FAMILY AND DEPRESSION
The story focuses on the Hoover family. There is very little happiness in the family as we glimpse into this moment in their lives. Richard, the father, is having trouble with his career. Grandpa has been kicked out of his retirement home. Uncle Frank has recently attempted suicide. Teenage Dwayne has taken a vow of silence. Young Olive, despite her family’s apparent misery, energetically enters a regional children’s beauty pageant. This all sets the stage for a family road trip from New Mexico to California to allow Olive to achieve her dreams. Everyone piles in their old Volkswagen bus and hits the road, each bringing his or her own baggage.
The story is simple, but the emotions behind the characters are resonant and real. Everything that may cause pain is used as an opportunity for comedy. The dejection hits you hard and the comedy even harder.
