Drop Dead Gorgeous
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Allison Janney, Denise Richards, Ellen Barkin, Kirsten Dunst, Kirstie AlleyBrand: NEW Line Home Video
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 97 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-12-14
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Model: N4927
Studio: New Line Home Video
Product features:
- TESTED
Movie Reviews of Drop Dead Gorgeous
Movie Review: Drop dead hilarious...
Summary: 5 Stars
In light of watching the disaster that was `Chalk' I decided to rewatch one of my all time favorite mockumentary's; `Drop Dead Gorgeous'. Now this is a film that got the whole `mocking' thing right, creating a hilarious exaggerated look at the world of beauty pageants. `Drop Dead Gorgeous' is a comedy that gets everything right, from the script (tight and hilarious) to the acting this film is a laugh-riot.
The movie revolves around a small town of Mount Rose Minnesota where the annual Sarah Rose Cosmetics Teen America Beauty Pageant is being held. A film crew is sent to cover the event and thus captures all the backstabbing, the malicious threats and the conniving on camera for the world to see. We are introduced to a few key characters, the most important of which is young Amber Atkins. Amber idolizes Diane Sawyer and dreams of leaving her small town in the dust. This beauty pageant may be her ticket. She's talented, sweet and charming, but she has some stiff competition; namely Becky Leeman. Becky is a spoiled brat who gets whatever she wants and wants everything. Her mother, Gladys Leeman, is just as spoiled and lives only for her daughter so it's only right that she stop at nothing to assure her daughter the victory.
The performances by the cast is just delicious comedic entertainment, especially of the leads. Kirsten Dunst continues to prove she has what it takes in this business, turning out one brilliant performance after another (how is it that she does not have an Oscar nomination yet?) and Denise Richards proves she's more than a hard body by developing her shallow character magnificently. It may not seem difficult to play someone that void of heart and soul but to pull it off and make it seem natural and not forced is difficult. The real standouts though are the two actresses who play the mothers, Ellen Barkin and Kirstie Alley. Barkin plays Annette Atkins, the beer loving trailer park living mother of young Amber. Annette only wants a bright future for her daughter, a future she never had and is adamant that she reach her goals. Kirstie plays Gladys, Becky's mother, and does so with such inferior magnetism that I give her best-in-show props for this performance. It is just so effortlessly hilarious, captivating and mesmerizing to watch. She nails this performance.
`Drop Dead Gorgeous' also boasts some nice performances by some up-and-coming actresses at the time. The magical Amy Adams (who gets double points for admitting to punching Dunst in the face on the set) may not have a huge role here, but as the spunky and ever popular Leslie Miller she proves that she can handle herself well in front of the camera. Here's to her landing a second Oscar nod next week. Brittany Murphy may be a household name now (although her career has kind of dwindled) but in 1999 she was not, and her turn as Lisa was definitely an eye catcher. The biggest breakout though was Allison Janney, you know, the spunky step-mom from `Juno'. In `Drop Dead Gorgeous' she plays the Atkins' trashy yet kind-hearted neighbor Loretta and steals every scene she's in. Pure comedic perfection.
From the hi-jinx between contestants to the absurd panel of judges (and of course there is the `tard with no pants) `Drop Dead Gorgeous' delivers the funny. It may be over the top and off the wall but it's still funny, there is no denying that.
Summary of Drop Dead Gorgeous
DVD - MovieSubtle 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 of Love) 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
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