"Jeff, Who Lives at Home" vs. "Little Miss Sunshine"

    “Jeff, Who Lives at Home” and “Little Miss Sunshine” are more alike than they are different.  The two main characters in both movies are introduced in a very similar way through the works of cinematography.  They are also comparable in the set - up of each story. The elements of narrative also play a big part in both movies.

            In the beginning of “Jeff Who Lives at Home” the cinematography goes to work instantly. The camera is right  up in Jeff’s face, and all his feelings are evident through his expressions, as he watches the TV.  Then the camera slowly pulls away to reveal a trashed, dump of a basement.  In the rest of the movie the camera uses wide angles, and the viewer isn’t so involved in the character’s lives and mind as it seems in the beginning. In “Little Miss Sunshine” the movie starts out with the camera right up in the face of Olive Hoover portrayed by Abigail Breslin. She’s intently staring at the TV.  All her emotions, thoughts, and a sense of longing are pouring out of her face and onto the movie screen. The camera is once again allowing the viewer to feel everything the character is feeling, by getting up in the actor’s face. Then the camera slowly pulls away to reveal a trashed living room. Again the rest of the movie is filmed with the camera at a distance, and there aren’t any more up close in their face shots. 

             The movies are also similar in the use of elements of narrative. The scene In “Jeff, Who Lives at Home” when Pat goes running after Linda (in the traffic) echos “Little Miss Sunshine” when Dwayne flips out and runs down the hill to recover from just finding out he’s colorblind. The moms in both movies are the first ones to go see about their kids.  Both movies are about following dreams. Both Jeff and Olive had to do their own thing whether or not their families understood.  Family problems had to happen in both movies in order to bring both families together in the end. Olive’s beauty pageant trip and Jeff’s “Kevin obsession” in the end brought both families closer. 

            “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Jeff, Who Lives at Home” have very different actors and family types. One family only has a mom and two boys, and the other family is a dad, a mom, sister, brother, uncle and grandpa.  The families are different, but the problems, main characters, and resolution have a lot in common.