Customer Reviews

Drop Dead Gorgeous

5 star:		(109)
4 star:		(53)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(27)

 

 

Having seen the previews during a lazy summer, I figured it would be fun to take my girlfriend and her little sister to a cute little movie spoofing beauty padgeants. Never in my life have I laughed so hard in the theater. I could barely stay in my seat. The twisted, dark comedy was absolutely unexpected, ruthless, undaunting and hilarious. For those of you who are familiar with the state, the Minnesota jokes are right-on-target. The mentally-challenged mocking was tasteless, crude and offensive, but all those of us who saw it know it was funnier than hell. Any of you who have a taste for black comedy and don't take life too seriously should see this movie. I promise you will be pleasently surprised.

Okay, this one is out there for anybody who likes their humor on the darkside! Murderous beauty queens, lecherous judges, catfights in bras, trailers exploding -- John Waters territory to be sure. Infact I could see Divine playing a mother in this movie but I digress. It's a good movie even though the humor is a little low and tasteless. Ellen Barkin and Kirstie Alley both play mothers, and Kirsten Dunst and Denise Richards play their respective daughters. Both girls are vying for the Miss Sara Rose Teen Princess title in their small Minnesota town. The conceit here is that a documentary film crew shows up to record the event, and some not-so-mysterious murders begin taking place. In addition to the competition's body count piling up, the pageant itself is a complete parody of everything you've ever feared beauty pageants could be like. Nothing is spared -- not eating disorders, the handicapped, or even religion. The flaw is there is so much it often seems to go off in a lot of directions. But maybe that is part of the movie's charm! It's all over the map -- funny and gross with some good messages in there about self-esteem if you look deep enough. Definitely a worthy addition to your collection.

This mock documentary is a spoof about a teenage beauty pageant. It centers around what purports to be the oldest such pageant in existence, the Mount Rose American Teen Pageant in Minnesota. Look for wonderful performances by Kirsten Dunst, as the pretty, but poor, girl who would be Queen, Ellen Barkin, as her trailer trash mom, Allison Janney, as their supportive and endearing neighbor, and last, but certainly not least, Kirstie Alley, with a priceless Minnesotan accent, who is nothing short of fabulous as the rich, maniacal, beauty pageant director who will stop at nothing to see her daughter, effectively played by Denise Richards, win the pageant.

It is a black comedy which centers around who will win this pageant. As it is a mock documentary, the camera enters into the lives of the front runners. It is a very funny spoof and a great parody of pageants. As the pageant draws near, the front runners begin experiencing a series of calamities, and the body count begins to rise. It is totally irreverent and, at times, quite funny. Denise Richards' talent segment, in particular, is a riot.

Who will win this pageant? Watch the film and find out. You will not be disapoointed. You may even be surprised.

I must say when I first watched this I couldn't stop laughing, the movie is definately well worth it. It's very well made, mocumentary style like the blair witch project, its very clever and extrememly well cast. DDG is a lot of fun to watch, especially since it focuses on America's obssesion with beauty pageants. I loved Kirstie's silly little accent and Ellen Barkin is quite a comic genius. Kirsten Dunst has blossomed a lot since interview with a vamp and gives an enjoyable performance. Also cudos to Denise Richards for looking so damn fine and for that Jesus love song, probably the funniest scene in the whole movie. The only reason the dvd got 4 stars was because I was disapointed for it not having a lot of extras, just the trailer. BUT its still worth the money!

I decided to see this movie because I'm a fan of Kirsten Dunst, and boy, did I find a great film. When I heard that it was a beauty pageant satire, I thought, oh great--a satire is one of those smart movies that makes you think, isn't it? ;) Well, this film is definitely a satire, done in a documentary style. It's about a small town beauty pageant, and I can't stress how funny this film is. The characters--from the dog-lover to the girl who thinks she's great at sign language to Tammy Curry, the unfortunate Lutheran Sisterhood Gun Club president--are bound to remind you of people you know in real life. The honest portrayal of realistic (though usually wacky) characters is one of the reasons this movie is so funny. A few running jokes, like one pageant judge's denial of love for young girls and a judge's brother's, aka "The Retard", antics, grow old as they are done over and over. This film earns its rating due to some excessive, though mild, language and probably due to some somewhat graphic scenes involving meat processing and the after-effects of food poisoning. I give it five stars for being just so darned FUNNY! If you're a fan of Kirsten Dunst, Kirstie Alley, Denise Richards, Allison Janney, or any of the stars for that matter, you're bound to enjoy this.

You know all of the people in this movie. That's what makes it so hilarious. It's easy to associate to all of the characters because you deal with people just like them every day of your life. Allison Janney, Ellen Barkin and Kirsten Dunst all give fabulously hilarious performances. I forced all of my friends to see this movie, even bought them the tickets. Everyone was glad for my bossiness, calling it a terrific moive!

This is undoubtedley one of the best films of this year. The jokes are sharp and witty, the plot is original and complex, the cast are magnificent, particularly Kirsten Dunst (Dick, Interview With the vampire, Little Women), they all have a wonderful rapport, and they play off each other. Kirstie Alley sparkles in her best role to date, as the organiser of the paegent. See this film in the cinema, see it on video, see it on DVD, but SEE IT !

Drop Dead Gorgeous is a brilliant satire on the American obsession that is teenage beauty pageants. Many satires miss the mark because they become so engrossed in the political message that they forget the comedy part - I am glad to say this is not the case with DDG. Rib-achingly funny in some places, particularly with one-liners, DDG is a real classic. Its satirical jokes are clever, and the acting is superb. Although I have seen Kirsten Dunst in several films before, this is the first one that opened my eyes to her acting talent. As protagonist Amber Atkins, she provokes sympathy from the viewer whilst at the same time continuing the light-hearted nature of the film. The other characters range from bitchy Becky (Denise Richards) whose rendition of 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' is easily the funniest scene of the film, to the Japanese parents who want to 'become more American', berating their Japanese daughter when she speaks in Japanese to them. ("Speak English, you little retard!") I have only given this DVD 4 stars, as the special features (or lack thereof) leave a lot to be desired. But the film itself easily deserves 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.

Complete with Minnesota accents and characters, this little flick packs a powder keg of laughs. Kirstie Alley chunks around as a contestant's mom and one of the pageant's organizers, Ellen Barkin's hand melds with a beer can, and ditzy Denise Richards can't kill everyone fast enough in a role she was born to play. All this plus so much more weird humor give you a hell-bent version of what goes on behind the scenes at a city-sponsored beauty contest. I'm sure some of this stuff has happened somehere in the USA. Glad I saw it!