She picks up the cards while in the waiting room at the hospital. She even asks her Mom to take the test then but she says no. Olive then puts them in her purse.

Honestly, I missed it the first time, but try watching either more carefully or once again and I bet you will enjoy it more.

Question #1. Dwayne is under 18 and Dwayne does not speak. Therefore, any mother who has any protectiveness about her is not going to leave her son home alone under those circumstances.

Question #4. I see this as highly unlikely, but more symbolic and giving us a deeper glimpse into his struggle.

Question #10. We saw Olive pick these up in the hospital waiting room.

Question #14. B/c the guy running the sound had already voiced earlier that the pageant people were nuts and he probably found the whole situation quite amusing-both Olive’s act and the director’s reaction.

Question #15. Because he is trying to grab Olive.

Question #17. This is what makes this movie such a jewel. The comedy and drama is so cleverly intertwined. It’s kind of like what Aaron Sorkin did in the TV series Sportsnight.

Question #18. This movie is a character study of a “disfunctional” family who, in the end, aren’t that different from you and me. The chemistry between the actors is outstanding. The story takes the simplest and most common of tasks and situations and makes them interesting, even humorous. The many moments in the movie are what make it special, from the reconciliation between father and son, to a sister comforting a brother. I hold this movie dear and felt it necessary to defend it.

One random fact: since Little Miss Sunshine won the SAG award for best ensemble film cast and The Office won for best ensemble TV cast, Steve Carrell got both awards. Do you think he’s the first actor in history who won in both categories in the same year? Tom Hanks didn’t win for Bosom Buddies and Splash, did he?

Believe me, I won’t rest until this post takes second place to the one on Leonardo DiCaprio!

Very impressive performance. I admit, I actually buy several of your answers.

If there was one post on this blog I’ve regretted more than any other, it’s this one. It’s not that I changed my mind radically on Little Miss Sunshine–I still think its wackiness is contrived, many of its situations are familiar and unbelievable, and it’s only funny in fits and starts–but that anyone who reads this post gets the sense that I am a dour, petty boor who doesn’t know how to have fun. (That may be true, but you should at least spend several nights hanging around my sorry ass before you come to that conclusion…)

When the family gets ready to leave on the trip to the beauty pageant in California, why exactly must Dwayne come?

He’s 15. Any parent, especially a worried one, would have issues leaving a 15 year old alone for a weekend.

What diner anywhere in the United States includes numerous entree items for under $4? Seriously, tell me. I’ll eat there.

http://www.dallasdinesout.com/restrant/s/shadyside/shadyside.htm “Breakfast $3 to $8″

Why would any mechanic in his right mind suggest that somebody drive a car that can’t shift from first to second gear, and then help them push the car so it goes fast enough to shift from neutral to second?

A sleazy one who doesn’t want this problem of a broken down VW bus in his shop, or some other reason he wants them to get out of there.

After all the other wackiness, did you really expect us to buy the fact that Frank’s rival and the man Frank loved both happen to be at the same random truckstop in Arizona at the same time as Frank and the rest of his family?

They were travelling to a conference, something related to Proust, people cross paths.

If the family is so concerned about cash, why do they get three motel rooms for six people?

Perhaps some family special? Get two rooms, 3rd one free?

Why do the kids hanging out outside the motel lend Richard one of their mopeds? Couldn’t he have just gotten them to help launch the VW van?

Sure, but then you wouldn’t get to see Greg Kinear on a loud moped.

What’s the point of Richard finding Stan Grossman at his hotel in Scottsdale?

We need to see him try and “Refuse to lose,” but still lose.

Why do they steal Grandpa’s body? If they’re doing something illegal anyway, why don’t they just leave it there, come back and face the consequences on the way back?

Family ties, If they steal it and get away with it, no police, leave, come back, who knows what they’d do with the body?

How is it that Dwayne, a kid who has dedicated his life to getting into Air Force flight school, doesn’t know that being color-blind will derail his goal?

He’s a kid. Not every teeny bit would be planned through. I will admit, as a colorblind person myself, that it’s hard for him to not find out in early childhood. In washington state at least, there’s color testing in kindergarden and lower grades.

Why is Olive showing him eye-test flashcards in the first place? Is that something you usually pack for rushed beauty pageant roadtrips?

She jacked them from the hospital’s brochure rack.

When it becomes clear that Dwayne is color-blind, even if he doesn’t know it will disqualify him for flight school, why does he write “What?” on his pad? He’s not deaf, he can hear Frank tell his parents that he’s color-blind.

What? can also mean, please clarify, give me more information, etc…

Was that little black girl in the pageant a little black girl or an adult midget? There’s no way she’s a real child; her forehead is too big.

All the girls were actual pagent girls, who compete in real life. Real child.

If the family is so committed to Olive’s goal of winning beauty pageants, how is it that they have no idea what Olive’s dance routine will be like? Did they never hear the music? Never watch her practice?

She picked it up over spring break, it was a farily new thing for her.

When the director of the pageant decides that Olive’s routine is too racy, why don’t they just turn off the music?

Because the Techie is on Olive’s side. WOO! Go techies!

Why does Frank tackle the host?

??? If you mean Richard, the father, he was protecting Olive. I wouldn’t want that creepy host touching my daughter, if I had one.

Why doesn’t Olive, who at this point is clearly sensitive about being inferior to the other girls, show the slightest glimmer of recognition that her routine is a debacle? Do parents usually come up on stage during the talent competition and start grinding?

She does, but she keeps trying to impress people. And with the family, if you’re family is going along with it, and helping you, to a little girl, that means the whole world is with you.

With all of this contrived wackiness Blah Blah Blah (MOWC: “Was there a question there?”) (MOWC, Personality #2: “Now there is.”)

It’s a movie! As soon as the movie is made, the directors and people who really care about the art of the movie are done, then the businessmen take over. End of story.

(Bows)