Kirsten Dunst, Denise Richards, Allison Janney
Subtle is not the word to describe Drop Dead Gorgeous, a mock documentary purporting to cover the Sarah Rose Cosmetics Teen America Beauty Pageant in Mount Rose, Minnesota. Ellen Barkin (Sea...( read more
)) and Kirsten Dunst (Interview with a Vampire, Dick) are perfectly cast as a mother and daughter whose only ambition is to use the pageant to get out of their claustrophobic small-town lives. Opposing them are Denise Richards (Wild Things, Starship Troopers) and her mother, Kirstie Alley (Look Who's Talking), who just happens to be the pageant's organizer. The plot, which centers on contestants being murdered (mostly by flaming explosions), is clearly secondary to the backstage shenanigans and satirical portrayals of vanity, small-town corruption, and family dysfunction. There's not much suspense to the pageant itself, but Dunst is an endearing protagonist and along with the broad jokes are some excellent acting turns from the cast, particularly Barkin, Brittany Murphy (Clueless), Nora Dunn (a Saturday Night Live alumna), and the great character actress Allison Janney, who's played small roles in countless movies but finally gets a chance to shine as the supportive neighbor of Barkin and Dunst. In fact, for all the jokes and satirical jabs, in the end it's the characters' relationships that stay in your mind. A bonus: the soundtrack features a hard-rocking version of the theme from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, performed with cool aplomb by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. --Bret Fetzer
DVD Release Date: October 2, 2001
Stats: 3,061 reviews
An enjoyable comedy about a beauty pageant in the style of a documentary. Has a great cast in their earlier years here. Has some very funny moments, quite a dark comedy overall not afraid to make fun of its self. Glad I got round to watching it.
Hilarious satire in American Teen Princess language. Everyone delivers the FUNNIEST lines!
This fucking funny mockumentary about the freakshow that is the American Beauty Pageant is a real must-see and consistently surprising. And, I've never rated Brittany Murphy before but she's brilliant in this and almost steals the film - though Richards' dance with Jesus takes so...( read more)
You either love or hate a movie like "Drop Dead Gorgeous". It's a stupid movie, that's for sure, but it has a biting, wicked sense of humour, and an assortment of memorable characters.
Mount Rose, Minnesota is the setting. It's a blink-or-you'll-miss-it town outside of Minne...( read more)
Aw man, this film made me so laugh so hard I was pretty sure I choked up a kidney at some point. Fine performances by all and the whole thing is an aching satire on the beauty industry, a subject that ought to be better probed by film-makers generally.
satirical American humor. kirsten dunst is so fabulous, real talent this girl. the crew is fantastic, though the movie's not pretty much. 6 for the movie, but a true 10 for the cast.
I think this film is so funny!! i can't find it in the shops anywhere though, so i'm sad!
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