"He looks back and decides that all those years he suffered, those were the best years of his life, 'cause they made him who he was. All those years he was happy? You know, total waste."
Frank, a chracter from Little Miss Sunshine who has definitely had his fair share of suffering says this to Dwayne while on the subject of broken dreams. Dwayne can't fly jets because he's colorblind and Frank lost his lover and title. Despite the series of events that led to Frank attempting suicide, he says that the years you suffer are the best years of your life. And that's the entire movie: success and failure aren't black and white, and happiness doesn't come from consistent and continuous success. Suffering is a learning experience and teaches us the virue of happiness. Though Olive lost her beauty pageant, Richard lost his deal, Dwayne lost his dream, the trip gave their dysfunctional family a chance to learn and become closer.
"Stars can't shine without darkness"
This quote is way too cliché, but it's well-known for a reason. Frank, and everyone else as well, all learn and gain experience through the bad moments of life. Though the movie isn't your classic "happy ending", it leaves you with a warm feeling at the end, with everyone riding their dysfunctional van off into the sunset. You know that all the characters have suffered losses throughout the trip - whether through a loved one or through failure - but you also know that they've learned to accept their mistakes and circumstances and to work through them.
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