- Little Miss Sunshine
- Released: 8/18/2006
- Starring: Abigail Breslin, Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Paul Dano, Alan Arkin, Steve Carrell
- Directors: Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris
- IMDB Page
Hi there! Welcome back to 52 Films, 52 Portraits! We are getting so close to the end that it’s a little scary! What am I going to do with my life when I don’t have a film to watch and talk about every week? I’m sure I’ll come up with something. This week’s film was chosen by my friend, Marc. Marc works as an analyst for Amtrak and lives in Washington, DC. Marc loves to travel and has a great appreciation of National Parks and Wawas.
Marc told me that he thought that most people would not call him a huge fan of films in general. However, he does love a good movie, and spends a great deal of time watching them on Netflix. He told me that he “greatly benefited” from having a roommate in college that was a visual media major who would show him a lot of different films.
The first film that Marc remembers making a huge impression on him as a child was Newsies. He loved the setting and cities in general. He was pretty disappointed when he discovered that there weren’t really singing and dancing newsboys like in the film. Another film he remembers from when he was younger is Toy Story. This film made an impression on him more because of the huge “spectacle” of its release, and how he waited in line to see it at his small local theater.
Marc told me that his favorite genre is comedy. He said that he can definitely appreciate films of other genres, but it usually helps if they contain elements of comedy as well. He enjoys action movies that use humor (Die Hard, some of the James Bond films), as well as dramedies. He also is happy to take suggestions from friends. Generally, though, when he sits down to watch a movie, he really just wants “to laugh or learn something.”
When it comes to specific filmmakers, Marc said that he has loved the films by the Coen Brothers and Wes Anderson. He really appreciates that “they are able to weave drama and meaning into a movie that feels like more than entertainment.” A few of his favorite actors are Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore, and Gene Hackman, but he said that he doesn’t necessarily choose films based on who is in them.
When I asked Marc whether he had considered any other films for this project, he named The Shawshank Redemption. He said that he loves that it portrays an example of a strong heterosexual male relationship that doesn’t have to do with sports. He feels like that is an area that is often overlooked in media and it was nice to see it in such a great film. Plus, he loves a good redemption arc in general.
When it came down to pick a film, however, Marc went with Little Miss Sunshine. He said that he was in college the first time that he saw it, and it didn’t actually make a huge impression on him that first time. However, he’s seen it a number of times since, and he’s enjoyed it more and more over time. He told me that it has long been one of his go-to films when he needs a pick-me-up. It combines “drama, comedy, triumph, and most of all, very notable failures from the characters.” He said that one of the things that draws him most to a film is his ability to relate to the characters and put himself into the film. He thinks that that is the reason that he’s not a huge fan of sci-fi and fantasy films. He said that Little Miss Sunshine speaks to him, because it builds up each of the characters’ dreams, and one by one watches them fail for various reasons. This is just magnified by Greg Kinnear’s father character constantly telling them all what it means to be a winner and a loser. By the end, it becomes apparent to all of them that these guidelines were completely wrong. They find that “true success is not through one specific objective but rather the value they have as a family and love they share with each other as unique people.” The film helps him feel better when he’s down, because it doesn’t gloss over the bad parts of life. It helps him keep things in perspective and appreciate the important things in life.
Marc also said that he loves the soundtrack to the film. He said that it connects so well with the themes of “hope and despair” and really helps create the feeling of the film. He has even listened to it on road trips a few times. Finally, he said that he appreciated that the film was able to keep a sense of humor throughout, despite the relatively dark material.
I had seen Little Miss Sunshine before this project, but I’m not sure that I’ve seen it since soon after it was released. I do remember that I really enjoyed it. It’s one of those emotional, ultimately uplifting family independent films that I tend to really be drawn to, so it was right up my alley.
One thing that is really cool about the film is how amazing the cast is. Every actor playing a member of the family has such incredible careers, and a number of them were really just starting out when this film came out. It was a lot of fun to watch this film over a decade later and see all of these fantastic actors playing off of each other.
I also definitely agree with Marc that the music in the film was fantastic. It did such a great job of setting the tone of the film. It was melancholy, but hopeful and dramatic but catchy. I don’t know if that makes sense, but it’s the best I can come up with. It’s just really great, and I was a fan from the very first shots of the film.
I actually think the film is pretty sad, but I definitely understand what Marc means when he says that it helps him when he is feeling glum. So much of it is about overcoming those hard times in our lives.
Okay, I’m running late today, so I’m gonna cut if off there. Please let me know what you thought! Like, comment, share, follow, whatever!
See you next week!
Up next: The Shawshank Redemption
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