Little Miss Sunshine: The American Dream

American Sunshine

The American dream has been redefined through its eras and critiqued by many. While some choose to focus on the capitalist undertones that divide the United States, others have examined how the liberty that defines the American dream can support individualism which can lead to true happiness. UK director Andrea Arnold’s 2016 critique American Honey, and Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris’ 2006 comedy Little Miss Sunshine are both windows through which the audience is exposed to the American dream, and the subsequent values and attitudes of those who adhere to it. Little Miss Sunshine follows the story of a dysfunctional family’s road trip to California for a beauty pageant, while American Honey is driven by Star, who joins

a roaming magazine crew that becomes her family as they trek across the United States. Both films manage to offer insights to the American dream from delightfully different perspectives and the commentary speaks to different views of not only the United States, but also that for which it stands.
Arnold’s critique of the American dream in American Honey is that the dream revolves most obviously around money. The first shot of the film paints a bleak picture of the life of the main character, Star, as she forages food from a dumpster to feed the children she looks after. From the moment Star joins the mag crew her life revolves around making money by hawking magazines no one wants to buy. The wealth sentiment is even reflected in the movie’s soundtrack that simultaneously reflect the relation between wealth and individualism with lyrics like “everybody got choices, I choose to get money” and “I make my own money so I spend it how I like”. In addition to the importance that is placed on money and wealth, the central theme of Arnold’s film lies in the interactions-more accurately transactions- between the crew and the people they meet. “These kids are supposedly selling magazines, but really they are selling themselves. That feels very American. So the environment in the bus is like a potted version of the bigger picture” (Class Notes). As the film progresses the lines that define what Star will and won’t do for money become more blurred as she begins to lose herself to Arnold’s American dream-a fantasy born out of hardship.
The importance of wealth is equally reflected in moments of Little Miss Sunshine. Plane tickets are unaffordable, so the entire family is forced to drive to California because “they cannot in good conscious leave behind any of their number, however much they’d like to separate” (Klawans, p.42). When they make a stop at a restaurant each of the family members must order something from the menu under four dollars, another testament to the realism of their financial means. While wealth is not the central point of Dayton and Faris’ film, the moments that are shaped by wealth resonate with the ideology of success in Little Miss Sunshine. To be successful is to be wealthy, to be famous, and most importantly, to be a winner. Richard’s philosophy in Little Miss Sunshine divides the world into winners and losers, and the film manages to define these two terms in ways that uplift the audience. According to the film, as long as one continues to try they can be a winner.
However the true family values of Little Miss Sunshine surface as the family is repeatedly tested, ultimately revealing that as different as the characters are, and as much as they do not understand or even hate each other, no one gets left behind. Not when they’re forgotten at gas stations, beg to be abandoned, or even when they die. While the Hoover family embarks on their journey not in pursuit of happiness, but instead to prove that Olive is a winner, it is the character’s unyielding commitment to their family and the values that they realize along the way that speak volumes to the optimism of the American dream.
While American Honey does not possess the same optimism as Little Miss Sunshine, both films share what some deem most significant about the American Dream: individuality. By joining up with the mag crew Star takes part of a life of freedom she had never imagined (Zacharek, p.55) and the individualism in American Honey is exhibited through her actions as she defies both the wishes of her boss and her lover, repeatedly acting accordance with her own moral compass. Despite the consequences of her actions-getting left behind, driving Jake away-Star continues to act seemingly without regard for the rules created by the society of the van, and her individuality comes with an air of defiance, though her actions are neither condemned nor condoned. Moreover, her individuality stems from her achieving success through whatever means necessary. The essence of her character seems to be hinged on doing what she likes when she pleases, in order to feel complete, challenged, or perhaps anything at all, and the freedom to act according to one’s own set of rules became the basis of not only the original American dream, but America itself.
The individuality in Little Miss Sunshine is supported much more by the unit of the family.

Olive’s dream of being the Little Miss Sunshine pageant is the entire reason the family went on any sort of journey at all. In addition, her grandfather supports her not only through his involvement in her routine, but through his affirmation that Olive is beautiful despite her nonconformity to typical beauty standards. Over the course of the film, Dwayne subscribes to the same level of nonconformity and applies it to the rest of the world: “You know what? Fuck beauty contests. Life is one fucking beauty contest after another. School, then college, then work... Fuck that. And fuck the Air Force Academy. If I want to fly, I'll find a way to fly. You do what you love, and fuck the rest.” The idea of achieving dreams in ones own way is echoed here because the American dream encompasses the freedom to commit fully to what one loves. The full support of individuality and expression is exemplified during Olive’s pageant performance as her family joins her dance onstage while the audience watches on in shock and horror. It’s a moment of hilarity and discomfort as the entire family embraces each other and their freedom, disregarding the former ideology of winners and

losers.
What each of the films encapsulate in addition to their comments and definitions of the American dream is an undying sense of hope. Even in American Honey, there is hope within Star as she begins her new life. “When she is offered a place in a van, she is being offered hope, however small” (Grozdanic, 2016). In Little Miss Sunshine it is the rejection of the typical American dream which ultimately leads them to happiness. What the film culminates to is its statement that one does not have to be materially wealthy or socially compliant to achieve true happiness in life. The messages of hope stem not only from freedom, but from both film’s testaments that real wealth comes not from monetary gain but from the capability one has to love and be loved by others.
In conclusion, though the definition and realization of the American dream has changed over time, the undying sentiments of freedom and individuality remain, despite how much significance is placed on success or wealth. Arnold’s critique of America and the American dream is almost belligerent in its negativity, and American Honey puts more faith in society’s heartlessness than its compassion. While it is difficult to stay positive in light of the present direction America is headed, Little Miss Sunshine teaches the world is full of competition, and much of society doesn’t measure up. “But we losers still get to sing on the open road, even dance together if we feel like it.” While there is still vast disparity in ideologies in the United States, it is impossible to ignore those of the compassionate, or individual’s impossible ability to commit to hope.