A small-town beauty pageant turns deadly as it becomes clear that someone will go to any lengths to win.A small-town beauty pageant turns deadly as it becomes clear that someone will go to any lengths to win.A small-town beauty pageant turns deadly as it becomes clear that someone will go to any lengths to win.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 2 nominations
Laurie A. Sinclair
- Michelle Johnson
- (as Laurie Sinclair)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- GoofsDuring the opening number of the pageant, Michelle Johnson is wearing a "Hollywood" hat; near the end, she can be seen standing behind Amber Atkins with no hat at all.
- Quotes
Amber Atkins: Loretta, never have kids.
Loretta: Oh, honey, God bless ya for thinking I still could.
- Crazy credits(referencing Hank's request to be freed from the car door) It is the policy of the documentary crew to remain true observers and not interfere with its subjects.
- SoundtracksWatch You Sleep
Written by John Paul Keith
Performed by The Nevers
Courtesy of Sire Records Group
By arrangement with Warner Special Products
Featured review
Fun and dark mockumentary
There were a lot of really good films in the late 90s that came and went un noticed, some found an audience on VHS and others simply slipped away into the weekly rental section and stayed there until DVDs took over, resulting in such films being all but forgotten. It's a shame such a fate befell Drop Dead Gorgeous, a dark, funny and genuinely clever lampooning of the beauty queen pageant done as mockumentary.
Drop Dead Gorgeous focuses on a film crew who are making a documentary about a local beauty pageant, interviewing all of the contestants and event organizer Gladys (Kirstie Alley) a former pageant winner who's daughter Rebecca (Denise Richards) is entering this year's pageant. Two things quickly become obvious: that ill fortune is befalling many of the entrants and the only serious contenders and Rebecca and girl-next-door Amber Atkins (Kirsten Dunst). Amber comes from a trailer trash family (Ellen Barkin plays her mother), and works making up dead bodies at the local funeral home. A young Brittany Murphy and Amy Adams also star.
The film is well written, finding a good blend of darkness and humour and always keeping a light tone, which is the key to the film's charm. Some scenes verge on being brilliant and the performances, particularly Kirstie Alley, are all first rate.
While the film can be enjoyed on multiple viewings, it's not really the type you watch over and over, which also would have counted against it as an appealing VHS purchase.
Fun, dark and well made, Drop Dead Gorgeous is well worth tracking down.
Drop Dead Gorgeous focuses on a film crew who are making a documentary about a local beauty pageant, interviewing all of the contestants and event organizer Gladys (Kirstie Alley) a former pageant winner who's daughter Rebecca (Denise Richards) is entering this year's pageant. Two things quickly become obvious: that ill fortune is befalling many of the entrants and the only serious contenders and Rebecca and girl-next-door Amber Atkins (Kirsten Dunst). Amber comes from a trailer trash family (Ellen Barkin plays her mother), and works making up dead bodies at the local funeral home. A young Brittany Murphy and Amy Adams also star.
The film is well written, finding a good blend of darkness and humour and always keeping a light tone, which is the key to the film's charm. Some scenes verge on being brilliant and the performances, particularly Kirstie Alley, are all first rate.
While the film can be enjoyed on multiple viewings, it's not really the type you watch over and over, which also would have counted against it as an appealing VHS purchase.
Fun, dark and well made, Drop Dead Gorgeous is well worth tracking down.
helpful•63
- bh_tafe3
- Dec 2, 2014
- How long is Drop Dead Gorgeous?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $15,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $10,571,408
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $3,986,269
- Jul 25, 1999
- Gross worldwide
- $10,571,408
- Runtime1 hour 37 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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