The Reality of the Drive

    Little Miss Sunshine (2006) is an academy award-winning film, written by Michael Arndt who is also known for writing Toy Story 3 and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Little Miss Sunshine was his first screenplay, causing him to be categorized as a person who won an Oscar for their first movie. The film follows a chaotically real family as they travel in order for Olive to compete in a beauty pageant. Arndt depicts a break from and criticism of the "ideal" family in society through the health of the Hoover family and individual members. The Hoover family would be deemed as "dysfunctional" in society due to the constant arguing of the parents, the financial situation bringing upon stress, and the roles each member has in the family. Though, as it is much more often being realized today, they're a "real" family. They're not the 'winners' Richard Hoover annoyingly tried to make the family out to be, they're an actual normal family. 

    In the ideal family presented in society, parents would be happy with one another all the time. They'd never fight, especially not about financial situations since they have that all figured out. A father wouldn't shame his child, and wouldn't ingrain into their mind that they have to win at everything, but Richard Hoover did. Someone with mental illness couldn't be successful, could never be happy, or experience moments of happiness, but Frank did. Real families are not the norm that is constantly shown in society. Real families are diverse, having many different circumstances that shape them into what they are: anything but "normal". The Hoovers embraced their realness onstage with Olive as the crowd (society) watched in shock and horror. No longer would they pretend to be "normal" and instead, they would be real.