Directed by

Jonathan

Dayton and

Valerie

Faris

Christine Wells

2006

Learning Intentions

Think critically to identify and describe the key aspects of a visual text.

Develop self direction, responsibility, initiative, cooperation,

adaptability, and accountability while working with others.

Develop creativity and innovation skills by creating an original and

engaging film.

Develop critical thinking and evaluation by writing blog posts.

Develop ICT literacy skills.

5 credits

each

Success Criteria

Demonstrate knowledge of the key aspects of a visual text by

creating and producing an engaging film and writing 2 blog posts.

Demonstrate social responsibility by working collaboratively and

cooperatively in a group.

Demonstrate improvement in ICT literacy by showing initiative,

flexibility and adaptability.

Demonstrate global awareness by publishing your film and blog

posts on the line.

Plot

Describe what is

happening in each

picture and include

dialogue where

appropriate.

Include images

from the film to

help show the plot.

Create a 10 point

timeline to show the

main events in the

film.

Film Techniques

• Establishing shot

• Long shot

• High angle

• Low angle

• Medium close up

• Mid shot

• Close up

• Extreme close up

• Extreme long shot

• Ditch tilt

After watching the video on film

techniques, work in pairs to create your

own presentation to explain film

techniques.

Include

Gathering

Processing

Thinking

Relating to others

Using language, text

and symbols

Managing self

Participating and

contributing

View the opening scene. Record

notes in the following chart:

Character Film Technique Purpose: what do we learn

about the character?

Thinking

Relating to others

Using language, text

and symbols

Managing self

Participating and

contributing

Gathering

Processing

Olive

1. Locate 3-4 pictures of Olive and import into PicCollage.

2. Around the outside, write down as many adjectives as you can.

3. For 3 of your adjectives, write down a film technique that helps to show this characteristic.

For example: Passionate about beauty pageants – close up of eyes with reflection in glasses of beauty pageant on TV.

Thinking

Using language, text and symbols

Managing self

Participating and contributing

Gathering

Processing

Olive

1. How old is Olive?

2. Describe what she looks like – what does

she wear etc.

3. Explain what Olive is interested in and

how she spends her time.

4. What are some of the things that Olive

worries about? Identify and explain an

example from the film.

5. Who inspires and supports Olive in her

family? Give at least 2 examples and

explain how.

6. Create a flow chart to describe Olive’s

journey in the film.

7. Create a Venn diagram to compare and

contrast Olive with another character.

Dwayne

1. Locate 3-4 pictures of Dwayne

and import into PicCollage.

2. Around the outside, write down

as many adjectives as you can.

3. For 3 of your adjectives, write

down a film technique that

helps to show this

characteristic.

For example: Disciplined –

overshot of Dwayne working out.

Gathering

Processing

Thinking

Using language, text and symbols

Managing self

Participating and contributing

Dwayne

1. How old is Dwayne?

2. Describe what he looks like – what does he wear etc.

3. Explain what Dwayne is interested in and how he spends

his time.

4. What are some of the things that Dwayne thinks about?

Identify and explain an example from the film.

5. Explain how Dwayne changes throughout the film. What

causes these changes?

6. Create a flow chart to describe Dwayne’s journey in the film.

7. Create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast Dwayne

with another character. Don’t compare with Olive if you have

already!

Important Relationships

In pairs, complete the following:

1. List the important relationships in the

film.

2. Choose one and answer the

following:

• Describe what kind of relationship

they have.

• List 3 reasons why you believe it was

important.

• For each reason, describe an event in

the film which supports this reason.

Gathering

Processing

Thinking

Relating to others

Using language, text and symbols

Managing self

Participating and contributing

Describe the relationship

between 2 main characters

and explain why it was

important.

Explain how film techniques

have helped you to

understand a main

character.

10

ESSAYSChoose an essay to write. You need to write at least 350

words and include visual/verbal features to support your ideas.

You essay is due...

Post on your blog.

Chapter 21

Theme 1: The Importance of Family

Event: The Beauty

Pageant

Describe the specific part

of this sequence.

Describe how the theme is

shown.

Identify the film

techniques that are used.

Thinking

Relating to others

Using language, text

and symbols

Managing self

Participating and

contributing

Gathering

Processing

Theme 1: The Importance of Family

In pairs, complete the following:

1.Describe the family at the beginning of the film.

• How did they relate to each other?

• What did they think of each other?

• Include examples.

2. Describe an event in the film that shows the family supporting each other.

3. Describe the family at the end of the film.

• How do they relate to each other?

• What do they now think of each other?

• Include examples.

Thinking

Relating to others

Using language, text

and symbols

Managing self

Participating and

contributing

Gathering

Processing

Theme 2: Success vs

Failure

Prior to writing the script, Arndt read

in a newspaper about Arnold

Schwarzenegger speaking to a

group of high school students and

saying "If there's one thing in this

world I hate, it's losers. I despise

them." As a result, Arndt developed

his script lampooning the thought

process: "And I thought there's

something so wrong with that

attitude ... I wanted to ... attack that

idea that in life you're going up or

you're going down ... So to a degree

a child beauty pageant is the

epitome of the ultimate stupid

meaningless competition people put

themselves through."

Co-director Jonathan Dayton also commented on the importance of the pageant to the film: "As far as the pageant goes, it was very important to us that the film not be about pageants. It's about being out of place, it's about not knowing where you're going to end up..."

Read Gathering

Theme 2: Success vs

FailureRead

• The Hoovers are consumed by fantasies of success that keep them locked in their separate worlds, struggling to measure up to impossibly high standards.

• Over the course of three harrowing days on a road trip, the Hoovers come face to face with the cruel limits of their dreams, opportunities and possibilities. One by one they fail, despite their best efforts, their sincere desire to succeed and their many merits as people.

Gathering

• Choose 3 characters and identify the dream that each one is trying to achieve.

• Explain whether they are successful or not.

• Describe each character’s reaction to their success or lack of success. Include a quote or film technique.

• Identify a dream that you would like to achieve.

• How will you feel if you don’t achieve it?

• What do you think you would do?• Share your ideas with your neighbour.

Theme 2: Success vs

FailureGathering

Processing

Applying

Thinking

Relating to others

Using language, text

and symbols

Managing self

Participating and

contributing

Theme 2: Success vs

Failure

Examples of Success Examples of Failure

In pairs, list examples of

success and failure from the

film.

Thinking

Relating to others

Using language, text

and symbols

Managing self

Participating and

contributing

Gathering

Processing

Symbols: The

Volkswagen

Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colours used to

represent abstract ideas or concepts.

• The Volkswagen van is old, battered, first gear doesn't work, and

the horn keeps going off. But it is in this van, the characters are

transformed.

• It reinforces the importance of family, working together for change

rather than be separated as individuals. For example, when just

one family member tries to start the van by himself he has trouble,

but when they all work together, as seen in the end of the film- they

have no trouble and even have a laugh about it.

Read Gathering

Symbols: Mirrors

• When we gaze into a mirror, our reflection returns to us, and we

see ourselves through our own eyes. What reflection we see in

our own mind can either be reality or distortion. Psychiatry

research has actually termed a body image distortion disorder for

those who look in the mirror and see themselves as something

they are not. The image reflected in the mirror can have a

profound effect upon us.

• The reflections in mirrors of some of the characters shows that

their personality is under pressure from various expectations

imposed upon them from society or from their family.

Read Gathering

Symbols: Dwayne's

Notebook

• Dwayne’s notebook is a symbol

of his vow of silence and

commitment to get into the air

force.

• It also means that he does not

have to put a lot of effort into

relationships with the people

around him by taking time to talk

to them. He is quite depressed

and not wanting to communicate

can be a symptom of

depression.

Read Gathering

Symbols

Use PicCollage to create a poster which

includes the following:

• A picture of each symbol

• An explanation of why each symbol is used.

• A description of where we see each symbol.

• Identify the character(s) that you would

associate with each symbol.

• Identify which theme you would associate

with each symbol.

Gathering

Processing

Applying

Thinking

Using language, text

and symbols

Managing self

Participating and

contributing

Identify a key theme in the

text and explain how

visual/verbal techniques

helped you to understand the

theme.

Identify a symbol(s) from the

film and explain how they

helped to portray an idea.

10

ESSAYSChoose an essay to write. You need to write at least 350

words and include visual/verbal features to support your ideas.

Your essay is due...

Post on your blog.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Miss_Sunshine

References