better than the rest of the mentally disturbed clan.

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This particular character tells a tragic tale of love and life and this is what led him to make an attempt on his own life before the movie’s start. As a homosexual, this character is five times more likely than any given heterosexual to take his own life. This real life statistic stems from the stark amount of anxiety associated with being inherently rejected by society and the stress linked to finding a suitable partner.

Remaining arguably the most troubled of the group, one could say that Frank really does have the most compassion for his family. He also does not judge people prematurely. He is hyper-aware to not make fundamental attribution errors on the actions of others and continually creates an atmosphere of open-mindedness for the people that surround him. As more and more troubling events unfold, Frank is quick to attribute other’s behavior to their situation and not their essence of character. This makes him some sort of cinematic sage and and by the end of the film becomes an example of a real friend. The deep depression he suffers from is perhaps lightened by the support he is able to give to those around him.

Frank’s initial inability to successfully communicate with those around him supports the prognosis that he may feel abnormally isolated and therefore depressed. This could potentially also prove his depression causes his anxiety to heighten because the others around him are unable to comprehend him as he comprehends them. This lack of control is demonstrated through his outbursts and often sarcastic form of dealing with the shortcomings of others.

This film plays on the emotions of the audience and forces one to look at the dysfunction they may be currently suffering. Little Miss Sunshine, although not necessarily ‘happy go lucky’, is a helpful and entertaining reminder that life’s problems can often manifest themselves in our relationships and in our personalities. It’s satirical undertones carry a heavier message for the awareness of mental illness and distress. This deeply psychological, major motion picture has definitely earned a more existential meaning than just another comedy.

What do you think? Leave a comment.

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