Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
http://www.bookrags.com/wiki/Little_Miss_Sunshine
Directed by
Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
Produced by
Marc Turtletaub, Peter Saraf, Albert Berger, Ron
Yerxa David Friendly Michael Beugg (executive)
Jeb Brody (executive)
Written by
Michael Arndt
Distributed by
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Release date(s)
August 18, 2006
Running time
103 min.
Language
English
Budget
US$8 million[1]
Official website http://www.foxsearchlight.com/littlemisssunshine2/
Ratings: Australia: M
Main Cast
Abigail Breslin
as Olive Hoover
Greg Kinnear
as Richard Hoover
Paul Dano
as Dwayne
Alan Arkin
as Edwin Hoover
Toni Collette
as Sheryl Hoover
Steve Carell
as Frank Ginsberg
Supporting cast:
Jill Talley
as Cindy
Gordon Thomson
as Larry Sugarman
Bryan Cranston
as Stan Grossman
Paula Newsome
as Linda
Dean Norris
as State Trooper McCleary
Beth Grant
as Pageant official Jenkins
Lauren Yee
as Pageant contestant
Wallace Langham
as Kirby
Lauren Shiohama
as Miss California pageant winner
Mary Lynn Rajskub
as Pageant assistant Pam
Jerry Giles
as Funeral home worker
Matt Winston
as Pageant M.C.
1
Review
Little Miss Sunshine is an Academy Award winning dramatic comedy film about a family's road trip to a children's beauty
pageant. The film was directed by the husband-wife team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris and was produced by
Big Beach Films on a budget of $8 million. Its distribution rights were bought by Fox Searchlight Pictures for $10 million,
reportedly one of the biggest deals ever made in the history of the Sundance Film Festival. The movie was released in
the United States on August 18, 2006, and had its continental European premiere on August 12, 2006 at the 2006
Locarno International Film Festival.The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won
two: Best Original Screenplay for Michael Arndt and Best Supporting Actor for Alan Arkin. It also won the Independent
Spirit Award for Best Feature.
Plot
Sheryl Hoover (Toni Collette) is an overworked mother of two. Her brother Frank (Steve Carell) is a homosexual Proust
scholar, temporarily living at home with the family after having attempted suicide in the wake of a failed relationship.
Sheryl's husband Richard (Greg Kinnear) is a Type A personality striving to help support the family as a motivational
speaker and life coach. Dwayne (Paul Dano), Sheryl's son from a previous marriage, is a Nietzsche-reading teenager
who has taken a vow of silence until he can accomplish his dreams of becoming a test pilot. Richard's father, Edwin
(Alan Arkin), recently evicted from a retirement home for snorting heroin, lives with the family; he is close to his sevenyear-old granddaughter Olive (Abigail Breslin). Olive learns she has qualified for the "Little Miss Sunshine" beauty
pageant that is being held in Redondo Beach, California in two days. The family, wanting to support her, quickly realizes
that they all must accompany Olive to the pageant, getting there via an 800-mile road trip in their yellow Volkswagen T2
Microbus. Family tensions play out on the highway and at stops along the way, amidst the aging VW van's mechanical
problems. When the van breaks down early on, they learn that they must push the van until it is moving at about 20 mph
before it is put into gear, at which point they have to run up to the side door and jump in. Later, the van's horn
malfunctions and begins honking continuously. The family suffers setbacks: Richard loses a big deal that would have
jump-started his motivational technique business; Frank, in a convenience store buying pornography at Edwin's request,
encounters the ex-boyfriend whose actions had prompted his suicide attempt; Edwin dies from a heroin overdose during
the family's stay at a motel; Dwayne discovers that he is color-blind, which means he cannot become a pilot (a realization
that prompts him to break his silence); and Sheryl's obsessive manner impels her to attempt to keep everyone, including
herself, calm and sane. The climax takes place at the pageant, which features young hypersexualized girls with teased
hair and capped teeth, wearing adult-like swimsuits and evening wear and performing elaborate dance numbers. Olive,
untrained in beauty pageant conventions, is evidently out of place. Recognizing that Olive is a fish out of water whose
feelings could really get hurt, the family considers withdrawing her from the competition; Sheryl nevertheless insists that
they have to "let Olive be Olive" and participate. In the talent portion of the pageant, the hitherto-unrevealed dance that
Grandpa Edwin had choreographed for his granddaughter is revealed: To the tune of Rick James' "Super Freak," Olive
scandalizes and horrifies almost all of the audience and pageant judges with a burlesque performance that she joyfully
performs, as oblivious to the subtext behind the dance as the other contestants were to the provocative costumes and
heavy makeup they were wearing. When the pageant director approaches Sheryl and Richard to insist on the immediate
removal of Olive from the stage, they, along with Frank and Dwayne, instead join Olive on the stage and dance alongside
her. The family is next seen outside the hotel's security office. They are free to go on condition that Olive never take part
in a beauty pageant in California ever again. They pile into the van and, with the horn still honking, smash through the
barrier of a toll booth that the pageant official had stopped at, laughing together as they go. The movie cuts to black with
the horn, still broken, sounding as the family heads back to their home in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Score and soundtrack
The score for Little Miss Sunshine was written by the Denver band DeVotchKa and composer Mychael Danna.
Performed by DeVotchKa, much of the music was adapted from the pre-existing DeVotchKa songs "How It Ends," "The
Enemy Guns," and "You Love Me" from the DeVotchKa record How It Ends and "La Llorona" from Una Volta. Directors
Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris were introduced to DeVotchKa's music after hearing the song "You Love Me" on
L.A.'s KCRW radio station. Mychael Danna was brought in to help arrange the pre-existing material and collaborate with
DeVotchKa on new material for the film. Both DeVotchKa and Danna received 2007 Grammy nominations for their work
on the soundtrack. The soundtrack also contains two songs by Sufjan Stevens ("No Man's Land" and "Chicago"), and
songs by Tony Tisdale ("Catwalkin'"), and Rick James ("Super Freak"). According to one of the film's DVD commentary
tracks (the one including writer Michael Arndt), "Super Freak", the source music danced to by Olive during the "Little Miss
Sunshine" talent competition, was introduced during post-production. Arndt's screenplay had called for Prince's song
"Peach"; during filming, the ZZ Top song "Gimme All Your Lovin'" was used. The Little Miss Sunshine score was not
eligible for Academy Award consideration due to the percentage of material derived from already written DeVotchKa
songs. The DeVotchka song "Til the End of Time" did receive a nomination for a 2006 Satellite Award as Best Original
Song.Two additional songs in the movie were written by Gordon Pogoda - "Let It Go" and "You've Got Me Dancing" (the
latter of which he co-wrote with Barry Upton), which are featured during the pageant scenes near the end of the film.
Box office
Little Miss Sunshine had the highest per-theater average gross of all films shown in the United States every day for the
first 16 days of its release.
On July 29, 2006, the first Saturday after its initial limited release, Little Miss Sunshine earned a $20,335 per-theater
average gross.
As of February 22, 2007, Little Miss Sunshine has made $59,766,008 in the U.S. and $94,323,893 total internationally.
Reviews
The film has a "92% fresh" rating from critics and 96% fresh from users at Rotten Tomatoes
2
Film Technique – a Checklist
Film technique refers to the methods used to make a film. Over the 100 or so years since films began, filmmakers have found many ways of obtaining images that differ from the usual or the 'normal'. In other words,
they have altered and enhanced the pictures to say something more to the viewer, the way a poet enhances
language so it differs from and is richer than, say, journalistic prose or even an adventure story.
Many of the linguistic and poetic techniques used by writers have their equivalent in film language – not just
sentences, paragraphs and chapters but juxtaposition, contrast and parallel, as well as symbolism and
metaphor. The purposes of film technique are – as in writing – to enhance the storytelling and to create
atmosphere or mood. To tell a story, to aid the narrative, every image is the result of conscious choices
based on the following:
Camera Work

different angles: low / high angle; crane shot / aerial shot / vertical shot; P.O.V. etc

different lenses: wide angle / telephoto / zoom; shallow / deep focus; shift of focus

camera movement: pan / track / hand-held / Steadicam etc.
Lighting

high contrast (or chiaroscuro)

even light ('Hollywood Lighting')


soft – misty/romantic
back lit to create shadows or silhouette
Sound

ambient sound creates naturalism: the sounds of the day or night: birds, cars, the wind in the trees etc

Foley sound is the matching of sounds to actions, e.g. footsteps, slamming doors – important for realism

music – original or existing

transition with image change: dialogue, music or ambient sound carries on so that sound from the end
of one scene may be heard at the beginning of the next or the sound from the next scene coming up may
be included behind the previous scene's final images. Called an aural bridge
Symbols, signifiers, icons, images: the full study of these is called Semiotics.
For example:

bars suggest imprisonment, entrapment

a flag represents patriotism

towers/spires have phallic connotations

a heart or a red rose can symbolise love
Editing

pace

juxtaposition

contrast

montage
Not only do 'parts make a whole' but editing is related to 'time passing'. An easy visual transition from
scene to scene is obtained by cutting between like images by:

movement in the same direction

cuts

some sort of fade/wipe/dissolve

point-of-view shot

outpoints/inpoints

jump cuts
To create mood
Sound

eerie, frightening, soothing, romantic. . .

exciting, lively. . .

exaggerated or enhanced
Light

misty light can be frightening or erotic

dramatic chiaroscuro is often sinister

warm or cold, coloured filters, lights
Camera

extreme angles and distances

jerky or smooth movement
Editing,

juxtaposition, pace, contrast…
3
Glossary of Film Terms
Adaptation
Aerial Shot
Allusionism
A film that is based on a narrative or scenario from another source of art or entertainment
A moving shot where the camera is filming from above the action
Deliberately repeating an aspect of another film in order to evoke themes
Ambient Sound
Animation
background sound (not music e.g. bushes rustling): footsteps etc to match action = FOLEY effects
The process of assembling drawings to be photographed one frame at a time, to create an illusion of
movement. Cartoons are best-known form of animation.
The designer of sets and costumes.
hearing the sound of the next shot before cutting to it - signals a transition
A director with a recognisable style and view of life (themes).
Light from behind a person or object, sometimes creating a halo effect.
The way our feelings are expressed through our body.
The angle at which the camera is pointed at a person or object (high, low, neutral = eye-level). A
camera tilted to one side so the horizon is on a slant is canted or tilted, sometimes called a 'Dutch
angle'; not to be confused with a 'tilt shot', which involves camera movement.
A movie cameraman, usually the 'director of photography'.
A camera shot that seems to bring us close to the person or object being filmed; a shot of a person's
face only is a 'close-up'. + 'Extreme Close Up' [E.C.U.] or 'Big Close Up' [B.C.U.].
The script supervisor keeps a record of 'takes' to make sure that the details are consistent from one
shot to another (e.g. a character must be in the same clothes if a scene is shot over several days).
A shot taken from a crane (a kind of extreme high angle shot).
The list of cast, crew, and other people involved in making a film. 'Head credits' at beginning; 'tail
credits' at end.
The alternating of shots from two different sequences, often in different locales, suggesting they are
taking place at the same time.
The place where one shot has been spliced to another.
A brief shot inserted into a sequence showing something connected with the sequence but outside the
action, e.g. a shot of the audience watching a show or a game that is being filmed.
Every object is in focus to a great depth. See shallow focus
One image fades in while another fades out, so that they are superimposed for a few moments.
A platform with wheels that allows the camera to be moved: 'dolly shot', 'tracking' or 'trucking' shot.
To record dialogue after a film has been shot, usually replacing one language with another.
The process of selecting, arranging and trimming the various shots to make up a film.
Usually a long-shot, it gives an overview of a scene so the audience is not confused about what is
happening and where. [EST.]
The basic information that must be supplied to an audience at the beginning of a story, so they can
follow the story and feel involved with it.
An image appears out of blackness, gradually brightening to full strength. Fade-out = image fades to
black
A French term ('black cinema') for a genre of thrillers in which the universe is despairing and fatalistic.
A return to a scene in the past. (A flash forward = a future scene shown before it happens.)
The sharpness of an image. To focus a camera is to adjust the lens so that it gives a sharper image.
The amount of film used, or to be used (measured in feet or metres).
A term used to refer to: 1. any single image of a film (there are 24 frames per second)
2. the rectangular shape of the image (like the 'frame' of a painting).
A single frame repeated many times so it looks like a still photograph.
The chief electrician in charge of the lights. His/her assistant is the 'best boy'.
A type of film (e.g. western, sci-fi.).
The texture of the film emulsion. A film image with coarse texture is said to be 'grainy'.
The camera is sometimes held in the hand, even though a tripod gives smoother results. See
Steadicam.
Bright lighting, usually provided by one source of light (the 'key light').
The detail or image at the beginning of a scene, selected for its impact, or because it provides a
smooth transition from the previous scene to the new scene. See OUTPOINT.
A detail shot (for example a close-up of a letter), or a brief shot inserted into a sequence showing
something connected with the action, perhaps as a reminder of what has happened, a hint of what
might happen, or something which will become important. An insert differs from a cutaway in that the
cutaway is of action not covered in the master shot.
An abrupt transition between shots, usually deliberate, which is disorienting in terms of time and space;
a startling transition that requires a leap of the imagination. Peter Jackson uses the term 'crash cut' for
really shocking jumps.
Placing scenes close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.
A place, other than a studio, where a film is shot.
A lens with a long focal effect that has a telescopic effect.
A shot from a distance - it shows a person from head to foot, and perhaps more than this.
A long take of an entire scene, into which other shots e.g. reaction shots, are cut.
Art Director
Aural Bridge
Auteur
Backlighting
Body Language
Camera Angle
Cinematographer
Close-Up [C.U.]
Continuity
Crane Shot
Credits
Cross-Cutting
Cut
Cut-Away
Deep Focus
Dissolve
Dolly
Dub
Editing
Establishing Shot
Exposition
Fade-In
Film Noir
Flashback
Focus
Footage
Frame
Freeze Frame
Gaffer
Genre
Grain
Hand Held Camera
High Key Lighting
Inpoint
Insert [Cut In]
Jump Cut
Juxtaposition
Location
Long Lens
Long Shot /L.S.
Master Shot
4
Matte
Medium [Mid] Shot
Mise En Scène
Montage
Morphing
Motif
Outpoint
Off Camera [O.C.]
Out Of Shot [O.S.]
Over-Shoulder Shot
Pan
Point-Of-View Shot
[POV Shot]
Pull Focus
Reaction Shot
Reverse Angle
Rough Cut
Screenplay
Set-Up
Shallow Focus
Shooting/ Filming
Shot
Side Lighting
Skycam
Soft Focus
Sound Mix
Sound Effects
Special Effects
[SFX]
Split Screen
Steadicam
Still
Storyboard
Sub-Text
Synchronisation
Subjective Shot
Take
Telephoto Lens
Texture
Threnody
Tighter Shot
Tilt Shot
Tracking Shot
Two-Shot
Video
Visuals
Voice Over [VO]
Wide-Angle Lens
Wipe
Zoom
A process of combining several images during the printing process (e.g. to add a background).
[M.S.] A shot between a close-up and a long shot in the sense of closeness it creates.
Getting a scene together, the choices made about the details of the imaged; what items will be in it, and
how those items are to be presented.
A fast-moving sequence in which many shots are combined – to create a mood, or to sum up a long
process, to suggest connections. A series of short clips which add up to more than the sum of the
whole. Compresses a passage of time into brief symbolic or typical images.
Transforming from one image into another
Anything that is repeatedly used in a film to define or explain a character, or to suggest a theme.
Sounds or musical phrases can also be motifs.
The final detail or image in a particular scene. It may sum up what has happened, add a touch of irony,
or point towards the following scene. See INPOINT
A character speaks while the camera looks elsewhere. Not the same as voice over. Also known as
'out of shot' [O.S.]
A camera position often used in dialogue scenes, usually alternated to show the character who is
speaking.
The movement of the camera when it swivels from left to right or right to left
A shot in which the camera is associated with the eyes of a character ('this is what s/he sees'). very
useful for helping the viewer identify with a character.
To shift focus from one part of a scene to another (also known as 'follow focus' or 'rack focus')
A shot that shows a person's reaction to what happened in the previous shot. (It is known as a 'noddy'
if the person is merely nodding, such as a television interviewer!)
A shot from the opposite side. When two people talk, there is often a 'shot and reverse shot'
alternation.
The first edited version of the film, like a rough copy. It is revised to become the final cut.
A film or television script.
The position of the camera and lighting, selected for a particular shot.
Objects in foreground will be sharp; those in background will be blurred or softened. Opposite = deep
focus.
The 'shoot' is the period of time spent filming.
A film is made up of many different shots. During the shooting of a film, a shot ends when the camera
is turned off. Each shot involves a different camera set-up. During and after the editing of the film a
shot ends where the editor has cut it off. See TAKE.
Light coming from one side – can create sense of volume, bring out surface tensions, fill in unlit areas.
A lightweight camera is suspended via wires and pulleys and controlled from a computer.
Opposite of sharp focus, sometimes produced by filters or Vaseline to add a romantic effect.
The combination of different elements (dialogue, music, sound effects) to make up the sound track
Sounds other than words.
Creating illusions by the use of trick photography, miniature models and various types of equipment. A
bomb can explode; a flying saucer can appear, thanks to SFX.
Two or more separate images within the same frame.
The camera is attached to a vest on the camera operator who can then move it without jerkiness.
A single photograph, the enlargement of one frame.
A script presented as a serious of drawings and captions.
A person's private thoughts and feelings which may be different from those expressed publicly.
Matching sounds with visuals. When words match the movements of the lips, the film is 'in sync'.
A point of view shot, sometimes distorted to emphasise the character's state of mind.
One attempt at a shot. To get the effect wanted, the director may ask for more than one version or
'take'. Same as 'shot' but it refers more narrowly to the period when the film is being made.
A long lens with a telescopic effect.
A term used to refer to: (1) the actual physical look of a film image, those qualities that allow us to
distinguish it from a video, image or an oil painting, or other kind of image. (2) richness of detail –
clouds, faces, wind tugging at clothes, cars passing in the background, etc. To respond to texture is to
notice not just the main meaning or the main objects in a film scene, but also to notice details, colours
and surfaces.
an unnerving sound, signalling a change of mood (threnody = song of lament)
A closer shot, leaving less space around the people or objects on which the camera is concentrating.
The stationery camera starts at the top of an object/figure and scans down to the bottom [tilt down) or
at the bottom and scans to the top [tilt up]. Only the lens moves; when the whole camera is lifted =
crane shot.
The camera moves on a 'dolly', enabling it to follow people who are moving along.
A shot in which two people are shown (cameramen also speak of 'one-shot' and 'three-shot').
Television filming. The images are recorded not on film stock, but on videotape.
The images of a film.
Commentary by an unseen narrator.
A lens with a broad angle of view, increasing the sense of depth and distance.
An optical effect in which one image appears to push the previous image off the screen.
A lens that can be adjusted from 'wide-angle' to 'telephoto'. Such a lens can 'zoom in' or 'zoom out'
(seem to move closer or further away from an object).
5
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Cast & Other Facts
Greg Kinnear
Richard Hoover
Toni Collette
Sheryl Hoover
Paul Dano
Dwayne (Sheryl's son)
Abigail Breslin
Olive Hoover (Richard and Sheryl's daughter)
Alan Arkin
Grandpa (Edwin Hoover, Richard's father)
Steve Carell
Frank Ginsberg (Sheryl's brother)
Marc Turtletaub
Doctor #1
Dean Norris
State Trooper McCleary
Brenda Canela
Diner Waitress
Beth Grant
Pageant Official Jenkins
Julio Oscar Mechoso
Mechanic
Wallace Langham
Kirby
Justin Shilton
Josh
Lauren Shiohama
Miss California
Bryan Cranston
Stan Grossman
Mary Lynn Rajskub
Pageant Assistant Pam
John Walcutt
Doctor #2
Geoff Meed
Biker Dad
Paula Newsome
Bereavement Counsellor Linda
2006
2.34:1 aspect ratio
101 minutes
Certification: Australia: M; Canada: G (Quebec); Canada: 14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario); Japan: PG12; New Zealand: R13; UK: 15; USA: R17
The beauty pageant was filmed at the Radisson Hotel in Culver City; many of the scenes in the VW bus were
filmed near Palmdale, CA, in the Arizona desert. The extras in the scenes at the hotel were actual
contestants and parents from the beauty pageant circuit.
Awards
The film won many awards. Some of the main ones:

selected as one of AFI's Movies of the Year

the Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award from the Producers' Guild of America.

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (Alan Arkin)

Michael Arndt received the Academy Award and the Writers' Guild of America award for Best Original
Screenplay.

the Screen Actors' Guild ensemble award for Outstanding Acting by a Cast

Independent Spirit Awards: Best Feature, Best Director, Best First Screenplay and Best Supporting Male
(Arkin).

Critics' Choice Awards: Best Acting Ensemble, Best Screenplay, Best Young Actor (Paul Dano) and Best
Young Actress (Abigail Breslin) by the Broadcast Film Critics Association.

BAFTAS for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (Alan Arkin)
A full list can be accessed at IMBd.com.
6
The Complex Make-up of a Movie
screenplay

plot, characters, setting, themes, structure

wit, humour, allusions, motifs, clichés
Michael Arndt

producers




organisation, finance, location scouting;
employing, feeding and accommodating cast and crew;
getting everybody to the right place at the right time;
and a thousand other tasks


actors – leads, supports, bit parts
extras (do not speak)
David T. Friendly,
Peter Saraf,
Marc Turtletaub,
Ron Yerxa,
Albert Berger
casting
Justine Baddeley,
Kim Davis

Jonathan Dayton and Valerie
Faris
Director

style, tone, lighting
Director of Photography
(Cinematographer)

style, tone, lighting, colours, motifs
Tim Suhrstedt
Production Designer

creates the world, the look of the film
Kalina Ivanov
Art Director:

colours, props, details of scenes
Alan E. Muraoka
Set Decorator

furniture, furnishings, props etc
Melissa Levander
costumes

designed or bought
Nancy Steiner
makeup

minimal or complex
Torsten Witte
hair

styles ( + wigs etc if required)
Janis Clark
sound, sound editing

natural or artificial
Andrew DeCristofaro,
sound effects

as required
Stephen P. Robinson
sound effects editing

music

Steve Nelson
Mychael Danna;
original or found
DeVotchKa
visual effects

editing

Adam Avitabile
pace, style, juxtaposition; montage
Pamela Martin
Pre-production:
screenplay, storyboarding; location scouting; set design & decoration; costume design, casting.
Production:
filming on set or location – actors, costumes, makeup; cinematography, lighting, sound etc
Post-production:
editing, adding SFX, music, sound effects, sound effects editing, etc
7
Plot Summary
The Hoovers live in ____________________, New Mexico. Richard is striving to build a career as a
________________________speaker and _______ coach; his seven-year old daughter Olive wants to be
_____________________________; his stepson Dwayne has taken a vow of ____________ until he can
achieve his goal of becoming a __________________________. Richard's _________ lives with them
because he was _______________________ from his _______________________ home for taking
_________________. Sheryl, who is both __________________________ supporting the family and trying
to hold them together _____________________________, brings home from _____________________ her
suicidal brother Frank, a gay ________________scholar.
Olive learns on _________________ evening that she has ____________________ for the Little Miss
Sunshine _______________________________ that is being held in ____________________ Beach,
California, on _________________. The whole family has to go too – on an _______-mile (1,287 km) road
trip in their yellow _____________________________ _____________________.
When the _____________ goes, they can keep going only by _________________ the van until it is moving
________enough to be put straight into _________ gear, and then jumping aboard the ________________
vehicle.
Richard discovers his hoped-for _____________deal has ___________________________, and Frank
encounters a former student he ________________ but who left him for his ____________. Grandpa Edwin
Hoover __________ in his sleep, and – not allowed to ____________________ ______________ at the
hospital until their return – they ________________ it out a window and _______________
_____________________. The __________ on the van won't stop sounding; a police officer stops them,
and nearly discovers __________________________ in the back of the van, but is distracted by his
________________ Olive tests Dwayne's ________ and discovers that he is
_________________________, which means he _____________________________
___________________. Distraught, he finally _______________________.
By now, they are running late, and reach the pageant ________ minutes after registration
________________. A sympathetic worker offers to register Olive. The hotel is full of Olive's competition; it
is quickly clear that her ____________________ enthusiasm is no match for the
_________________________ and _________________________ contestants.
Dwayne and Frank go down to the ______________ for a while but then return to the hotel, where Dwayne
quickly realises – as Richard has done – that Olive is ____________________________.
Both try to persuade Sheryl to _____________________________ the contest, but Sheryl insists that they
"__________________________________". Olive dedicates her dance to ___________, performs a
pseudo-_____________________ to 'Super Freak'. Some of the audience and judges are
_______________________, and the organiser demands Richard _____________ _______ stage.
Instead, he ______________ her, followed one by one by Frank, Dwayne and Sheryl. They are told they will
not be ____________ in return for a promise _____________________________
_____________________. They drive back towards _________, the horn ___________________.
8
Close Reading the Text:
some questions to ask…
When you watch the film for the second time, you will need to look much more closely and analytically. The
purpose is to identify and understand the techniques that film-makers use to manipulate audience
responses.
As you watch each scene or sequence, look for the following, and make notes of what you see. Not all
questions will need to be answered for every sequence.
Plot/narrative

What does the scene contribute to the way the story is being told?

If time has passed, how do we know?

Would it matter if the scene had been left out? Why/why not?

‘Drama is conflict.’ Is there conflict in this scene? Between whom? Is it resolved or will it lead to more
conflict further on?
Setting

Where is the scene set? Is this a new setting or one seen before?

If new, do we know where it is? How?

Are there any significant details that may prove important?

Are any details included to provide local colour i.e. to make the setting realistic and convincing?

What time of day is it? How do we know? Is that significant?

What is the weather like? Is that significant?

Has the director used contrast, colour? How?

Is there anything in the setting that affects the characters?

Is there anything about the setting that provokes a response? What kind of response?
Characters

Are there new characters in this scene, or only ones we have met already?

If new, who are they? How is their identity established?

Do we learn anything new about the characters? What? And how?

Look at the costumes. What do they tell us about the characters, the situation?

Contrast is an important technique in characterisation. Are any of the characters contrasted? How? To
what effect?
Cinematic Techniques

Consider the mise en scène, a film term meaning everything in a particular scene, and how it is shown.

How is the scene filmed? What kind of lens (zoom, wide angle), shots (size, angle etc), movement?
What is the effect of this?

How is it lit? Natural or artificial lighting? Directional? Colour filters? Backlit?

Listen for sound effects and for ambient sound. What do they contribute?

How is the dialogue treated?

Look for colour, use of repeated motifs, use of visual symbols.

Juxtaposition - look for links between scenes – outpoints and inpoints; listen for aural bridges
There are many other questions you could ask yourself as you watch each scene. To begin with, focus on a
few that you can manage; as you get better, you will be able to deal with more difficult ones.
9
Scene List
1. Olive watches Miss America on TV
29. Olive wakes her parents.
2. Richard Hoover presents his seminar on winning
30. They follow the ambulance.
3. Dwayne works out
31. They are informed of Grandpa's death.
4. Grandpa snorts heroin
32. They push his body out the window.
5. Sheryl is on her way to the hospital
33. They are stopped by a patrolman.
6. Frank waits for Sheryl
34. Olive tests Dwayne's eyesight – and he is colourblind.
7. They drive home
35. Dwayne refuses to get back on the bus.
8. Frank is shown to Dwayne's room
36. They arrive near the Redondo Suites hotel with a
minute to spare – and can't get to it.
9. family dinner
37. They are four minutes late and the convenor
refuses to register Olive.
10. Dwayne welcomes Frank to hell.
11. the van drives along the highway
38. Sheryl and Olive enter a room full of little girls
being primped.
12. Grandpa gives Dwayne some advice
39. Frank opens the paper to a page on Larry
Sugarman's best-seller.
13. they have breakfast
14. Sheryl offers to drive and the clutch is destroyed
40. Kirby comes to get Olive's music.
15. No spare parts; they will have to push
41. Richard arranges for Grandpa's body to be taken
care of
16. Richard explains his scheme to Frank
42. Richard finds a seat in the auditorium. The
contestants parade on to the stage.
17. They stop at a phone and service station
18. Richard tells Sheryl he has been turned down.
43. Olive looks at herself in the mirror.
19. Edwin climbs over the seats to console his son.
44. The MC sings 'America' to the contestants, all
now in dresses.
20. They find their rooms at a motel
45. Dwayne and Frank sit on the very end of a long
pier.
21. Dwayne listens to Sheryl and Richard argue.
22. Grandpa and Olive practise growling like big cats.
46. The talent competition starts.
23. Richard decides he is "gonna fix this".
47. Dwayne says he's going backstage.
24. Richard takes to the highway on a motor cycle
25. Frank looks at a photograph of himself with Josh.
48. Richard tells Sheryl he doesn't want Olive to
perform.
26. Grandpa takes out his drug gear.
49. They all go to the auditorium.
27. Sheryl leans on a parapet and smokes.
50. Olive dedicates her dance to Grandpa and
dances.
28. Grossman tells Richard to give up and move on.
51. The family is told they are free to go.
52. They drive home.
10
Scene-by-scene Worksheets

Scene numbers are for easy reference; they may refer to sequences rather than single scenes. They have no
official standing and should not be quoted in essays or answers.

Use abbreviations used: // = CUT; >> = DISSOLVE; M = motif; || = echoes; s/p = signpost
1.
INT. HOOVER HOUSE – DAY
Olive's eyes behind her huge glasses; beauty
queens on TV screen; Olive watches intently and
replays; Olive puts down the remote and recreates
the winner's gestures.
2.
INT. CLASSROOM – DAY
Richard Hoover presents his seminar on winning
He ends on a high note, the lights come up and the
classroom is revealed: nine students. He retains
his positive expression.
3.
INT. DWAYNE'S BEDROOM – DAY
Dwayne works out – lifts weights, skips, does sit
ups and press ups; marks another day off on his
calendar.
4.
INT. BATHROOM – DAY
the door is closed and locked, a leather pouch is
unzipped; a line of heroin is cut on a mirror.
Grandpa sits on the toilet seat.
5.
INT. SHERYL'S CAR –DAY
Sheryl talks to Richard on her cell phone while
driving – denies that she is smoking.
6.
INT. HOSPITAL – DAY
Frank sits in a wheelchair, in a hospital gown. He
stares silently and miserably out the window.
title: 'Little Miss Sunshine'
Sheryl speaks to Frank's doctor, who warns her to
keep Frank away from knives and drugs.
7.
INT. CAR – DAY
Sheryl drives through a tunnel into sunshine
Frank does not want to talk.
8.
INT. HOOVER HOUSE – DAY
Sheryl leads Frank through to Dwayne's room,
which he will be sharing. Dwayne is lying on the
bed reading; he gets up silently and walks out.
Sheryl organises dinner; Richard checks the
messages. He phones Stan Grossman about a
book deal – but has to leave a message.
Dwayne mimes eating to Frank. He indicates to
Frank that he doesn't talk because of Nietzsche.
11
9.
INT. DINING ROOM – EVENING
Frank joins Dwayne at the table; Dwayne writes
that he "hates everyone".
Richard arrives, gets his father and Olive.
Grandpa complains loudly about having to eat
chicken again. .
Olive asks about Frank's "accident", and – against
Richard's protests – Sheryl explains.
Richard tries ineffectually to stop the conversation.
Frank explains the sequence of events that lead to
his failed suicide attempt.
Olive explains about the routine she is rehearsing
for the 'Little Miss Chilli Pepper' competition.
Olive plays the phone message and hears that she
is in the Little Miss Sunshine final. She screams
around the house.
The final is this Sunday. After some argument, it is
agreed that all six of them will go in the VW van.
10. INT. DWAYNE'S BEDROOM – NIGHT
Dwayne writes a note to Frank asking him not to kill
himself.
11. INT. / EXT. VW VAN – DAY
They drive through the landscape; Richard and
Sheryl in the front; Olive and Frank in the second
row and Grandpa and Dwayne in the back seat.
12. INT. VAN – DAY
Grandpa gives Dwayne some advice, over the
protests of his son. Sheryl explains to Frank that
he was asked to leave Sunset Manor because he
started snorting heroin.
13. INT. CAFÉ – SATURDAY MORNING
Six red menus are studied. Orders are given.
Frank explains to Olive what à la mode means;
Richard tells him to shut up. Richard – ignoring
Sheryl's protests – explains to Olive why she
shouldn't eat her ice-cream. The others all dig in
and she is persuaded to eat it after all.
14. EXT. CAFÉ – DAY
Richard is on the phone to Stan Grossman – his
answer phone again; he pretends to Sheryl that he
couldn't get through.
Sheryl offers to drive but has trouble with the
gears. Richard can't get it into gear either.
15. EXT. SERVICE STATION – DAY
They learn that the clutch is "shot" – and it will take
till Thursday for a replacement. They can keep
going as long as the car is going fast enough to
start in third. So all behind to push. Then they run
to get on board. Dwayne helps Frank with a push
from behind.
12
16. EXT. / INT. VAN – DAY
The yellow van continues westward. Olive plays
with a game; the others sleep or watch the
scenery. Grandpa amuses Olive with pop corn.
Richard explains his scheme to Frank, who is
bored and sarcastic. The exchange degenerates
into bickering. Richard's cell phone goes but he
loses the connection.
17. EXT. SERVICE STATION – DAY
Richard rushes to a phone box and finally gets
Sam on the phone. His face falls from excited
anticipation to dismay. Sheryl goes to the
bathroom; Olive goes to practise. Dwayne does
press-ups.
Frank goes to buy a drink – and some porn for
Grandpa. He meets Josh and learns that his great
rival Larry is outside in his car. In the van,
Grandpa reads Richard's body language and
realises he is "not getting it".
18. Richard tells Sheryl he has been turned down. He
has finally lost his 'up' demeanour. She is angry.
They are on the highway when Olive's absence is
noticed by Dwayne. She stands patiently by the
phone booth. She grins as the van comes past
and she runs to jump in.
19. Edwin climbs over the seats to console his son.
Richard acknowledges the words without any
gratitude. His father waits presses his shoulder.
Then Richard says a genuine thank you.
20. EXT. MOTEL – EVENING
They find their rooms. Olive wants to share with
Grandpa. Richard warns that they need to leave
early in the morning – 7.40 at the latest.
21. INT. MOTEL ROOMS – EVENING
Richard does not want to discuss their finances
with Sheryl. Dwayne lies on his bed in the next
room and hears them through the wall.
22. INT. GRANDPA'S ROOM – NIGHT
Grandpa and Olive practise growling like big cats.
Olive is nervous and needs reassurance.
23. INT. RICHARD AND SHERYL'S ROOM – NIGHT
They sit with their backs to each other, both
'losers'. Richard is suddenly galvanised. "I'm
gonna fix this." He puts on his shoes and leaves.
24. EXT. MOTEL – NIGHT
Richard tries to start it but it stalls. He borrows a
motorcycle. On the highway, he passes a road
sign: 'Scottsdale 23 miles'. A huge truck thunders
past.
13
25. FRANK'S ROOM – NIGHT
Frank looks at a photograph of himself with Josh.
He puts it back in his wallet and turns off the light.
26. GRANDPA'S BATHROOM - NIGHT
He takes out his drug gear.
27. EXT. MOTEL – NIGHT
Sheryl leans on a parapet and smokes.
28. EXT. / INT. CONFERENCE CENTRE – NIGHT
Richard tracks Grossman down to the lounge.
They talk beside the pool. Back on the highway,
he rides through the night. A truck roars past,
blowing a derisive horn.
29. INT. MOTEL ROOM – MORNING
Olive wakes her parents.
30. EXT. HIGHWAY – MORNING
They follow the ambulance.
31. INT. HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM – DAY
Sheryl warns them Grandpa might die and tells
them she loves them. Dwayne tells Olive to give
her mother a hug. A doctor comes to tell them
Grandpa is dead. And then Linda, their 'grief
liaison' officer arrives with reams of paperwork.
She is unsympathetic to their need to get to
California. Richard asks to see the body; they are
taken to it.
32. INT. INTENSIVE CARE ROOM – DAY
Richard decides to take the body with them rather
than miss the pageant. They wrap up the body and
push it out the window to Dwayne and Frank, who
carry him to the van.
33. EXT. / INT. VAN – DAY
Olive asks what is going to happen to Grandpa but
Richard for once has no answer. Olive asks Frank
if he thinks there is a heaven, and asserts her
belief in one.
A car cuts in front of Richard; he toots in anger –
and the horn sticks. A state trooper pulls him over.
Richard makes the cop suspicious; he opens the
back and the porno magazines fall out. He returns
them to Richard and they are allowed to go on their
way.
34. The sign to Redondo Beach appears – they have
45 minutes. Olive tests Dwayne's eyesight – and
he is colour-blind. He freaks out and they have to
stop.
14
35. Dwayne bursts out of the van, and runs screaming
down the slope. Sheryl goes to him but he refuses
to get back in the van. Olive puts her arm around
his shoulder. He returns to the van with her.
36. They arrive near the Redondo Suites hotel with a
minute to spare – and can't get to it. Richard
misses the turn off and is trapped in a one-way
system. Unable to stop, he crashes through a
parking lot barrier arm, and then crosses a garden
to get to the hotel. Frank gets out via a door that
falls off. He runs into the hotel.
37. INT. HOTEL – DAY
They are four minutes late and the convenor, Ms
Jenkins, refuses to register Olive. Richard gets
down on his knees and begs. The tech guy, Kirby
offers to put them in the system. Miss California
tells Olive she eats ice cream. Richard asks if
there is a funeral home nearby.
38. INT. HOTEL ROOM – DAY
Sheryl and Olive enter a room full of little girls
being primped.
39. INT. LOBBY – DAY
Frank opens the paper to a page on Larry
Sugarman's best-seller – he is described as
"America's #1 Proust Scholar".
40. INT. HOTEL ROOM – DAY
Kirby comes to get Olive's music. She gives him
her CD. He is surprised and asked if she chose it.
41. EXT. FUNERAL HOME – DAY
Richard arranges for Grandpa's body to be taken
care of; he is left with a small box of personal
effects.
42. INT. AUDITORIUM – DAY
The place is nearly full. Richard finds a seat. The
contestants parade on to the stage.
43. INT. HOTEL ROOM – DAY
Olive looks at herself in the mirror. She sucks in
her stomach.
44. INT. AUDITORIUM – DAY
The MC sings 'America' to the contestants, all now
in dresses.
Olive is beautiful in her naturalness
45. EXT. BEACH – DAY
Dwayne and Frank sit on the very end of a long
pier. Frank offers advice to Dwayne. They look
out at the emptiness of the ocean.
15
46. INT. AUDITORIUM – DAY
The grinning MC announces the talent competition.
A blonde sings 'Give My Regards to Broadway'.
Carly Nugent dances, a wide artificial smile on her
face. The judges are delighted. A yodeller and an
acrobat follow. Richard is increasingly concerned.
47. INT. HOTEL – DAY
Dwayne and Frank enter the auditorium and come
straight back out. Dwayne says he's going
backstage.
48. INT. HOTEL – DAY
Olive emerges in her costume. Richard comes in
and tells Sheryl he doesn't want Olive to perform.
Dwayne is challenged on his presence 'backstage'.
He ignores it. He joins Richard and Sheryl and
tells her that he doesn't want her to perform.
Olive is called. She seems uncertain. Sheryl tells
her she doesn't have to do it but she puts on her
top hat and goes with Pam.
49. INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR – DAY
Pam walks with Olive; Sheryl, Richard, Dwayne,
Frank hurry to the auditorium.
50. INT. AUDITORIUM – DAY
Olive is announced. She dedicates her dance to
Grandpa and then begins her dance. She struts
down the catwalk, and rips off her trousers,
swinging them round and throwing them off stage.
Some audience members get up to leave. Miss
California is delighted; Ms Jenkins is horrified.
Olive continues her strip. Frank stands and claps
along. Richard, Sheryl, Dwayne stand with him.
Olive crawls, growling and pouncing.
Ms Jenkins demands that the MC stop Olive; he
tries to catch her; Richard runs to the rescue, and
tackles him. They struggle. Dwayne and Frank go
to help.
Richard is told to get Olive off stage – and joins the
dance. Frank joins them on stage. And so does
Dwayne. Sheryl laughs in delight – and joins them.
They all dance.
The audience watches – bemused, shocked,
appalled. Kirby applauds; there is a scattering of
other applause. The Biker dad expresses his
pleasure.
51. INT. HOTEL – DAY
The family sits outside the office; a police officer
talks to the officials inside. The officer comes out
and tells them they are free to go as long as Olive
is never entered into a beauty pageant in California
ever again.
52. They pack the van and push it. They break the
barrier arm on their way out of the car park, and get
back on the highway, heading east, the horn
blaring.
53. end credits
16
Characterisation Checklist
When a writer creates a character in a book, there is a great deal of room for the imagination of the reader. Even if a
character’s physical appearance is described, no two readers are likely to ‘see’ the character in exactly the same way.
Apart from direct description, a writer creates character by telling us what they say, what they do and how they react to
other people. We may also be told what they think and what others think about them.
Characterisation in film has many more contributors – not only the writer, but the actor, the costume designer and
makeup artists, how the director wants the role interpreted, how the character is shot, the effect of the music and so on.
All this may make the character more vivid but also leaves less for us to imagine. This is often why people are
disappointed when they see the film of a book they have loved and the characters do not match their imagined idea of
them.
The Screenplay
As in fiction, many of the significant qualities of the characters are designated in the writer’s instructions: what they are to
say and do, how to react and respond, what others say about them.
 A good screenplay will create a distinctive style of speech for each major character. Is that true here?
 Expressing a character’s thoughts is easier in fiction than on film. What techniques do film-makers have to do this?
Does this film include any of those techniques?
The Casting
Casting is a very important aspect of making a successful film. If the actors are miscast – which happens all too often –
then no matter how good everything else is, the movie will not succeed. Oscar-winning director Ron Howard has said,
"You can always get round a mistake in filming, but you can never transcend a bad casting choice."
 How well do you think this film was cast?
The Acting
Good actors can show a character’s inner life though their facial expression and body language. "Acting is not the
things you say. It's the things you don't say." Dame Judi Dench
 Look for examples of this.
Use of Costume
Costume is a useful shortcut; it gives us an immediate idea of how we are supposed to see characters.
 How has costume been used to assist characterisation?
Use of Light, Sound, Music, Cinematography, Camera Angles
Characterisation is aided by these cinematic techniques, though they leave little for us to do but respond.
 Look particularly for the use of high angle and low angle shots to suggest power, threat, vulnerability etc.

Look for the way light and music especially are used to increase our sympathy for or identification with a character.
Introduction of Characters

Look carefully at the way each character is introduced. Our responses to them will develop from this initial
introduction. What techniques are used to create this response?

Where is the character when first seen? What camera shots are used?

What is indicated by costume, hair, makeup?

What does the character do? say? think?

Is contrast with other characters established?
Development of Characters

As the film progresses, measure each character against your first impressions.
Do subsequent events reinforce or contrast with the first impressions? Is more revealed?

Does the character change and develop – or stay the same?

Look for 'character defining' moments.

Consider also the role that each character has in the narrative, their function in the plot. What do they contribute
to the story that is being told?

The word 'look' appears frequently on this page.
It is the most important thing you can do in studying a film: "Look closely."
17
Useful Quotations
Richard:
There are two kinds of people in this world, winners and losers.
Sheryl:
Frank:
I'm so glad you're still here.
Well, that makes one of us.
6
Frank:
Who is that? Nietzsche? So you stopped talking because of Friedrich Nietzsche? … Far out.
8
Frank:
Sheryl:
I couldn't help noticing Dwayne has stopped speaking.
Oh, yeah, he's taken a vow of silence.
9
Frank:
Dwayne:
Frank:
Dwayne:
Frank:
Dwayne:
So who do you hang around with?
[shakes his head]
No one?
[writes on a notepad]: I Hate Everyone.
What about your family?
[underlines "Everyone"]
9
Richard
It's not about luck, Frank. Luck is the name losers give to their own failings. It’s about wanting to win.
Willing yourself to win. You gotta want it badder than anybody else.
Frank:
[reading what Dwayne is writing on his notepad] But… I'm… not … going… to… have… any… fun.
Yeah, we're all with you on that one, Dwayne.
9
Richard:
We're going to California.
9
Frank:
Dwayne:
Frank:
Dwayne:
Frank:
Good night Dwayne.
[scribbles on notepad] Don't kill yourself tonight.
Not on your watch, Dwayne. I wouldn't do that to you.
[on notepad] Welcome to Hell.
Thanks, Dwayne. Coming from you, that means a lot.
10
Grandpa:
Dwayne? That's your name, right?
12
Sheryl:
Frank:
Grandpa:
Frank:
Grandpa:
He started snorting heroin.
You started snorting heroin?
Let me tell you, don't do that stuff. When you're young, you're crazy to do that s–t.
Well what about you?
What about me? I'm old. When you're old, you're crazy not to do it.
12
Olive:
Grandpa:
[takes off her head phones and Grandpa is suddenly silent.] What are you guys talking about?
Politics.
12
Frank:
Did you know that à la mode, in French, translates literally to 'in the fashion'? A la mode... It comes
from the Latin word modus to do or proper measure.
Frank, shut up.
13
Frank:
No one gets left behind! No one gets left behind! Outstanding soldier! [saluting Dwayne]
Outstanding!
15
Richard:
Frank:
Richard:
Sarcasm is the refuge of losers.
It is? Really?
Sarcasm is just the sour grapes of losers trying to pull winners down to their level. That's one of the
lessons of Step 4.
Wow, Richard, you've really opened my eyes to what a loser I am. How much do I owe you for those
pearls of wisdom?
Oh, that one's on the house.
16
Richard:
Frank:
Richard:
18
sc.
2
Olive:
Grandpa:
Olive:
Grandpa:
Grandpa, am I pretty?
You are the most beautiful girl in the world.
You're just saying that.
No! I'm madly in love with you and it's not because of your brains or your personality. It's because
you're beautiful – inside and out.
22
Grandpa:
A real loser is somebody that's so afraid of not winning, they don't even try.
22
Richard:
There are two kinds of people in this world: there's winners and there's losers. You know what the
difference is? Winners don't give up.
32
Richard:
Everyone, just pretend to be normal.
33
Sheryl:
Richard:
What did he say?
I'll tell you when I regain consciousness.
33
Sheryl:
Dwayne:
You know, like it or not, we're still your family, for better or worse...
No, you're not my family! I don't want to be your family! I hate you people! Divorce? Bankrupt?
Suicide? You're losers!
35
Kirby:
Richard:
Kirby:
Richard:
Your packet has tickets in it, and there's your badge number.
Okay.
Is there anything else?
Yeah. Is there a funeral home around here?
37
Richard:
We were driving for five or six hours... and we thought he was napping.
41
Dwayne:
I wish I could just sleep until I was eighteen and skip all this crap – high school and everything – just
skip it.
Do you know who Marcel Proust is?
He's the guy you teach.
Yeah. French writer. Total loser. Never had a real job. Unrequited love affairs. Gay. Spent 20 years
writing a book almost no one reads. But he's also probably the greatest writer since Shakespeare.
Anyway, he uh... he gets down to the end of his life, and he looks back and decides that all those
years he suffered, Those were the best years of his life, 'cause they made him who he was. All those
years he was happy? You know, total waste. Didn't learn a thing. So, if you sleep until you're 18...
Ah, think of the suffering you're gonna miss. I mean high school? High school-those are your prime
suffering years. You don't get better suffering than that.
45
Pam:
Dwayne:
Girl:
Dwayne:
[as Dwayne walks by] Are you authorised to be here?
No. [to girl in hallway] Where are the dressing rooms?
Are you allowed to be here?
Just tell me where the dressing rooms are!
48
Sheryl:
No, you listen to me. Olive is who she is. She has worked so hard; she's poured everything into this.
We can't just take it away from her. We can't. I know you want to protect her. I know, honey. But
we've got to let Olive be Olive.
48
Sheryl:
If you don't want to do this, that's OK. If you want to sit this one out, it's totally fine by us. We're proud
of you anyway.
48
Olive:
MC:
Olive:
I'd like to dedicate this to my grandpa, who showed me these moves.
Aww, that is so sweet. … Is he here? Where's your grandpa right now?
In the trunk of our car.
50
Jenkins:
Richard:
What is your daughter doing?
She's kickin' ass... that's what she's doing.
50
Officer:
Okay, you're out. On the condition that you never enter your daughter in a beauty pageant in the state
of California, ever again. Ever.
I think we can live with that.
51
Frank:
Dwayne:
Frank:
Frank:
19
Quotation Test

Who says each of the following and in what context?
1.
A real loser is somebody that's so afraid of not
winning, they don't even try.
2.
All the years he was happy, you know, total
waste. Didn't learn a thing. So, if you sleep
until you are 18, ohh! Think of all the suffering
you are going to miss.
3.
Everyone just pretend to be normal.
4.
I don't want these people judging Olive. It's not
too late. You're the mom, and you're supposed
to protect her.
5.
I think we can live with that.
6.
I'm not working for these people next year.
These people are crazy.
7.
It's not about luck. Luck is the name losers
give to their own failings.
8.
It's not the programme, Richard. It's you. OK?
No one has heard of you. Nobody cares... It's
time to move on.
9.
No one gets left behind. No one gets left
behind. Outstanding, soldier. Outstanding.
10. … he has nowhere else to go….
11. Sarcasm is just the sour grapes of losers trying
to pull winners down to their level.
12. There are two kinds of people in this world –
winners and losers.
13. There's no sense in entering a contest if you
don't think you are going to win.
14. 'Welcome to Hell'.
15. We've got to let Olive be Olive.
16. What is your daughter doing? / She's kicking
ass. That's what she's doing.
17. Whatever happens, we're a family…
18. Whatever happens, you tried to do something
on your own, which is more than most people
ever do – and I include myself in that category.
19. Wow, you're getting big. Almost like a real
person.
20. You can't fly jets if you're colour-blind.
21. You're gonna blow them out of the water.
They're not going to know what hit 'em.
20
Analysis: 'Frank's Confession'
Excerpt from scene 9. Use abbreviations e.g. CU; O.C. for Out of Shot; SF for SHALLOW FOCUS
shot
dialogue
1.
Olive
How did it happen?
2.
Frank
How did what happen?
3.
Olive, Sheryl
looking at her
Your accident.
Honey, here.
Oh no, it's OK. Unless you object.
4.
whole table
No, I'm pro-honesty here. I just think, you
know, it's up to you. / F: Be my guest.
5.
Olive, Sheryl
looking at her
Olive… Uncle Frank didn't really have an
accident.
6.
Richard, mouth
open in disbelief
What happened was, he
7.
Olive, Sheryl
tried to kill himself.
8.
Richard, mouth
open in disbelief
You did?
9.
Frank, Dwayne
10.
Olive
Why?
11.
Richard
I'm sorry, I don't think this is an appropriate
conversation. Honey,
12.
whole table
let's let Uncle Frank finish his dinner, OK?
Why did you
13.
Olive
want to kill yourself.
14.
Frank, Dwayne
No. Don't answer the question, Frank.
Don't answer it.
15.
Richard, Grandpa
Richard!
16.
Sheryl
Richard!
17.
Richard
You're not going to answer the question,
Frank.
18.
Frank
I wanted to kill myself because I was very
unhappy. / Don't listen to him. He's sick.
He's a sick man. He's sick in his head.
19.
Olive
20.
Sheryl
Richard!
21.
Richard; Grandpa
in shot
I'm sorry, but I don't think this is an
appropriate conversation
22.
whole table
for a seven year old.
She's gonna find out anyway.
23.
Richard; Grandpa
in shot
Oh, OK!
24.
Olive, Sheryl
Go on, Frank.
25.
Frank looks at
Richard
26.
Olive
Why were you unhappy?
27.
whole table
Uh… well, there were a lot of reasons.
Mainly though, I fell in love with someone
who didn't love me back.
28.
Olive, eating a corn
cob
Who?
29.
Richard,
triumphant in his
disapproval
One of my grad students
30.
Sheryl
I was very much in love with him.
21
comment
31.
Olive, suddenly
alert
Him?
32.
Frank
It was a boy?
33.
Grandpa
34.
Olive
You fell in love with a boy?
35.
Frank
Yes, I did. Very much so.
36.
Olive, laughing.
That's silly.
37.
Sheryl
You're right. It was silly.
38.
Frank
It was very very silly.
39.
Grandpa, Richard
There's another word for it.
Dad!
40.
Frank
So…
41.
Olive
that's when you tried to kill yourself?
Well, no…
42.
whole table
The boy that I was in love with fell in love
with another man, Larry Sugarman.
Who's Larry Sugarman?
43.
Frank, Dwayne
Larry Sugarman is perhaps the second
most highly regarded Proust scholar in the
US.
44.
Grandpa, Richard
Who's number one?
45.
Frank
That would be me, Rich.
… similar pattern
of shots continues
46.
Richard
Olive, the important thing to remember
here
47.
Olive
is that Uncle Frank gave
48.
Sheryl
up on himself.
49.
Frank
He made a series of foolish choices
50.
Sheryl
– I'm sorry – and he gave up on himself,
51.
Grandpa, Richard
which is something winners never do.
52.
Sheryl
So that's the story. OK?
53.
Frank
Now, everyone, just let's
54.
Sheryl
move on and uh…
55.
Frank to Dwayne
Is he always like this? [Dwayne nods]
How can you stand it?
22
Quiz 1
1. Sheryl brings her brother Frank home with her from hospital. Why was he there?
a
he overdosed on heroin.
c
he had taken an overdose
b
he wrecked his car.
d
he had slit his wrists.
2. Dwayne has taken a vow of silence until he achieves his goal of being admitted into which institution?
a
US Air Force Academy
c
US Naval Academy
b
UCLA
d
Arizona State University
3. Richard is an aspiring motivational speaker. What is the name of his programme?
a
The Nine Steps
c
One Step at a Time
b
Dare to Win
d
Refuse to Lose
4. Why was Grandpa evicted from his retirement home?
a
he couldn't afford to pay for it.
c
he stole from the other residents.
b
he used illegal drugs.
d
he harassed the employees.
5. Frank says he is the foremost American scholar of which writer?
a
Marcel Proust
c
Friedrich Nietzsche
b
Franz Kafka
d
James Joyce
6. What does Olive say when Frank tells her he fell in love with 'a boy'?
a
That's cool.
c
Far out.
b
I don't believe you.
d
That's silly.
7. In what Californian city is the 'Little Miss Sunshine' pageant being held?
a
Laguna Beach
c
San Bernadino
b
Anaheim
d
Redondo Beach
8. What does Olive order for breakfast that causes a difference of opinion between Richard and the rest of
the family?
a
French toast
c
cheeseburger
b
pancakes
d
waffles à la mode
9. What does Richard tell Olive she can't eat, if she wants to become Miss U.S.A.?
a
chocolate
c
ice cream
b
marshmallows
d
doughnuts
10. What part of the van starts malfunctioning during the trip?
a
brakes
c
radiator
b
gear box
d
clutch
23
11. Besides this failure, what else breaks later?
a
horn
c
brakes
b
rear view mirror
d
trunk latch
12. After one stop, they drive off, minus one passenger. Who do they forget?
a
Frank
c
Dwayne
b
Sheryl
d
Olive
13. Who notices that someone is missing?
a
Grandpa
c
Sheryl
b
Dwayne
d
Frank
14. Why does Stan Grossman say Richard's programme won't sell?
a
because it is boring
c
Stan doesn't like Richard
b
because it doesn't work
d
nobody has heard of Richard
15. Grandpa Hoover dies before they reach the pageant. How does he die?
a
a heart attack
c
a heroin overdose
b
a stroke
d
he just doesn't wake up, so it could have been
any of these causes
16. How does the family get Grandpa's body out of the hospital?
a
they wheel him out on a gurney
c
they pay off the security guard
b
they leave him there until after the pageant
d
they shove him through the window
17. What does the police officer find when he opens the back of the van?
a
a sheet
c
magazines
b
Grandpa's dead body
d
illegal drugs
18. What causes Dwayne to finally break his vow of silence?
a
he gets into a fight with Frank
c
he learns he's colour-blind and won't be able to fly jets
b
he knocks his head on the van window
d
he finds out his grandpa has died
19. What does Olive say to Dwayne that makes him change his mind and continue with the trip
a
I love you.
c
Dwayne, please get in the van.
b
Please do this for me.
d
nothing
20. When they finally reach the pageant, whom does Olive ask, "Do you eat ice cream?"
a
Ms Jenkins, the organiser
c
Miss California
b
one of the other contestants
d
Kirby
24
Quiz 2
These questions are a little trickier. Some are quite trivial; some more important.
1. In which American state do the Hoovers live?
a
Arizona
b
California
c
Nevada
d
New Mexico
b
Denver
c
Laguna Beach
d
Scottsville
2. And in which city?
a
Albuquerque
3. Who has inspired Dwayne to take the vow of silence?
a
Malcolm X
c
Friedrich Nietzsche
b
Mahatma Gandhi
d
Marcel Proust
4. What does Sheryl serve to drink with the chicken for dinner on the first evening
a
Coca cola
b
Sprite
c
water
d
milk shakes
c
fruit
d
doughnuts
5. What does Sheryl slam onto the table for dessert?
a
ice cream
b
popsicles
6. What is the name of the retirement home Grandpa was expelled from?
a
Sunset Manor
c
Happy Endings
b
Sunrise Manor
d
Clairmont Retirement Village
7. Which of the following does Dwayne NOT write on his pad?
a
Please don't kill yourself tonight.
c
Welcome to Hell.
b
Where’s Olive?
d
I hate you people.
8. How does Grandpa defend his bad language in the van?
a
he is the oldest in the van, so he should be able to say what he wants
b
everyone in the car deserves to be spoken to by such language
c
he can use any language he pleases since he took "Nazi bullets in his ass"
d
Olive needs to learn what real life is like
e
9. How much does Sheryl say each of them can spend on their breakfast?
a
$4
b
$5
c
$10
d
no limit
10. What does Sheryl order to drink at the diner?
a
orange juice
c
camomile tea
b
grapefruit juice
d
coffee, black with 2 sugars
25
11. What does Grandpa say they are talking about in the car when Olive asks?
a
porn
c
girls
b
politics
d
the beauty pageant
12. When Grandpa and Olive are in the motel room, what do they practise?
a
dance steps
c
singing
b
yodelling
d
roaring and growling
13. When Dwayne loses his cool, he screams at his family that he hates them and gives them three reasons.
Which of these is NOT one of the reasons?
a
suicide
b
divorce
c
bankruptcy
d
drugs
14. What does Miss California tell Olive is her favourite ice cream flavour?
a
Rocky Road
c
Cookies and cream
b
Peach Sorbet
d
Chocolate Cherry Garcia
15. Dwayne tells Frank that he'd like to just sleep until he was 18. If he were to do this, what does Frank
argue that he would miss out on?
a
laughter
b
joy
c
love
d
suffering
16. Do they arrive on time for the pageant?
a
on time
c
four minutes late
b
one minute late
d
15 minutes late
17. Who offers to put Olive in the pageant even though the system has been closed down?
a
Jenkins
b
Pam
c
Kirby
d
Kim
18. What is the last piece of clothing Olive puts on before taking the stage for her talent?
a
boa
b
tap shoes
c
top hat
d
glasses
19. What song does Olive dance to in the pageant?
a
'You're Catwalking, Baby'
c
'Super Freak'
b
'Give My Regards to Broadway'
d
'America'
20. Does Olive win the Little Miss Sunshine pageant?
a
she is disqualified
c
no, but we don't know the details
b
she comes second.
d
the pageant is called off
26
Quiz 3: The Film
1. Which character is seen first in the movie?
a. Richard
b. Frank
c. Dwayne
d. Olive
2. This is because this character is?
a. the youngest
c. the oldest
b. the best looking
d. the centre of the story
3. What is Grandpa doing when he is introduced?
a. reading
b. eating chips
c. sleeping
d. snorting heroin
4. Who is pictured on the big poster in Dwayne's room?
a. Michael Jordan
c. Dwayne
b. Friedrich Nietzsche
d. a pilot
5. Who plays Olive in the film?
a. Amanda Bynes
b. Abigail Breslin
c. Dakota Fanning
d. Anna Paquin
6. How old is her character?
a. 6
b. 7
c. 8
d. 9
b. Michael Arndt
c. Charlie Kaufman
d. Steve Carell
7. Who wrote the screenplay?
a. Diablo Cody
8. Who directed the film?
a. the Farrelly brothers
c. the Coen brothers
b. Michael Arndt and Marc Turtletaub
d. Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton
9. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards. For which of the following was it NOT nominated?
a. Best Actress
b. Best Screenplay
c. Best Picture
d. Best Supporting Actress
c. Best Picture
d. Best Supporting Actress
10. For which of the following did it win an Oscar?
a. Best Actress
b. Best Screenplay
11. Which of the cast won the Best Supporting Actor award?
a. Paul Dano (Dwayne)
c. Alan Arkin (Grandpa)
b. Greg Kinnear (Richard)
d. Steve Carell (Frank)
12. In which of the following genres does the film not belong?
a. disaster
b. black comedy
c. dysfunctional family
27
d. road trip