Music
The music in Little Miss Sunshine plays a big role in the movie. In some scenes there is music playing in the background that really help establish the mood. For example when Olive is dancing to Super freak it really sets the tone for the scene. We expect this to be a humorous scene because Olive is a young girl and to see her dancing to this song just makes you giggle. One thing you notice is that all the other girls in the pageant are dancing to more subtle music. Their hair and makeup is overdone. Meanwhile Olive does not have any makeup on and is dancing to one of Rick James's hit.
Another example of how music has an affect in Little Miss Sunshine is in the scene where music is used efficiently is where Richard and Sheryl are arguing. There is no music in the background. In this part of the movie we see the family struggling and when Richard and Sheryl are arguing it lets the audience know there are problems in the marriage. It lets the mood of the scene sink into your brain and you know the characters are not what they appear to be. Everything is not good they are problems and this is one of them.
Another example of how music has an affect in Little Miss Sunshine is in the scene where music is used efficiently is where Richard and Sheryl are arguing. There is no music in the background. In this part of the movie we see the family struggling and when Richard and Sheryl are arguing it lets the audience know there are problems in the marriage. It lets the mood of the scene sink into your brain and you know the characters are not what they appear to be. Everything is not good they are problems and this is one of them.
This scene is a great example of how music can affect a scene. As Dwayne realizes he is color blind you can hear drums being played very lightly. This could be used to intensify the seriousness of the situation. When the van comes to a complete stop there is no music being played. This allows the depth of the situation to sink in. At this moment you feel pity for Dwayne because he went through so much to find out he couldn't be a pilot.