The film is set in the early to late 2000s and centres a family called the Hoovers. Sheryl Hoover is a mother of two children, Olive and Dwayne. Her gay brother, Frank, is a professor at a university as a scholar experiencing depression after a suicide attempt. Her arrogant, typical goal obsessed husband Richard is trying to achieve the best for his family and Olive. Dwayne Hoover is a quiet boy experiencing the typical teenage life, he has taken a vow of silence until he is accepted into the Air Force Academy and joins the air force as a test pilot. Richard’s father, Edwin is WWII veteran living with Richard and his family after being recently evicted for being caught with heroin, he teaches Olive for her beauty Pageant, also very close. Near the start of the film Olive is told she has been picked for a national Beauty Pageant contest called Little Miss Sunshine in the state of California, she is delirious. Due to their financial situation they comprise by driving to California instead of flying, Dwayne, Frank and Richard go unwillingly. They take a long journey in a Yellow Volkswagen stopping along the way Richard is told they have failed to secure a contract with a big company, potentially causing bankruptcy. Frank encounters the man who broke his heart provoking his suicide attempt. Dwayne figures out he is colour blind disabling him from joining the air force and flying jets, he throws a massive tantrum and breaking his vow of silence, yelling at his family lost in his rage and later regrets and apologises for his aggressive words. Edwin dies from a drug overdose, holding the family back even further. They race against time when they have to ‘break’ grandpa out of the funeral home to make it in time for the beauty pageant. They arrive at the little miss sunshine contest and is two minutes late, the heartless and uncaring receptionist refuses to enter her in but her co-worker happily lets them join on his own time. They enter the changing rooms late, acquiring little make up and hair spray. Olive enters the stage surrounded by athletic slim contestants with an absurd amount of make up and hair spray. She stands out from the crowd due to her absence of make up, hair design and much chubbier appearance. When the talent show approaches, Dwayne, Frank and Richard view the other contestants perform and worry that Olive is unprepared. They rush to go talk to Sheryl saying she will be humiliated and laughed at; they all worry for her. They finally view her performance to hear that Edwin taught her the moves and pulls off a very sexualised dance angering many of the audience and the judges. Many members of the audience leave in disgust and the judges immediately lash out at the Hoover family telling them to stop their daughter, instead of interrupting her they join her on the stage dancing. The next scene they immediately appear in a police station with police talking to the judges, the police approach the Hoover family saying they can no longer attend a beauty contest in the state of California.
|