Little Miss Sunshine Analysis

"Little Miss Sunshine" is a movie about a dysfunctional family living in California. Every family member has their own problems as well as personal feuds with other members of the family. Olive, the young girl in the family played by actress Abigail Breslin qualifies for a beauty contest that is happening hundreds of miles away from the family abode. Under unusual circumstances, all members must accompany Olive to the beauty contest. This leads to a hilarious peak of the oddities of each family member and fights that almost rage out of control. The music, character realism, and stunning visuals all make the movie a must see.
Most of the music in the movie is composed of violin and piano duets. The instrumental parts are very solemn and slow creating a saddening effect upon the viewer. This adds to the emotions felt by the characters during family conflict and depression. During humorous parts of the film however, more uplifting instrumentals play. This musical effect truly helps the viewer understand emotionally the plot of the film.
Character realism is great within this movie. Every character has massive flaws which is almost too real. Many films forget to give characters problems; this leads to flat characters. This film makes the viewer see part of themselves within a character on the screen; one sees similar character flaws between oneself and someone from the film. This creates an emotional tie between the viewer and the character that allows the viewer to become sad when the character is sad and happy when the character is happy.
The visuals within this film is breathtaking. Much of this movie takes place in the deserts of California. The vast yellow sand coupled with the beautiful blue sky creates a cheerful effect within the viewer, and the stark yellow color of the vehicle that they drive only adds to the cheerful visuals. Many times, the vibrant colors act as a contrast to the depressing storyline; this causes the viewer to question their own emotions. Great movies creates confusing emotions within the audience.
The music, character development, and stunning visuals all work together to make "Little Miss Sunshine" a great movie to enjoy. The viewer becomes attached to the characters and plotline emotionally and intellectually throughout the events on screen.