History YMMV / LittleMissSunshine

* HilariousInHindsight:
** The family is from Alberquerque, and the movie has both Creator/BryanCranston and Creator/DeanNorris in small bit parts. ''Series/BreakingBad'' would come out two years later, featuring both actors in lead roles and being set in Alberquerque.
** The next time Creator/ToniCollette and Creator/SteveCarell would [[Film/TheWayWayBack star in a movie together]], they play a couple, and a very unhealthy one at that.

* HilariousInHindsight: The family is from Alberquerque, and the movie has both Creator/BryanCranston and Creator/DeanNorris in small bit parts. ''Series/BreakingBad'' would come out two years later, featuring both actors in lead roles and being set in Alberquerque.

* {{Moe}}: Olive is obviously not pageant material, butshe's so adorable and determined that you can't help but love her.

* ToughActToFollow: Dayton and Farris didn't direct another film for six years. Their next film, ''Film/RubySparks'', is about a writer who wrote a successful book in his late teens, but has been suffering from writer's block ever since. Their subsequent projects have tended to receive positive critical reception but they have not tended to reach nearly as much popularity as their first feature.

** This movie is perhaps the first indication that Creator/SteveCarrell could do more than just screwball comedies, around a decade prior to the performances he gave in ''Film/{{Foxcatcher}}'' and ''Film/TheBigShort''.

* SugarWiki/SheReallyCanAct: Creator/AbigailBreslin more than earned her Oscar nomination, especially considering her age and the fact she was part of an AllStarCast.

%%* HilariousInHindsight: The audience's reaction to Olive's dance number can be compared to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUdCVybeayE the backlash]] Creator/AbigailBreslin met when she [[ShesAllGrownUp posed]] [[{{Fanservice}} sexy]] in 2013.

* ToughActToFollow: Dayton and Farris didn't direct another film for six years. Their next film, ''Film/RubySparks'', is about a writer who wrote a successful book in his late teens, but has been suffering from writer's block ever since.

%% * HilariousInHindsight: The audience's reaction to Olive's dance number can be compared to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUdCVybeayE the backlash]] Creator/AbigailBreslin met when she [[ShesAllGrownUp posed]] [[{{Fanservice}} sexy]] in 2013.

* Dwayne screaming [[AtomicFBomb FUUUUCCCCKKK!!!!!!!]] after [[HeroicBSoD upon discovering]] [[spoiler:he is colorblind, and therefore unable to join the Air Force]]. The clip has been taken out of context to express displeasure at various topics.
* "YEAH, ALRIGHT!"[[labelnote:Explanation]] After Olive's dance number, a member of the audience loudly screams this quote. Both the clip and still frame are popular reaction gifs[[/labelnote]]

** Also, [[spoiler: Grandpa dying?]] Tragic. [[spoiler: The family stealing his body from the hospital so they won't "leave him behind" and then putting him in the trunk of their bus?]] ''Priceless.''

* MemeticMolester: The pageant announcer's creepy mannerisms and constant invasion of the pageant girls' personal space makes him come off as this.

%% ** [[spoiler: Olive's dance number]]
%% ** "YEAH, ALRIGHT!"
** [[AtomicFBomb FUUUUCCCCKKK!!!!!!!]], which is what [[spoiler: Dwayne]] screams [[HeroicBSoD upon discovering]] [[spoiler: he is colorblind, barring him from joining the Air Force.]]
%% * OneSceneWonder: "YEAH, ALRIGHT!"

* SignatureScene:
** Olive's performance [[spoiler:set to Rick James' "Super Freak".]]
** [[spoiler:Dwayne]]'s breakdown is a close second thanks to MemeticMutation and [[spoiler: Creator/{{Paul Dano}}'s]] powerful performance.
* {{Squick}}:
** The beauty contest. Which goes into NightmareFuel if you consider that those girls all ''were'' real-life beauty pageant contestants and those ''were'' their real contest performances (minus Olive's, of course). To be fair, though, some of the girls' mothers insisted that things like the leg waxing were made up. Still depressingly TruthInTelevision.
** Happened by accident with the biker dad sitting next to Richard. He did have a kid in the pageant, WordOfGod said that in most of these things you do see more guys in the audience cause the mothers are backstage with the daughters.
*** Fortunately, he gives a bit of a hint that he's not just a creepy guy that wandered into the pageant: he puts in some earplugs before the show begins. Coupling this with his bored and crossed arms look of "I really wish I weren't here right now," it seems like he's probably grown weary of attending pageants.
** Probably intentional with the pageant announcer, who gives off a majorly creepy vibe.

* TheWoobie:
** Olive. She is obviously not pageant material, but God bless her, she's so adorable and determined that you can't help but love her.
** Dwayne. You had to feel for the guy during his breakdown.
%% ** Really, every main character qualifies for this trope on some level.

* WhatAnIdiot: Frank, considering the whole family is in a hurry to make it to the pageant and there's already been enough delays like a [[spoiler:death on the trip]], maybe you can have ''waited'' until you've arrived at the destination before telling Dwayne that color-blind people can't be pilots. Mildly downplayed in that Dwayne clearly knew something was wrong, as seen by his panicked "What?" as he looks at Frank's face. Frank probably decided it would [[CruelToBeKind better to let him know rather than make him wait]], or he could have said, "I'll explain when we get there."

%% * MemeticMutation:

%% ** [[AtomicFBomb FUUUUCCCCKKK!!!!!!!]]

Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

* AngstWhatAngst: [[spoiler:After the "Super Freak" fiasco, the pageant officials decide not to press charges against the Hoovers as long as Olive never enters any beauty pageants in California again. After all the hell they went through to even get Olive to the pageant in the first place, their reaction is pretty much "That's okay with us"]]. However, their understated reaction is also representative of their CharacterDevelopment since [[spoiler: they've [[CrapsaccharineWorld discovered the superficiality behind child pageants]] and now know they weren't worth participating in aside from honoring their late grandfather. Their reaction isn't underwhelming, but actually [[CatharsisFactor satisfied]].]]

* InformedWrongness: The pageant directors are hypocritical for having a problem with Olive's performance while their entire competition involves children in swimsuits, but that doesn't make Olive's any less inappropriate. The movie still paints them in the wrong for it.

%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

** [[spoiler:Wayne]]'s breakdown is a close second thanks to MemeticMutation and [[spoiler: Creator/{{Paul Dano}}'s]] powerful performance.

%% * EnsembleDarkhorse: The biker dad, Kirby and Ms. California.

** Really, every main character qualifies for this trope on some level.

* AngstWhatAngst: [[spoiler: After the "Super Freak" fiasco, the pageant officials decide not to press charges against the Hoovers as long as Olive never enters any beauty pageants in California again. After all the hell they went through to even get Olive to the pageant in the first place, their reaction is pretty much "That's okay with us."]]
** However, their understated reaction is also representative of their CharacterDevelopment since [[spoiler: they've [[CrapsaccharineWorld discovered the superficiality behind child pageants]] and now know they weren't worth participating in aside from honoring their late grandfather. Their reaction isn't underwhelming, but actually [[CatharsisFactor satisfied]].]]
* CrossesTheLineTwice: Olive's beauty-pageant performance: [[spoiler:an inappropriate and borderline erotic performance, set to the tune of "[[Music/RickJames Super Freak]]", which, ironically, has her wearing ''more'' clothes than some of the other contestants.]]

* EnsembleDarkhorse: The biker dad, Kirby and Ms. California.

* MemeticMutation:
** [[spoiler: Olive's dance number]]
** "YEAH, ALRIGHT!"
** [[AtomicFBomb FUUUUCCCCKKK!!!!!!!]]
* OneSceneWonder: "YEAH, ALRIGHT!"

* SignatureScene: Olive's performance [[spoiler:set to Rick James' "Super Freak".]]
** [[spoiler: Dwayne]]'s breakdown is a close second thanks to MemeticMutation and [[spoiler: [[Creator/PaulDano Paul Dano's]]]] powerful performance.

* HilariousInHindsight:
** The beginning of the film is set at Albuquerque, has drugs as a sub-plot and stars Creator/BryanCranston (as an obnoxious business man) and Creator/DeanNorris (as a cop) in minor roles. Two years later, the two will headline [[Series/BreakingBad a TV show]] set in Albuquerque involving drugs as the main plot with the former portraying a teacher-turned-drug lord and the latter playing a high-ranking cop.
** The audience's reaction to Olive's dance number can be compared to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUdCVybeayE the backlash]] Creator/AbigailBreslin met when she [[ShesAllGrownUp posed]] [[{{Fanservice}} sexy]] in 2013.
** In the Japanese dub, Dwayne Hoover is voiced by Creator/DaisukeOno. Part of the drama involving Dwayne is the fact he wants to join the Air Force, [[spoiler:and failing to do so because he is colorblind]]. On the other hand, Ono has voiced many roles years later that involve [[spoiler:flying vehicles]].
*** In ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato2199'', he voices Susumu Kodai, who [[spoiler:not only is a member of the armed forces, he also flies as well, and in the sequel, he became the captain of the titular ''Yamato'']].
*** In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDCE73Stargazer'' he voiced Sven Cal Bayan [[spoiler:whose Mobile Suit is able to fly]].