This film illustrates so accurately the 5 stages of grief. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, in different orders.

For me, it's Olive who holds the family together. If it wasn't for the trip or if it wasn't for Olive, the dad would've taken the bankruptcy pretty hard, and probably the mom and the dad would've separated. If Dwayne found out he was colorblind during the application to the flight academy, most probably it would've been pretty devastating (or even suicidal), instead because of Olive he found out early and because of Olive, he took it well. The uncle would've stayed in that depression, God knows for how long. Well, grandpa, grandpa was old. So, Olive in a way saved them all because they would do anything for her. They would forget that they are bankrupt, suicidal, depressed, old, addicted, tired, and sad just to protect her. This is the sweetest movie ever. It warms my heart.

Frank's bandaged hands reaching out to help Olive get into the moving van always brings me to tears. A destroyed man reaching out to a little girl with a dream. I also watch Tootsie when I'm sad

Man, when you say "no feeling is final" I just .. started crying. I've been really depressed for some time now, and you have no idea how much that simple phrase just made me feel better.

This is my ultimate film to help pull me out of a depressive episode. What an underrated film, and what a well-made, beautiful analysis on your part. Keep it up!!

Excellent ensemble cast. Paul Dano’s performance was a revelation, spent two thirds of the movie acting with only facial expressions

"We are capable of feeling good, by just being alive." This hit me hard out of nowhere. Thank you.

I feel Cheryl’s pain in this movie. She can’t fix what’s happening around her. She’s watching her family fall apart and there’s nothing she can do about it. That’s why she’s so determined to have Olive compete in the pageant. It’s the one thing she can control, the one person she can save.

dwyane calling his family losers as his mom cries kills me...its so relateable...moms get so heart broken when their son acts that way...they always want to be close to their son and being told to leave them alone and not accepting their hug or words breaks them like nothing else...no matter what...its so harsh to see depicted on screen..the mom sees her son's entire world view innocence and happiness is broken and he's damaged and lost...makes me look myself in the mirror sometimes....

“Sometimes when you’re feeling down, what you need isn’t to seek happiness. What you need is just to feel okay.” This puts a smile on my face. :) Such a well made video! Thanks

When I watched this movie for the first time I was around 7 years old, I didn't really understand what was happening, but I felt really sad after watching it, years later, I watched it as a 14 years old teenager, and I HATED THIS MOVIE, not because it was bad, or because i didn't liked it, but because I was scared of it, I don't know why, but it scared me. Now, as an adult, I find this movie both melancholic and comforting, and I think its pretty funny how a relationship with a fictional piece of media can change over the course of decades...

Every actor was so perfectly cast in this. Every performance was stellar. Such a superb film

My favorite scene in the film is when Dwayne breaks his silence and yells at everybody and then Olive just silently comforts him very briefly and then he gets up and apologizes to everyone. To me, that scene is saying that just a little bit of pure, unconditional love can make a huge difference in someone’s life. I fucking love this movie!

"If you were never happy with where you are, then whatever you'll become will not be enough" What a great way to express that blindy following ambitions is not always healthy, even though it's often percieved to be.

So I was caught up in their names. Why does each character have the name they were given? Richard has Frankish-Germanic origins, it means "hard ruler". Frank is, well, very frank. Sheryl is similar to chérie. She is a darling in every way. Dwayne is old Irish for dark. Nice. Edwyn is old English for wealthy friend. Edwyn has true wealth and wisdom, and is the best friend one can have, supportive and honest. Olive is the most easy name to guess. The olive branch: what you said about her uniting the family and having them overcome their differences. The symbolism of the olives as a sign of hope and peace. This is sublime. Simple, everyday names with a deep rooting in the characters' psyches.

This was just wonderful. As someone who watched Little Miss Sunshine while going through a really rough patch, your analysis of each characters' struggle and evolution throughout the film really hit the nail on the head in terms of why this film is such a comfort to watch

Oh my God that scene with the grandfather pep talking the grand daughter is so damned heart warming.

Shit's been really tough lately, and I don't think there was a more perfect time for me to have seen this movie and this video than today. Thank you for highlighting this beautiful message.

what i loved more was that during that dance scene and throughout olive's performance that the sound guy and even miss california are enjoying it because they were seeing a kid actually having fun than being propped up and doing a talent that feels forced for attention. Even richard realizing how creepy this pageant was showed that he was starting to care about olive than the idea of winning this pageant.

"True victory : not success, but adapting to and accepting the situation you find yourself in" - you have hit the nail right on the head. Thank you for such an insightful essay

8:34 I can't be the only one who finds Steve Carrell's run to be the funniest thing

this is great. every single point you made makes sense to me. i watch this movie when I'm sad too. nice job

Saw this film in high school and it made me read Nietzsche, because I was like Dwayne. Ambitious, frustrated, an idealist that was grounded by his family's financial condition. Recently, I saw the film again. I'm 30 now, so I would say I'm roughly double my age when I first saw it? I chose some time ago to start reading Proust because of it, and it reminded me of alot of things I jot down in my diaries as I move through the world: the constant flow of memories, the small yet intense reflections in moments between moments, the thrill of recognizing and embracing the instances of feeling alive. It is such a beautiful and magnificent experience to be human, if only we choose to recognize it as such. I still believe that is what Frank tries to tell Dwayne when they're standing at the bay. You don't have to be a soldier (in a meaningless war) to make an impact on the world. Being a poet, like Proust, is a viable option as well. Remind others of your humanity, and perhaps they will be reminded of theirs as well.

I can't even watch an explanation of the events in the movie without crying. What a beautiful, powerful, and meaningful movie. So damn good.

Sitting here with my best friend, believe it or not, both with tears in our eyes. I showed him one of my favorite childhood movies today - Little Miss Sunshine. He is 22, I am 23 and we’re in a chaotic stage of our lives. This movie was so moving (saw it last a few years ago) and it simply blew us away. We just needed to watch something Little Miss Sunshine related after we finished the movie and that’s why we found your video. Seriously, thank your for this! Such an amazing KZfaq video man. Greetings from Germany

Your analysis of this movie is very moving. I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve watched this movie. I like the poem you shared too. “Go to the limits of your longing. Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.”

I've survived two suicide attempts. Thank you for this well navigated critique of an incredible movie.

I’ve recently fallen into one of the worst depressive episodes of my life, and after seeing the title of this video, decided to give the movie a watch. I think that seeing a family all going through failure/loss, and eventually accepting it, is what made the film so important to me. Frank’s speech to Dwayne at the end of the movie stuck with me the most; that mindset of seeing your darkest moments as periods of growth is something I needed to hear. I’m not magically out of my depression, but I definitely feel like I can get through it now. Thank you for making this video :)

this movie will never leave my top 5. Everytime I'm feeling down on life Steve carrells voice in my head says "prime suffering years." Great video man, one of the best essays I've seen on this movie

Been years since I watched this movie and I love these perspectives. The whole movie has that Murphy's Law feel and regular people are just doing their best with every new hardship to overcome and keep moving forward. They all still have their goals, they just didn't succeed this time at the things they tried to do. I think the philosophy that they most need to hear is "The master has failed more times than the novice has ever attempted." Keep entering pageants, keep writing books, keep trying to find love, and if one goal no longer seems possible then make a new goal that still has a chance.

Depression kicked in pretty damned hard when I was a teenager. I also had some health issues that kept me out of school, (believe it or not, they aren't all that related). I watched the heck out of this movie. It was a comfort movie when I was sick, or down and out emotionally. I haven't seen it in years. Truthfully, I recently came into a whole new type of existential crisis. Watching your video on this movie reminded me to watch it again. I haven't seen it in some time, and I am thinking I would probably get a lot out of it right now. Thank you for this video. This movie means a lot to me, and watching someone pay such homage gave me the best kind of chills.

Sometimes, I'm feeling a little sad, and there's both movies and video games that I play when I really want to cry. Crying feels great, and I think we all need to realize how much stress that lets off when we're willing to relieve ourselves of it.

I actually didn’t know that this film had such a powerful message until now, great video

when you said that happiness isnt a goal but something that just occures in the way was kinda heartbreaking for me. me, a teenager (with a lot of similarities with dwayne) who idealizes happines and feels so bad when she cant achive it, found some hope in knowing that happiness just... happens and I can found it in the little things, not just if things turns out my way. I loved your video and little miss sunshine, thank you

Man that outro speech really hit deep. I’ve been trying to find myself these last few months. Trying to find my true passion and trying to find happiness in the little things. Accepting who I really am with all my flaws. People are worried and don’t think I have what it takes for this life, but really I’ve just been accepting my situation and taking it all in. Tagging along through the suffering, so I can get to the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes we don’t need happiness, we just want to feel okay, and luckily I know these times are temporary. Many prayers to everyone going through similar strife, time heals all (usually)❤️

This is my comfort video, somehow someway the algorithm was right thin time when recomending this video to me. Thanks for this video :)

I wish more people saw your video you seem underrated, you did an amazing job explaining this movie this is one of my favorite movies, keep up the good content :)

I watched this movie back when it first came out and was not in a place I could see it like this. Now I'm 34, completely forgot this movie even existed and feel like I can watch it for the first time again with a new lens.

This movie changed my whole life. I found contentment in living such a simple life. This movie is everything to me! Thanks to Michael Arndt for such a great screenplay.

now I´m crying, thanks for this I really need it

when I was 22 my dad died on the other side of the world from me, i had just moved to a new city on my own and I was pretty much alone. My stepmother called and told me, I went out drinking and then came home and watched this movie. I didn’t really know at the time why I chose to watch this movie, other than that I just knew I loved it and I felt like it would make me feel better.

Toni Collette is brilliant, she’s such a brilliant actress.

thank you for putting in words what I feel about this movie, i cried watching this, its one of my all time favorite films

I bawl every time I watch this movie, and I watch it when I'm sad. It's Dwayne's "Life is just one big beauty contest" that really helps me. Things are only real insofar as we make them.

i remember watching this film the first time when i was little, about olive’s age. growing up with it, i’ve seen myself in different characters and it’s carried me through different forms of grief my entire life. i love the outlook it has on fear, depression, anger… all those emotions we tend to bottle. prime suffering years makes everything feel worth it.

I watched this movie with my wife way back when It was first released on DVD and it was entertaining but didn't really strike a chord. Next year we had a child and our lives changed completely. Now, after 18 years of life's, ups, downs, sideways, spirals, blessings, and losses, just trying to keep our small family together and full of love I think we're going to watch it again.

This used to be one of my favorite movies growing up, now I’m 19 have gone through a lot of hardships/struggles, I never realized the true story behind the movie, honestly stumbling across this video and learning more about what the meaning behind it makes me feel more hopeful, you don’t have to win to gain knowledge/confidence/self-love, it’s important to have hope even when life has beaten you down, pain is temporary, winning isn’t the end all be all, just being happy for what you have and what makes you feel good should be enough. Thank you for the video

The scene where the little girl says she doesn't want to be a loser to her grandpa completely broke me! Such a great movie! cheers

I saw this when i was 7, and holy did it go over my head. i only remember the ending where she sings.

I really needed this, I had my first break up the same year as this was uploaded. You never know the pain and sadness that awaits you, but it will pass. You you will learn to live through it and with it. Our greatest fear of everything we know, love, and hold dear could one day be gone makes every day in your life as uncertain as the next. Learn the important lessons these characters live through. Live through whichever character you need to find closure. You and I will all live through the pain life has awaiting us.

"We all have comfort movies.." Wait, what, we do!?

A sense of contentment is lasting, happiness is fleeting.

I saw parts of this movie when i was very young and didnt understand it. Now its hitting me harder than almost any film ive ever seen. I needed this

This is the first movie I remember watching as a child. We watched it together with my dad, mom, and siblings. From time to time, I still watch it because I feel our family is somewhat in the same degree as this family's chaos... My parents are separated and an emotional mess, my brother is suicidal and hates us, the majority of us who couldn't reach our goals in life, the depression, the pain...etc. Though we are all somehow living through all these feelings, maybe we already accepted all the terror of this life.

Your commentary on this was so wise & put to words so many things I felt but couldn’t verbalize when I saw this as a young teenager.

This movie single handedly changed my life

This was beautiful thank you for making. I, too watch this when I’m sad :(

This was well made. All around: the music, the pace, the narration, the writing, the subject matter. I have no idea why I stumbled onto it, but +10 KZfaq points awarded. Well done.

I've seen this movie countless times, and the way you described it made me cry. Well done.

the actor who acted the dad is what sells me alot

Love this movie. I watched this for the first time right after my grandfather died. My wife heard it was funny. When the grandfather died in the movie, she was horrified and apologized, but i told her it was okay because it was. It made me feel better not to watch happy people with excellent lives at point.

I watch this when I'm sad.. along with Amy Adams and Emily Blunt's SUNSHINE CLEANING... same vibe. ❤

I went and re-watched the movie after this. I agree, don't seek to achieve happiness (no one can achieve a permanent state of happiness), but rather let yourself experience joy along the way.

I remember watching this movie as a kid and liking it. But I was too young to really understand the moral the story. I really do need to go back and watch it again. Your video was absolutely amazing and inspirational

I always forget how much range Steve Carell has in his acting. I’ve never seen this movie but I’m about to. Thanks for the video bro.

Thx Mate. I loved this movie before. But your words just make so much sense. Whenever I feel sad from now on… I watch this video.

Me and sister watch it for that very reason and it’s sort of a ritual for the past 16,17 years, we’re from Pakistan a totally different country/culture and to think that this movie means the same to a person half way across the world is heartening.

Whenever i waych this movie, it always feels like it’s the first time watching everytime. There are no other movie that gives you that feeling or experience. A movie that proves that no matter what everything will be good at the end of the day no matter what. It’s a truly amazing and a beatiful movie.

the constantly beeping horn provided much needed comic relief.... and maybe a metaphor of the folly of perfection 😂😂

I just wanted to tell that I have spent 2 months in a dark place and I found this video. I started to watch it every day. This is absolutely perfect. Thank you so much for this work that touched me to the very core.

Paul Dano absolutely slept on as an actor. He is so, so good!

The intro clip is how I feel about humanity in general.

after I was r****d I sat in my bed and watched this movie on repeat 5 or 6 times. At first I just cried, but eventually I managed to laugh at some of the silliness. By the last rewatch, I was calm. Not exactly happy, but at least in peace. It truly is such an amazing movie that shows genuine empathy, love and the depth of human emotion. One of the greatest.

I can't, it was one of My Best friend's favourite movies, She passed away in 2018, i miss You SO SO much vanessa. This video made me cry a lot, i really really miss her

Most movies tell you stories. Some teach you lessons. But very few teach you life. For me, Little Miss Sunshine is at the top of that very few ❤

Thank you for sharing. I needed this.

This was so beautifully written and executed. Thank you for that final message. It's what I really needed to hear right now.

For gods sake man I really needed this video today. I can’t put into words how grateful I am for this. Really struggling here and needed to see this

This is one of the most important and beautiful KZfaq posts I have ever seen! I thank you for creating this review. To create something that moves the hearts of others is to have made a positive difference in our world. You have done that here. Well done.

For me it represents hope

I had to analyze a script vs it’s final product for a screenwriting class and I chose this movie. It’s amazing how much is lost from script to screen and what we get is still so full of life Edit: particularly missing frank and Dwayne’s scenes in the third act. They’re my fave characters of the whole film and frank in particular gets diluted for the screen. They had their reasons but I’ll always miss what could’ve been between Paul dano and Steve carell Edit again lol: Dwayne’s breakdown is one of my favorites AND THE ACTION LINE WHERE OLIVE HUGS DWAYNE IS FOUR SENTENCES AND YOU ONLY SEE ONE OF EM!!!!!!!! SO POTENT I LOVE ACTING!!! - ALSO!!!! There’s a line in the script where it’s explicitly stated that Olive looks in the mirror while getting dressed at the pageant and sucks in her stomach *for the first time*. SHES JUST A BABYYYYYYY😭😭😭😭😭💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔 the script was a little more on the nose about olive being a bigger girl (like boys were supposed to Moo at her while she was on stage…………….) anyways I love this movie

Wow.. it’s crazy for me because I had one of those days.. or Ive been having one of those days phase for quite some time now. The feeling of not accomplishing things, feeling lonely, not loving myself. Whenever I feel like this, I watch this movie, not to make myself feel better, but to just feel safe and feel a bit of joy. Life is tough, very tough, especially now. This movie really portrays suffering and the illusion of success very well in my opinion. I’ve seen this movie so many times, and I still laugh at these dark humor scenes. I don’t know, but your video really does hit home. Thank you for your video, it’s beautiful.

Paul Dano... Absolute phenomenal.

I didn’t think the people behind the Californiacation music video would make me cry but it did

This is a beautiful look at a meaningful film. Thank you so much for creating and sharing. I'm sure there are other films like this, but for me Little Miss Sunshine is one of the first films I saw that really dealt with and expressed feelings and dynamics that are very personal and relatable to me. Ending one's life is arguably the lowest a person can be, and having the uncle coming right out of the hospital after attempting to do so is powerful. Choosing this point to introduce him and his state is different from how suicide is usually presented in film. I appreciate you focusing on the importance of acceptance, it's really healthy and therapeutic here. So much of therapy is learning to accept who you are, where you are in life, and what you have, and learning to grow and thrive within that. ✌

thank you, not only its a great analysis but also so much wisdom in your words. really moving. helped me get some tears out of my system, thank you. beauty and terror, no feeling is final.

Oh my gosh. I forgot about this movie for so long and I'm now remembering It bit by bit now and haven't stopped having chills even as I'm typing this wow

I will always have a soft spot for this movie 🥲🥲🥲

I first watched this movie as a little girl. I still feel like that little girl.

Paul dano is just so good

I remember seeing this movie at school when i was around 10 or 12, the teacher put it on class and we watched it all together, it was a big surprise to find out the character of the pilot who ends up discovering is colorblind, i also wanted to be a pilot or something related with the sky and because i'm colorblind too (discovered it accidentally few weeks before watching the movie) and i have to say, it's a movie i keep in my heart for some reason, it's always on the tip of my tounge ready to be recommended to someone, specially someone who asked me about being colorblind before, i don't know how well did this movie go, but god damn if i would love to do one as good as this one

I literally watched this movie like two years ago when it was free on youtube in my lowest time of my life. This and Rain Man. I was bankrupt, overweight, lonely, alone, failed at every class, and lost my father. I can't say it helped me but it definitely warmed me up and eased my pain even when I fucked up in everything in my life

I have thought about this one thing for a long time - when we are sad, it is because of something negative that happened to us, like the loss of something or someone. Then we try to fill that negative with something positive (trying to seek happiness from something). It doesn't take us long to realize that it is not working. We should not try to fill the negatives with something positive, instead we should face the negative head on and try to live with it - acceptance. It will take time but eventually we get better and better and suddenly the negative doesn't bother us anymore. Then we don't have to seek something positive. The time that we spend with the negative, makes us stronger. Just like wounds on our skin heal with time, wounds on our hearts also heal with time.

It's not about striving to be happy, sometimes when you're in the depths of despair, it's just about being okay. :) Thank you for the video.

I come from a family of "winners." I was hit by a truck and disabled at seven and thus became a "loser." My life went from sunshine to darkness very quickly. Alienated and silenced and abused by my family for the "crime" of being disabled, I had to journey through loneliness most of my life not knowing how to connect to people (you are supposed to learn that from your family). A few years ago, after much therapy, I finally found someone who can love me! Now I just feel bad for my family. They need to put others down to feel happy if you can call that happiness. I can understand Frank the most.

I’m so glad I stumbled upon this video a year after it went up. Such a beautiful analysis 💞

I keep coming back to this video. along with being about my comfort movie, this has become a video that I watch when I'm sad. it beautifully illustrates the characters and motivations. thank you ♥️

Oh my god this video made me deeply cry

My childhood. I loved this movie so much even though I didn't understand it. I gotta rewatch it now it resonates with me alot. Family staying together despite there issues. Suicidal thoughts, winning, losing. It's so beautiful.

This video is now something I watch when I'm down, what a great video essay. I loved where you talk about how when you're feeling down you shouldn't look for happiness but just look to be ok. Great job dude