When The Sunshine Turns Into A Shadow 4v304q

When the Sunshine

Running Head: WHEN THE SUNSHINE TURNS INTO A SHADOW

When the Sunshine Turns Into a Shadow Gina Edwards PSY 332 03-13-2009

When the Sunshine Turns Into a Shadow

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When the Sunshine

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Sheryl: “Frank, I’m so glad you’re still here!” Frank: “That makes one of us.”

Major depression is a period of someone’s life characterized by complete relinquishment of the will to live. As evidenced by the quotations to the left, Steve Carell’s character, Frank, from Little Miss Sunshine is facing this incredibly debilitating mental disorder. After attempting suicide by slitting his wrists, not only must Frank cope with his past failures from which he tried to escape, but also with the heavy emotional turmoil and road to recovery in his future. Often times, Hollywood’s profit-hungry perspective is a deterrent from portraying the mental health discipline accurately. Instead, both

patients and doctors are shown in a false light of extremism or absurdity to enhance the film’s billing, whether provocative or humorous. In a recent study, researchers found that the “movie industry represents little –if any-- of the complexity of psychological science” and “frequently depict[s] stereotypical conventions and caricatures of the discipline” (Orchowski, Spickard & McNamara 2006). This kind of misrepresentation can cause serious repercussions surrounding the stigma of mental illness in today’s society. However, I felt that in Little Miss Sunshine Frank was depicted in a realistic yet downplayed role. It was clear that the directors were less preoccupied with sensationalism and more focused on making characters as realistic and believable as possible. As Frank’s condition is evaluated in the context of the film, the validity of his portrayal as a depressed and suicidal man can be examined and verified. Although the film never directly states a diagnosis, it’s quite evident that Frank is likely suffering from the mood disorder of major depression. According to Abnormal Psychology: Core Concepts, depressed people must have symptoms such as “feelings of worthlessness or

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guilt, thoughts of suicide… fatigue… and changes in appetite and sleep patterns” (Butcher, Mineka, Hooley 2008). During the film, Frank exudes several of these symptoms. These specifiers --especially the cognitive ones-- are ever-present despite his intermittent positive affect. The doctor at the beginning of the movie advises Sheryl to ensure that Frank stays away from sharp objects and is around people at all times; obviously his fear was that Frank would attempt suicide again. All of Frank’s problems, from his spurned romantic advances to losing his job continue weighing on him since he was unsuccessful in “completing” his suicide. Since “most attempts occur in the context of interpersonal discord or other severe life stress,” (Butcher 2008) it would be likely that Frank would attempt once more. When viewers initially “meet” Frank, he’s sitting in a wheelchair and staring out the window of a hospital. Bandages are on his wrists, and his tired eyes are glazed with tears. The expression on his face tells the story of his path to hitting rock bottom. He is understandably sad and quiet, and the disappointment that he “failed” in ending his life permeates his appearance, demeanor, and attitude. Soon his sister Sheryl comes to pick him up, and Frank must assimilate to new surroundings as he prepares to live with her and her family. When they arrive home, Frank’s niece, Olive, receives news that she has qualified for the “Little Miss Sunshine” pageant and the entire six-person family prepares to take a lengthy road trip together in a yellow Volkswagen bus. As the movie rolls onward, there is no indication that Frank is acting abnormally. Though his demeanor is rather demure and reserved, he hasn’t completely isolated himself. He is very kind to everyone in his sister’s family except for his brother-in-law. (This will be further discussed later in the paper.) It’s clear that Frank is struggling with a great deal of emotional

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turmoil, but he resigns himself to go along with his sister and her family since she has taken him in and is prepared to help him. Throughout the entire time in the van with his dysfunctional family Frank does not show that he is particularly distraught or upset. Frank’s mental status is still very functional as evidenced by his outward appearance. He is well-kept and dresses nicely. His hair and beard are maintained, and during one of the scenes at a hotel, he’s shown washing his face and shaving. There are even many moments in which he makes jokes and acts animatedly. For example, he teases Olive when she won’t eat her ice cream, and jokes sarcastically with his brother-in-law and Dwayne. His intellectual functioning and decision making are still intact, and he’s still able to hold intelligent conversations and be aware of the choices that he makes and all of his other mental processes. Further strengthening the above argument, there are various scenes throughout the film where Frank’s intelligence is emphasized. A couple of times during the movie Frank has to help push the dilapidated van to start moving, and he wittily mentions that he is a “pre-eminent Proust scholar.” There’s no indication that he has lost any of these strengths or abilities through his depression. During a particular scene that I found rather moving, Frank is talking to his nephew, Dwayne, about the struggles of life. They discuss how the periods of deepest suffering and despair can truly define character, strength, and emotional depth. This intellectual and spiritual conversation illustrates Frank’s reflection upon his own experience with depression, and his hope to relay these paradigms about life to Dwayne, who is dealing with similar frustrations and sadness. Although Frank’s depression and struggles have significantly altered his perspective about life, he’s still able to look past his own tragedies and help others by sharing his grief. According to the DSM multiaxal assessment, Frank’s condition can be plotted on the various axes. In Axis I, Frank’s major depressive disorder could be listed. Axes II and III would

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be empty, because no personality disorder is evident, and there are no apparent medical conditions that the viewer is aware of. Under Axis IV there could be many different environmental stressors listed including an intense romantic failure, career disappointment, his homosexual stigma, and getting fired. In Axis V, where Frank’s ability to function would be listed, he would most likely have a moderate number. Although he is definitely in a very deep sadness, it has not completely hindered his ability to function in other realms of his life. Since the setting of the movie is transient, Frank encounters many different environmental influences. Before he committed suicide, he lived as a prominent professor on a college campus. Now, he must adjust to the daily life of a typical middle class family. For example, the first night at his sister’s house he must sleep in the same room as Dwayne because he’s not allowed to be alone. Subsequently, he has to travel in a cramped van with five other people. During the road trip, they make a pit stop at a gas station and Frank unexpectedly runs into the student that he fell in love with while being a professor. He sees his former student with another man, the professor that usurped his position at the college and beat him out for a prominent award. This encounter causes his temporarily improved mood to spiral back downward into depressed heartache. Not only do Frank’s environmental surroundings have an effect on how he deals with his depression, but also his relationship with each of the family . His sister Sheryl is very warm and caring. She just wants to help him recover from his mental breakdown, and is very ive of him. On the other hand, Frank’s brother-in-law is very cold and indifferent to him. He treats him as an inconvenience to their family, and even tells his daughter Olive that he is a “sick man” and “messed up” in the head. Olive is far too young to understand the complexities of what Frank has gone through, so she deems it all as “silly.” Sheryl’s son Dwayne, who has taken a vow of silence, actually connects with Frank the most and brings about his introspective

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monologue toward the end of the movie. There is a great deal of evidence that Dwayne is depressed as well, and there is a definite duality between the two characters. In addition, there is no indication that Frank receives any kind of treatment for his condition. Other than the scene at the beginning when Frank is at the hospital, viewers do not see the prescription of any medication, diagnosis, or referral for therapy. This error further validates a mistaken notion that a person could theoretically “bounce back” from suicide without any kind of professional assistance. A notion like this could be very detrimental to people’s perception of suicide and its effects on people. According to (Butcher 2008), “many patients who suffer from mood disorders… never seek treatment, and without formal treatment, the great majority of… depressed patients will recover (often only temporarily) within a year.” Thus, Frank’s rapid improvement throughout the film would be an unlikely occurrence. Because the movie focused on showing the dynamics of the family as a whole, the typical Hollywood distortion wasn’t present when depicting Frank’s character. The directors didn’t try to drastically alter his personality or actions to make the movie more dramatic. They likely downplayed the severity of Frank’s condition due to the sheer number of “main” characters in the story. It would have been difficult to explore a great amount of depth for any one of the characters. Frank actually represses a great deal of his sadness and heartache because he knows that it will make the entire road trip easier on his sister. This act is especially realistic of human nature and sacrifices of love. Even though a person may be plagued with a mental illness like depression, they often still possess the cognizance of another’s well-being. Consequently they might hold back their symptoms for their loved ones’ sake, even if it might be emotionally debilitating and painful for them.

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If I could change the movie, I would emphasize Frank’s condition to a greater degree. Although the depiction in the film may have been more realistic due to the circumstances, his condition was downplayed to the point that it lessened the severity of Frank’s mental state as a survivor of suicide. People in this condition are often quite volatile and in need of professional help---Frank merely faded back into normalcy. This could cause some significant misperceptions about those recovering from depression and attempted suicide. Unknowing people might think that it is something just to “overcome,” and that its importance is not so serious. Any time that a creative program attempts to mimic reality, whether it be a movie, television show, or even “reality t.v.,” there are bound to be factual errors and reinforced stereotypes. These misrepresentations are what feed a great portion of our society’s misunderstanding of mental illness and its ramifications upon those afflicted. Little Miss Sunshine gives a rather accurate portrayal of the sociological dynamics of a dysfunctional family and very realistic representations of human emotions. Though they might have erred in downgrading the severity of Frank’s depression, this film gave a substantially factual look at how even the strangest of circumstances can serve as a cathartic experience. One can only hope that as that iconic yellow van disappeared into the fading sunlight and the credits began to roll, a sense of hope was instilled into those experiencing Frank’s condition in real life, day in and day out. And perhaps his courageous and ionate portrayal was the inspiration for at least one person to seek help, and move out of their shadow and into the sunshine.

When the Sunshine

References Butcher, J.N., Mineka, S., & Hooley, J. M. (2008). Abnormal Psychology: Core Concepts. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. Orchowski, L. M., Spickard, B.A., McNamara, J.R. (2006). Cinema and the Valuing of Psychotherapy: Implications for Clinical Practice. Professional Psychology: Research

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And Practice, Vol. 37(No. 5), 506-514.

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