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Drop Dead Gorgeous
In a small Minnesota town, the annual beauty pageant is being covered by a TV crew. Former winner Gladys Leeman wants to make sure her daughter follows in her footsteps; explosions, falling lights, and trailer fires prove that. As the Leemans are the richest family in town, the police are pretty relaxed about it all. Despite everything, main rival (but sweet) Amber Atkins won't give up without a fight.
1999 · Directed by Michael Patrick Jann · 98 min · Comedy · Screenplay in the scene database · 20 frames
Tagline
The battle between the good and the bad is about to get ugly.
Plot
In 1995, the small, conservative town of Mount Rose, Minnesota, is preparing for their annual local qualifying pageant for the national Sarah Rose Cosmetics American Teen Princess Pageant. A film crew is in town to document the pageant and its lead-up. One of the interviewees is 17-year-old Amber Atkins, who signs up for the pageant in the hopes of winning a college scholarship and following in the footsteps of her idol Diane Sawyer.
Among the other contestants are Rebecca "Becky" Leeman, the daughter of the richest man in town. Becky's mother Gladys is the head of the pageant organizing committee and a former winner. Because of the business connections between the Leemans' furniture store and the pageant judges, many fear the contest will be rigged. In the days leading up to the pageant, many odd events occur around town, such as contestant Tammy Curry being killed when her threshing machine explodes, and the death of a boy Becky liked who was interested in Amber, which is ruled as a hunting accident. Amber considers dropping out when her mother Annette's trailer explodes but remains in the competition to make her mother proud. At the dress rehearsal, a stage light knocks out contestant Jenelle Betz and renders her deaf.
On the night of the pageant, Amber's dance costume disappears. She accuses Becky of stealing it and they have a fight backstage. Pageant choreographer Chloris Klinghagen gives Amber a new costume; however, Gladys says she cannot perform as the new costume was not approved weeks earlier. Amber's fellow contestant, Lisa Swenson, takes pity on her and drops out to give Amber her costume. Amber is able to perform her tap dance number and receives a standing ovation. For her performance, Becky sings "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" while dancing with a life-sized Jesus doll on a crucifix, which amuses and horrifies the audience.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Screenplay: Lona Williams
- Cinematography: Michael Spiller
- Edited by: Janice Hampton, David Codron
- Music: Mark Mothersbaugh
- Production design: Ruth Ammon
- Produced by: Judy Hofflund, Gavin Polone
Cast
- Kirsten Dunst as Amber Atkins
- Ellen Barkin as Annette Atkins
- Denise Richards as Rebecca Ann 'Becky' Leeman
- Kirstie Alley as Gladys Leeman
- Allison Janney as Loretta
- Sam McMurray as Lester Leeman
- Mindy Sterling as Iris Clark
- Brittany Murphy as Lisa Swenson
- Amy Adams as Leslie Miller
- Laurie A. Sinclair as Michelle Johnson
Production
- Country: United States of America
- Language: English
- Studios: Capella International, KC Medien AG
- Budget: $10,000,000
- Box office: $10,571,408
- Themes: trailer park, parent child relationship, gun, minnesota, mother role, dark comedy, beauty contest, tap dancing, satire, girl from the province
On this film
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