Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)

Director:

Michael Patrick Jann

Writer (WGA):

Lona Williams (written by)

Release Date:

23 July 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

The battle between the good and the bad is bound to get ugly.

Plot:

In a small Minnesota town, the annual beauty pageant is being covered by a TV crew. Former winner Gladys...

Plot Keywords:

Beauty Pageant | Corruption | Fake Documentary | Miss America Song Spoof | Mental Retardation

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Kirsten Dunst	...	Amber Atkins
Ellen Barkin	...	Annette Atkins
Allison Janney	...	Loretta
Denise Richards	...	Rebecca 'Becky' Ann Leeman
Kirstie Alley	...	Gladys Leeman
Sam McMurray	...	Lester Leeman
Mindy Sterling	...	Iris Clark
Brittany Murphy	...	Lisa Swenson
Amy Adams	...	Leslie Miller
Laurie A. Sinclair	...	Michelle Johnson (as Laurie Sinclair)
Shannon Nelson	...	Tess Weinhaus
Tara Redepenning	...	Molly Howard
Sarah Stewart	...	Jenelle Betz
Alexandra Holden	...	Mary Johanson
Brooke Elise Bushman	...	Tammy Curry

Also Known As:

Dairy Queens (USA) (working title)
Gnadenlos schön (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for irreverent and crude humor, sex-related material and language.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Finland:K-11 | Argentina:13 | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | France:U | Germany:12 | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Village, Lakeville, Minnesota, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

The original title was "Dairy Queens", but it had to be changed after the corporation that owns the Dairy Queen ice cream chain filed a lawsuit.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When at the home of Becky Leeman, her father Lester is showing the film crew his wine holding globe when he states that a tape deck comes out of Afghanistan while he is pointing below the equator. Afghanistan is found far above the equator.

Quotes:

Terry Macey: And you are...
Amber Atkins: Mount Rose American Teen Princess.
Terry Macey: Funny, you don't look dead!

Movie Connections:

References "Cops" (1989)

Soundtrack:

Young Americans

The best of the worst

Quite bluntly, this film is stupid. However, it's a rare breed, one of those "good" "stupid movies". I've read some reviews criticizing this film for not accurately portraying Minnesota. Some viewers simply don't get it. This movie is supposed to be "stupid". It is not supposed to be some supremely accurate social depiction of small town Minnesota. It is a mockumentary and an intentionally absurd exaggeration. And it works like a charm. If you "get it", this will be one of the funniest movies you'll ever view. The actors are almost, top to bottom, perfect... especially the portrayals of Amber Atkins' mother and aunt, and the Vilmes father and son. I can see how certain viewers would absolutely abhor this seemingly inane, ridiculous film. But it is, truly, a phenomenally clever spoof on a competition many treat as life and death. In fact, it's almost frightening that there's a little more realism in this farce than most would like to admit. This film is simply a fabulous little spectacle.

Best line: "You are a good person. Good things happen to good people." "Really?" "No, it's pure bull____, sweetie. You're lucky as hell, so you might as well enjoy it."