MovieChat Forums > Little Miss Sunshine (2006) Discussion > Grandpa taught Olive to dance that way b...

Grandpa taught Olive to dance that way because....

posted 14 years ago by SaCha1689
34 replies | jump to latest

He clearly established himself as a sexist pig earlier in the film.

He advises Dwayne he should "f'k a lotta women." He doesn't tell him to find a nice girlfriend or anything, but to go out and get some @ss, date women just to sleep with them, turn every woman you look at into a number, etc. Because clearly to have slept with a high number of hot broads is one's ultimate goal; which is behavior that would get women labeled as sluts but would improve the status of the guy.

So of course he would teach a little girl how to do a sexy dance for an audience. In his mind, Olive is going to eventually work as a stripper or some other position that uses sex to further her place in the world. He told her straight-out he didn't love her for her brains or personality, but because she's beautiful. That's pretty telling of his attitude about women. If he'd advise a teenage boy to sleep around, then he'd certainly train a little girl how to be like one of those easy broads that become just another tally for promiscuous men.

This movie does have some merits, but I can't help finding the ending disturbing. The family applauds Olive for exploiting herself sexually in front of an audience and tell her that Grandpa would be proud. I can't consider that a "happy ending." Olive is going to be one messed up kid.

I wish Dylan Thomas was real so I could tell him he's awesome.

[–] LudwigVanGoldfish 14 years ago

Grandpa taught Olive to swim against the current.

That makes you unpopular with the popular.

As a result, for the first time in the movie, the whole family acted as a family. You know, all for one and one for all?

And don't forget, Grandpa can say what he wants "'cause he's got Nazi bullets in his ass" !

Questions?

Look where no one else is looking and see what no one else sees.

[–] kolnoaMograbi 11 years ago

How did you change the Subject line? I've tried but it always reverts to the original one.

When you think of garbage, think of Hakim!

[–] Fully_Loaded 10 years ago

I so wanted to see her shine and do a fantastic dance

[–] Detective_Michael_Scarn 14 years ago

I don't think you understood the ending at all.

Olive's dance, while sexual on the surface, was actually innocent and child-like. Grandpa wasn't teaching her to be a slut, she didn't even know that the dance had any sexual connotations.

"Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist." -- George Carlin

[–] hppg 14 years ago

No one was a slut. The other girls were being sexualised at a young age (by their parents and pageant owners) but they were not sluts. I don't think they realised what they were doing just like Olive didn't. They certainly weren't having promiscuous sex which is the actual meaning of a slut. It's a little rude to refer to 7 year olds like that.

Other than that you're right though. Olive's dance WAS fairly innocent, she had no idea what was going on, and the point was that people were horrified by it when the other girls were worse.

As to why grandpa taught it, I don't think he only thought women were good for sex. I think it was either a very subtle way of mocking them or he was so old he hadn't realised it was inappropriate.

[–] Detective_Michael_Scarn 14 years ago

"No one was a slut. The other girls were being sexualised at a young age (by their parents and pageant owners) but they were not sluts. I don't think they realised what they were doing just like Olive didn't. They certainly weren't having promiscuous sex which is the actual meaning of a slut. It's a little rude to refer to 7 year olds like that."

Yeah, I guess you're right. Of course they weren't actually sluts, but they were certainly being sexualized to a disturbing extent. Olive on the other was just doing the stupid dance that she was taught by her crazy old grandpa, who obviously loved her very much regardless of what he thought about women in general (and I think he was just BS-ing about that anyway; I don't think he actually hated women).

And I would never refer to a 7 year old as a slut in real life... but when it comes to fictional characters I don't see the rudeness.

"Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist." -- George Carlin

[–] hppg 14 years ago

Yeah, the "*beep* a lot of women" and "there were two men to every man" thing was just the angst of a grumpy old person, I don't think there was hidden misogynism.

Both Olive and the other girls were just doing dances they were taught and I don't think any of them realised what might or might not be sexual - the difference was Olive was enjoying herself more.

It's not so much rude as inappropriate, I guess because of me the word "slut" has connotations you can't really say about a kid without it basically being sick, if that makes sense.

[–] Detective_Michael_Scarn 14 years ago

Yea, it makes sense. I guess my choice of words was a bit poor.

"Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist." -- George Carlin

[–] jypsigal 14 years ago

where they characters though? i thought i read that the other children were real pagent children.

[–] gizmomogwai 14 years ago

They certainly weren't having promiscuous sex which is the actual meaning of a slut

Actually the correct definition of a slut is a dirty, untidy woman. The pageant girls wouldn't qualify; I can't think of anyone in the movie who would.

[–] stuey_mac 14 years ago

"He told her straight-out he didn't love her for her brains or personality, but because she's beautiful."

I watched it last night but I may have heard it wrong so if someone could confirm this - When he was speaking to her in the hotel room, I'm pretty sure he said 'I love you, not just because of your brains or your personality, but because your beautiful, inside and out', also you have to look at it in context, he was answering her question of 'do you think I'm pretty?'

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] hppg 10 years ago

Yeah in the 1800s. It's not the 1800s any more.

[–] kolnoaMograbi 11 years ago

I agree with your analysis, and actually blogged the same thing, if anyone's interested: http://standByYourName.blogspot.co.il/2013/07/pimping-our-daughters.html

When you think of garbage, think of Hakim!

[–] hppg 11 years ago

Yeah. Definitely meant to be ironic how the others were much more sexual yet Olive's was seen as the extreme...

Re-read my post and not sure about grandpa and women. I don't think he had a dislike for women, but maybe I was wrong. I haven't seen the film for a while.

I agree with you about surnames, you're wrong about circumcision though!

[–] velcronewsletter 10 years ago

the actual meaning of the word slut means an untidy unhygienic person, usually a woman

[–] Gilmarien 13 years ago

exactly right. Very few people got this. (This has got a bit far from the original comment I was responding to -- the one about the essential innocence of Olive's dance vs. the unpleasant and disturbing sexuality of the other contestants, forced upon them by the contest mentality and their parents' competitiveness.)

How did it come to this?

[–] trehon 13 years ago

I agree that grandpa was not someone who should have been allowed alone with Olive. I think he intentionally overdosed because he was having inappropriate thoughts about Olive and chose to kill himself rather than hurt her.

The ending showed just how dysfunctional that family was. They didn't even realize the problems that were staring them in the face. They were at the beginning of their problems, not at the end. They were just now getting to a place where they could begin healing as a family.

The reason I think grandpa killed himself on purpose is because Dwayne asked Uncle Frank not to kill himself on Dwayne's watch. Uncle Frank said I wouldn't do that to you. Ironically grandpa killed himself to protect Olive as well.

Pedo themes are obvious in the movie -- the leather jacket guy in the audience, the commentator for the fashion show, and grandpa. The three tie in together. We the audience just don't get that until the end.

[–] Thryth 13 years ago

I don't think there is anything in the film to suggest that the grandpa was having inappropriate thoughts about Olive. I'm sorry, but I think you must have completely misinterpreted his character. He was eccentric and addicted to drugs but he wasn't a bad guy.

I also don't think the biker dude in the audience was a pedophile, or the host of the show either, for that matter. There is simply nothing to suggest it. Where are you getting all of this? This movie is not that dark.

[–] blessedcursor 13 years ago

I don't think there is anything in the film to suggest that the grandpa was having inappropriate thoughts about Olive. I'm sorry, but I think you must have completely misinterpreted his character.

Remember, grandpa was the one who referred to the "young stuff" the best stuff in the world. Even if he was only referring to teenage girls, it still puts him on the hot seat. As for the pageant host, I'd have to say he was either a pedophile or off the chart gay. Either way, a few of his expressions toward the girls' performances were beyond inappropriate.

Contrary to popular belief, I didn't feel the biker was a pedophile, but perhaps included in the script as a control (or decoy).

It's not a dark film, but it IS quite perverse and deserving of controversy.

[–] Radiant_Rose 13 years ago

I wouldn't say Olive was exploiting herself sexually. She was performing a routine that was inappropriate for someone of her age (although in a less sexualised outfit than her competitors). I think it would be hard to argue that it was a suitable dance routine for a 7 year old. But, in her head, she was just performing the dance routine that she had rehearsed. In her mind, she was fulfilling her dream and her grandfather's dream.

I was so pleased when her father, having been sent on stage to take her away, decided to show some solidarity with her and join in.

I doubt that she would perform a simular routine again, at least, not until she grew up (in which case, who knows?) Although in theory she was still eligible to enter pageants in 49 US states, there would certainly be nobody in her family to go over her routine.

It's enough to make a cat laugh.

[–] louise-c93 13 years ago

The grandfather didn't committ suicide, it was an accidental overdose.
The dance may have been inapropriate for her age, but it was the least inapproprite there. It was ironic that people criticsed Olive who was the least sexualised canidate.
I also liked that the dance was kind of sticking it to the man.

[–] blessedcursor 13 years ago

Essie-

Sexism may not be the only issue here. Consider grandpa's statement that there's "nothing better in the world than that young stuff". With this, it's not a leap to suggest that grandpa was sublimating his perversions through little Olive and her dance routine. The only question is whether we can call it sublimation.

He told her straight-out he didn't love her for her brains or personality, but because she's beautiful.

He does qualify "beautiful" with "inside and out", but that only makes the whole statement a contradiction. I'll give the benefit of the doubt and call it bad writing. Even so, I agree that grandpa has a poor image of women.

This movie does have some merits, but I can't help finding the ending disturbing.

I find it disturbing for more reasons than you state, and I agree with the poster who said the other girls were "worse" (i.e. more exploited)--and with the help of their own parents.

[–] hppg 10 years ago

There were a lot of creeps in the film but I didn't get that vibe from grandpa. he was obviously just old and a little bit of a nutter.

Re the young stuff - quite inappropriate but he was saying these things because he had no inhibitions left, also he didn't seem to show much interest in young women himself any more (he loved the women in the nursing home!), he was saying that to Dwayne, I think he was reminiscing and exaggerating. We never saw him acting lecherously towards women (okay there weren't many opportunities, but had it been intended I think they would have written one in).

And the beautiful inside and out thing was a joke, he said he only liked her for her looks not to be creepy but specifically to reassure her. He was so sweet to her despite being such a weird old man to everyone else. It wasn't bad writing, I think it was intentional that he said looks but then mentioned "inside and out" (so that she knew it was both).

[–] DanaShelbyChancey 10 years ago

It was great at the diner, when Richard was telling Olive not to eat ice cream or else she'd get fat, and everyone was rolling their eyes.

Grandpa said "Richard's an idiot, I like a woman with meat on her bones" That is something you never hear in this society! A woman being appreciated for not being a stick insect!

[–] lanis_cupus 13 years ago

bump

[–] bratty_emo 12 years ago

Yeah, the grandpa had a very twisted idea of what women are for..'just to *beep*'
And he was transforming Olive into what he thought a girl should be like.

[–] cyber___ 12 years ago

Wow, I'm really surprised how many got the impression that the grandpa taught Olive that dance in any kind of "sexual" way. I (and every single person I know who saw this film) saw it as the grandpa's way to completely mock these disgusting pageants.

I thought it was absolutely hilarious. I almost keeled over laughing during that entire scene.

There is no good or evil, only different opinions

[–] purplebear17 12 years ago

When I first saw the movie I didn't like the grandpa. Now that I am older I find the grandpa weird and he seems like an ass hole.

[–] Tracey73 12 years ago

Wow, I'm really surprised how many got the impression that the grandpa taught Olive that dance in any kind of "sexual" way. I (and every single person I know who saw this film) saw it as the grandpa's way to completely mock these disgusting pageants.

Exactly how I saw it, also. Olive dancing in her outfit was a way of mocking what actually goes on in those "glitz" pageants. And IMO it's what made that whole scene hilarious.

I've seen plenty (on tv) where 5 year olds are in bikinis, plastered with 10 lbs of make-up, and a wig while grinding worse than a stripper. Now THAT is disturbing ...

I'm reaching for the life within me. How can one man stop his ending. ~ Blue October

[–] Winter23 11 years ago

I think the grandpa went to a lot of strip clubs and watched sexy movies --these were the only moves he knew. He was trying to be helpful. I liked him.