Drop Dead Gorgeous

(source: tmdb.org)

Many Hollywood actresses had their start in show business by taking part in beauty pageants. On the other hand, very few beauty pageant contestants, on the other hand, became screenwriters. One of those was Lona Williams, winner of 1985 Minnesota Junior Miss competition and runner-up of America’s Junior Miss competition. She used her experiences as an inspiration while writing script for Drop Dead Gorgeous, 1999 satirical black comedy directed by Michael Patrick Jann.

The film was made in the form of mockumentary and the plot, set in small Minnesota town of Mount Rose, begins in 1995 when documentary crew arrives to cover 50th local competition for American Teen Princess. Gladys Leeman (played by Kirstie Alley), wife of the richest man in town and former competition winner, is member of organisation committee, but that doesn’t prevent her for accepting her own 17-year old daughter Becky Ann (played by Denise Richards) as one of the contestants. Everyone is convinced that Becky Ann will easily win and qualify for state level contest. Things get complicated when Amber Atkins (played by Kirsten Dunst), teenager whose mother Annette Atkins (played by Ellen Barkin) also used to be competition winner. Atkinses, however, are poor and live in trailer, and things would soon get ugly for Amber. As competition nears its date, many mysterious accidents start to happen claiming the life of a teenage boy Amber was interested in and a fire destroy Amber’s home. Amber begins to doubt that Leemans are so determined to have Becky Ann win the contest that they would committ arson and murder.

Drop Dead Gorgeous was disliked by most critics after the premiere. It had less to do with the film being bad and more with not fulfilling its promise. Scriptwriter’s background should have given the basic premise of this film more authenticity, further emphasised with the use of faux documentary form. World of beauty pageants, especially when criss-crossed with hypocrisy and oppressive state of small town America, looked like a fertile soil for biting social satire. Unfortunately, both director Michael Patrick Jann and Lona Williams failed to properly handle this promising concept. While the film starts reasonably well, it soon turns out that the authors lack subtlety and go over the top in describing main characters as caricatures. This, in turn, compromises the mockumentary, because audience becomes too aware of the film’s theatricality and obvious disconnect with real world. Many of the jokes are simply not funny and inspiration clearly leaves authors during prolonged and surreal finale. General impression is slightly improved with occasional lucid moments – like when Becky Ann performs on stage during competition, which is unbelievably funny scene. The acting is also superb, which includes charming Kirsten Dunst in the role that provides anchor of normalcy for the audience. Denise Richards is brilliant, proving that even at age of 27 can play arrogant teenagers better than nuclear scientists (like the one in The World Is Not Enough). But few could match intensity of Kirstie Alley as insane stage mother. Thanks to their efforts, Drop Dead Gorgeous is more than watchable and doesn’t represent waste of time for most viewers. Although it turned into major box office flop, later the film received something of a minor cult status.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

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Drop Dead Gorgeous is a bizarre and disturbing film. The jokes are so vulgar and inappropriate that you have to ask if the filmmakers have any morals. The characters seem to be cardboard cutouts with no depth, instead of relying on stereotypes to direct their every action. So, would people despise this revolting and revolting outrage? It can, at the very least, trigger two sections of the mind to fight. Then there's the well-trained, manner-conscious, and still, respectful sub-conscious that your mother worked so hard to instil in you. Second, there's the childish legacy from your childhood years that still lingers in the depths of your head, snickering at jokes now and then. The latter will triumph, eliciting a burst of laughter and a grin on your face—however undeserved.

Drop Dead Gorgeous's crew consists of two men sent to Mount Rose, Minnesota, a small town in the United States. Every year, four people are allowed to make "the most important choices in their lives" as they judge the local beauty pageant. The Leemans, who seem to have all the money in Mount Rose, are one such family. The father, Lester (Sam McMurray), owns the local furniture store and despises Jews in particular. Gladys (Kirstie Alley) is the mother who is the president of many town councils and a former beauty pageant champion. The daughter, Becky (Denise Richards), follows in her mother's footsteps and will be the next pageant queen if Gladys has her way. So, how far will Gladys go to get what she wants?

The Atkins family is on the opposite end of the continuum. This mother-daughter couple lives in a trailer, and Loretta (Allison Janney), a neighbour, is almost always with them. Amber (Kirsten Dunst), the daughter, works two jobs to help her mother (Ellen Barkin) and dreams of leaving Mount Rose for a better life one day. The pageant was her way back.

The old law of the two main characters facing off at the end of the film still applies, but only after we've seen some of the other pageant contestants. A developmentally disabled judge, a perverted judge, a teen who speaks sign language and English simultaneously, a sex addict, and a slew of stereotypical high school ditzes are all included here.

Drop Dead Gorgeous, to put it mildly, is a guilty pleasure. I might compare the fun of this film to that of another movie about a stranger arriving in a town (her name was Debbie, and the town was Dallas), but this is a family-friendly blog.

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