Drop Dead Gorgeous
|
Our Price: $7.86 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.24 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Drop Dead Gorgeous
Movie Review: Extremely Subversive
Summary: 5 Stars
Imagine a weird blend of "This Is Spinal Tap" and "Fargo" and you will have a fairly good read on 1999's "Drop Dead Gorgeous. There is definitely a Coen Brothers feel to the film, which is done in "mockumentary" style and told from the point of view of a film crew investigating the world of local beauty pageants; specifically the Miss Teen Princess contest in Mount Rose, Minnesota.
But it would be a mistake to think that this is just a satire of the beauty pageant world or of folks from Minnesota. The film has much bigger targets, as it pretty much takes on every excess to be found in the competitive culture of modern American. Making it the most subversive comedy since "Dr. Strangelove". It may not have the consistency of Kubrick's masterpiece, but it has a slightly higher comic hit to miss ratio than "Airplane".
Former Miss Teen Princess Gladys Leeman (Kirstie Alley) is in charge of the Mount Rose preliminary, a conflict of interest because her daughter Becky (Denise Richards) (a younger version of her mercenary mother) is a leading contender. After murdering her daughter's only real competition, Gladys targets trailer-park girl Amber (Kirsten Dunst), who hopes to use the contest as a means to follow in the footsteps of her idol Diane Sawyer.
There are so many different types of humor in "Drop Dead Gorgeous" that almost any viewer will find something amusing. But the degree of amusement will be in direct proportion to your degree of irreverence and "nothing sacred" attitudes. So if you are easily offended or are sense of humor challenged you would do well to stay away from this film.
I particularly liked the contestant's dramatic reading from "Soylent Green", and Britney Murphy's line about being conceived because her parents wanted someone who could donate a kidney to her older brother.
Although she only has a small part, Murphy pretty much steals every scene in which she appears. The three big parts (Alley, Richards, and Dunst) are played straight (or with parodied straightness) so most of the comedy comes from the supporting cast; most notably Allison Janney as a trailer park neighbor, Will Sasso as a mentally challenged small businessman, Seiko Matsudo as the resentful biological daughter of an Asian couple who dote on their adopted Caucasian daughter, and Matt Malloy as a contest judge with a not so secret agenda.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
Movie Review: I love this movie...
Summary: 5 Stars
First of all it's a mock documentary of a beauty pageant in a small town.
It stars the ever so wonderfully- b!tchy Kristie Alley (who does an excellent job in this movie as the rich, ex-beauty queen mom trying to help her daughter (denis Richards) win the pageant).
You have Kristie's character's husband, who is an owner/manager of a furniture store and is always shown drinking (even at the actual beauty pageant in the school, he's got his liquor).
You have denis Richards who plays the "so perfect- I make you- wanna puke- wanna be beauty queen " who, while she appears perfect...is infact a nutty b!tch- who gets a peice of the pie in the sky...
You have sugary sweet Kirsten Dunst as the rival to Denis who works at a mourge (however it's spelled) doing the make up for dead people while she tap dances practicing for her routine.
You have her HILARIOUS mom and her friend (Kirsten, mom , & mom's friend live in trailor park. Her mom runs a beauty salon in her trailor and is always drinking and during an incident she's actually blown outa the house with a beer can stuck to her hand....
The fellow wanna be beauty pageant queens are:
A dog obsessed girl, emphasize on the word obsessed... the slutty "not all there" cheerleader, the red headed american girl adopted and favored by her oriental parents (her oriental sister HATES her and all the attention she gets), there's the eccentric drama student, there's the sugary sweet gal who dresses up like tinkerbell and does sign language for her routine (her relative is deaf, so her goal in life is to spread love through sign language), then there's Brittney Murphy! her character has the extreme giggles and sillies (also a ditz), it's pretty infectious because you start laughing with her.
You have your eccentric town folk trying to judge for the pageant: The creepy judge (he's hilarious), The hilljack Father and Son team (Will Sasso is the fat retarded son- he's hilarious also), then you got the shy/quiet book worm who you can tell is scared by all the confidence the girls show.
I mean the characters are hilarious...this movie combines murder and comedy into one. My mom and I just laughed, laughed, laughed...it was good all the way through. The ending is a hoot, I'm not going to give it away for those who haven't seen it...but it's funny. I heart this movie...
Movie Review: This is no mere teen comedy!
Summary: 5 Stars
One of the funniest films to come out in a long time, `Drop Dead Gorgeous' delivers on every page, from it's collective cast to it's genuine laughs. In true mockumentary style this film follows a group of girls as they compete in the Sarah Rose Cosmetics Teen American Beauty Pageant in Mount Rose, Minnesota. This group includes the sweet girl who everyone loves, namely Amber Atkins (Kirsten Dunst) and the social queen whom everyone loathes, namely Rebecca Leeman (Denise Richards). Amber is the talented poor girl who everyone feels should win the whole shebang, but standing in her way every step of the way is talentless rich girl Becky and her mother Gladys (Kirstie Alley who is absolutely fantastic!) who just so happens to be hosting the pageant.
The interaction between the contestants coupled with the over-dramatized drama and competitive spirit make for an entertaining comedy that will have you in stitches scene after scene. Helping this film along are great comedic performances by it's entire cast, Dunst included who just shines in every role she undertakes (why is she not `Oscar Nominated' Kirsten Dunst yet???). Ellen Barkin is fantastic as Amber's mother Annette (trailer park at its finest) and Allison Janney is a pure scene stealer as their neighbor and friend Loretta. The rest of the girls competing are great as well, Brittany Murphy and Amy Adams being recognizable faces, and Michael McShane is hilarious as Harold the overweight father of a mentally handicapped son.
Look for plenty of memorable scenes like when Harold's son gets his pants caught in the car door or when the previous winner of the pageant comes out on stage to sing `Don't Cry Out Loud' (my favorite scene). There is a lot to love here and for that I'm sure many will find this film to be not only hilariously enjoyable but worthy of repeat viewings for it's one of those films that just never gets old. Put this up there with `Best in Show' as one of the most ingenious comedies to come along in quite some time!
Movie Review: Crowns, Flowers, Smiles and Chaotic Mishaps
Summary: 5 Stars
A witty, very funny comedy that pokes fun at Midwest America's infatuation with the beauty pageant circuits, "Drop Dead Gorgeous" is a one of the best black comedies I've seen in a while. The movie which takes place in the fictional Minnesotan town of Mt. Rose, revolves around the rivalry between two teens and their parents: the rich and affluent Leemans and the low and unfortunate Atkins.Rebecca Leeman (played by "Cheers" Kirstie Alley) and her daughter Becky Lee (Denise Richards of "The World is Not Enough" fame) are the town's most despised do-gooders. As die-hard Christian fundamentalists who are able to get their way any day, Becky Lee is on her way to winning the annual Sarah Rose beauty pageant. However, one teen stands in her way: Amber Atkins. Amber (played wonderfully by Kirsten Dunst of "Interview with the Vampire" fame) and her mother (Ellen Barkin ) live in a trailer and try to survive by taking odd jobs. As a beautician at a local funeral home and a dishwasher at school, Amber has dreams of following her idol, Diane Sawyer, and becoming a news anchor.
As the plot develops, the number of contestants in the pageant is mysteriously dropping out, Whether it is due to explosions, falling props, or other mishaps, something sinister is happening in Mt. Rose. With a very funny script and wonderful supporting players such as Allison Janney ("The West Wing"), Brittany Murphy ("Clueless") and Sam McMurray ("Tracey Ullman Show"), "Drop Dead Gorgeous" will make you laugh out loud. Dunst's character has to be one of the most luckiest underdogs in film history as she is able to reach her goals due to all the mishaps that occur towards the end of the film, and Kirstie Alley is wonderful as the over-zealous mom who would do anything for her daughter to win. While the film was not that well received in at the box office due to little publicity, it is a hidden gem among the many films released in the last five years. Great cast, script, soundtrack, and direction make this film a must-see for everyone.
Movie Review: Trailers can be decieving....
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is by FAR not aiming to be a comedy. In the trailer, which is included on the DVD, this movie claims to be studded with laughs. When I saw it online, though, I thought "Hey, that movie looks pretty good!" and I rented it later that day. When I saw it, I was absolutley blown away. This movie is a "mockumentary" with a simple goal for Amber Atkins: To either become the next Diane Sawyer or win a beauty pageant infested with beautiful girls that mean serious business. She goes for the beauty pageant, thinking it's all fun and games, but Amber doesn't know she's already WAY over her head. It turns out the mother of the second most likely winner, played by Kristie Alley, is a cold-blooded killer who will stop at absolutley nothing to make sure her daughter wins under her meek personality as a furniture salesman and your average mother. Get this: She blows up the most-likely winner by short-fusing her thresher, and it gets worse...much worse. It turns out her daugher does win the overall state pageant (after a hard day's work), but the next day, her daughter is blown up on a faulty parade float (that her mother had absolutley nothing to do with) and Kristie Alley goes into a very disturbing tantrum after her death, and is arrested for blowing up the most likely winner, and Amber's life is immediately at stake as she goes to the finals. I would not recommend this movie to kids, obviously because of the plot, but for bad language and a very disturbing vomiting sequence near the end that involves bad shellfish.Overall, this movie is NOT a comedy. It tries to sell it that way, but it is really a docu-drama that really stays with you long after the movie ends. I would give it 1 star if I didn't love that movie; because don't get me wrong, I like docu-dramas, and also comedies, which I thought this was in the first place. But if the background of this review sounds very ugly to you, don't see this movie. Only see it if you're a hard-core drama fan.