I love Little Miss Sunshine. It is a show that strikes a deep cord and brings to foreground what is easily forgotten; that every person is unique, important and special.
Two quotes that I wanna remember from the film:
..all those years he suffered, those were the best of his life 'cause they made him who he was. All the years he was happy? Total waste. He didn't learn anything...
...Y'know what a loser is? A real loser is somebody who's so afraid of not winning, they don't even try.
Interestingly, these nuggets of wisdom were dished out by the supposed losers. First was by Uncle Frank - the guy who was sacked from his job, whose gay boyfriend deserted him and eventually he attempted suicide. Even then he failed his attempt. What could be more loserly than that? Yet, he had the wisdom and strength within him and when situation presented itself he rose to the occasion and provided the support and encouragement that his nephew needed.
Second quote was by the grandfather, a drug addict who was kicked out of the home because he was foulmouthed and often behaved inappropriately. Yet he loved his family. Olive, the granddaughter was afraid to be a loser and that was what her grandfather shared with her.
What i love about the show is how everyone came together and how much they loved the family despite their dysfunctions. From the perspective of the society they do fit the loser definition and yet they are winners in so many ways.
I feel that each of us has our own dysfunction. With that we also have our strength and wisdom. No one is perfect and it's so just tiring to chase after perfection. I always believe that no one is too rich to receive and too impoverished to give. And i don't mean it just materially. I've learned so much from patients whom I've worked with. One may ask since their lives are in such a mess, what can they offer me that I don't already know? Well, plenty. For one I'm amazed at how they struggle to pick up their lives, how brave they are in trying to make amends to those whom they have hurt, how they try to lift their heads up again to a society that doesn't quite understand and trust them. That's tough.
I've always been fortunate with my lot. I've received a good education, smart enough, people are okay with me and some are even fond of me. I'm not rich but i don't have to worry about not having enough. I was not the most popular in school but i wasn't the one who got bullied either. I have enough friends whom i know will be there for me. My family is far from perfect but I still have them and their love and support. Sometimes it's hard for me to imagine how it's like to be the marginalised and the outcast. From my patients' experiences i learned how blessed I am to not have to go through those feelings.
I love movies, books and plays that make me think; that provide me with snapshots of what i don't experience in my own life. Stories that are not perfect yet reflective of life. Stories that provide hope for the losers, the odd one out, the too late too little. Little Miss Sunshine certainly does all that for me.
Go watch it if you need a great dose of laughter and tears.
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