Family Practice: Little Miss Sunshine
Disclaimer: This is a very self-indulgent example on my part. As one of my favourite movies of all time, I take any opportunity to talk about LMS. And, as it happens, it's a great example of how different systems look within a family unit and how other people may respond to traumatic experiences. Multiple generations living within the same household, suicide, marital conflict, a teenager going through a bit of an identity crisis, and so much more.
From a family systems perspective, the disruption of the nuclear family is at play. At a point in time, the family unit was composed of the mother (Sheryl), father (Richard), son (Dwayne) and daughter (Olive). They played their own role in slightly disrupted ways. We find out that Sheryl is the primary income earner, as Richard pursues a... unique career as a motivational speaker. Dwayne and Olive have a considerable age gap, possibly implying she was not planned. Dwayne is at the stage of identity formation, taking extreme steps to show his dedication to his future by taking a vow of silence until he reaches his goal of joining the flight academy.
Off screen, their family system becomes disrupted when Richard's father, Edwin, moves in with them. In some cultures, it is expected that older parents move in with their children; however, the audience can easily tell this is not the case. It creates a "sandwich generation" relationship, as Richard now has to provide for his own family as well as his father. This becomes a source of embarrassment, as Richard is barely providing for his family, if not for his wife.
The catalyst for further disruption occurs at the beginning of the movie, where we see Sheryl pick up with brother, Frank, from the hospital. He has recently attempted suicide and requires 24/7 monitoring, and Sheryl invited him to live with her family.
This movie offers many thought experiments throughout its runtime, as we see characters navigate their own disruptions as well as their interactions with each other. For example, we can recognize Richard's complete lack in TIC as he skirts around the topic of Frank's suicide attempt, going as far as calling him a loser when Olive asks why he did it. Sheryl and Richard would benefit from a type of couple's support, as we see them having a blow-out fight over income and impending divorce. Edwin is misusing heroin, and Dwayne has a complete identity crisis when he learns he is colour blind.
If not evident by now, I could do a full character study on each of these characters. I feel as though individual counselling would be the best course of action before family counselling (if they were to reach out for social work support), with the admission of Olive, who is still quite young. Taking a family systems approach may be revealing in understanding where each member sees themselves within the unit and how outside expectations around occupation, income, and gender roles influence their decisions.
