Little Miss Sunshine: Beyond Words (SPOILERS)

I’d like to preface this writing by saying that Little Miss Sunshine is one of my favorite movies. All the way from the writing, to the filming, to the performances, there is an extreme level of care and of course, the inevitable family drama that I love to watch and write about. If you haven’t seen the movie, STOP READING. It is really great, and I recommend watching it before you read this post because I am going to be talking about one of my favorite scenes in the movie that gives a major plot point away.

At this point I’m assuming that those of you still reading have seen the movie so I won’t go into great detail explaining what it’s about. So the particular scene that I am referring to is when Dwayne freaks out because he finds out he is colorblind. I find this scene brilliant for multiple reasons.

The beginning of the scene sets the stage perfectly. Dwayne, who has taken a vow of silence until he is allowed to enlist as a Navy pilot, is in the back of the yellow van, as his sister Olive amuses herself by giving him an eye exam with a hospital pamphlet. Next to Olive is her Uncle Frank, and in the front are both parents. The scene starts out quiet normally, and there is no evidence of any topic of conversation being very important. After Olive tests Dwayne’s vision, she moves on to a colorblindness test that Dwayne takes to appease her. She asks him what color the letter is inside the bubble on the sheet, and Dwayne responds on his little notepad asking what she is talking about. This is where the greatness of this scene starts to explode.

            Frank, upon realizing what is happening decides to chime in. He tells Dwayne that because he can’t see the letter, this means he is colorblind and that people with colorblindness cannot fly jets. There is a beat and then Dwayne’s fuse is lit. He becomes like a Mentos trapped in a soda bottle and begins to throw himself against the side of the van violently. Frank starts yelling for Richard to pull over and both he and Olive begins to get upset because she has no idea what has just happened. When Richard finally pulls off the highway, Dwayne bursts out of the car and runs down the side of the grassy hill. At the bottom, he falls onto his knees and screams his first words in 9 months “F*******ck!”

            That one word may be one of my favorite lines in a movie just because of how honest it is. In that one line, the audience is able to hear and feel the anguish and heartbreak that Dwayne is feeling. Not to mention that way he performs this scene is so real.

            Within a few moments of screaming, Sheryl tells Dwayne that she knows he is upset, but they have to go if they are going to make it to the pageant. This causes Dwayne to go on a rampage about how much he hates his family and how screwed up they are. After his rant, there is silence. Olive then makes a gesture by walking down the hill and simply hugging him. The way she does this is so innocent and purely kind. After a moment, without a word, Dwayne gets up in resolve. He picks Olive up and carries her up the hill, and the family gets back in the car and on their way.

            This scene is a true testament of good cinematic writing and great acting. I would recommend it to anyone (especially if you are like me and enjoy hilarious movies about dysfunctional families).