Plot Summary Quintessential small-town nice girl Amber Atkins, played by Kirsten Dunst, is determined to win the Sarah Rose Cosmetics American Teen Princess Beauty Pageant and make her way out of claustrophobic Mount Rose, Minnesota into the big time. Her chief ambition is to be a newscaster just like Diane Sawyer, her idol. Amber's major competition is the perfectly poised and perfectly nasty Becky Ann Leeman, played by Denise Richards, whose mother Gladys Leeman, played by Kirstie Alley, also happens to be a former Mount Rose American Teen Princess and the pageant organizer. Things quickly become cutthroat during pageant preparations as girls begin dropping like flies and Amber finds death threats in her locker at school. Everything points to the Leemans, but their prominence in the town is undeniable so Amber is on her own. A star-studded cast rounds out this hilarious and irreverent mockumentary, featuring spot-on comedic performances by Allison Janney, Ellen Barkin, Brittany Murphy, and the then unknown but now wildly successful starlet Amy Adams in her first role, along with many more.
Critical Analysis
This film really could not be more spot-on. The mockumentary format is perfectly executed and suits the subject matter exactly. Kirsten Dunst as Amber Atkins is sweet, endearing, and gutsy. Ellen Barkin as her mother is a lovable chain-smoking mess. Allison Janney as the man-crazy, foul-mouthed neighbor basically steals the show. Denise Richards as Becky Ann Leeman oozes fake charm and very real hostility. Kirstie Alley as Becky's mother is the perfect overbearing, corrupt show mom. Sam McMurray as Becky's sleazy dad completes their dysfunctional little family. Amy Adams is the bouncy, adorable, empty-headed cheerleader - it is easy to see why her career took off the way it did. Brittany Murphy is dorky and earnest at its best. Each character achieves their role wonderfully so that every scene is as good as the last, and the Minnesota accent is executed flawlessly. The writing is brilliantly done - natural speech peppered with hilarious lines and subtle jabs so seamlessly written that you have to watch the move a few times to catch all of it. This move is also extremely irreverent and dark, a black comedy for sure. Scenes such as Becky Ann dancing with a stuffed figure of Jesus on the cross to Can't Take My Eyes Off of You, the contestant who is beaned in the head by a falling light in the middle of her sign language interpretive dance rehearsal, Ellen Barkin's burned skeletal hand fused to a beer can after their trailer is attacked, the creepy judge who cannot stop talking about young girls - this kind of grim violence and dark subject matter is handled cheerfully and with tongue-in-cheek humor, making this movie a rollicking good time from beginning to end.
Information about the Director
Michael Patrick Jann is a writer, director, and actor who was born in Albany, New York. His best known work is Drop Dead Gorgeous. He also directed many episodes of successful television show Reno 911! and a number of sketches on the show Little Britain USA. Additionally, he was a cast member of MTV variety show The State. He is married and has one son.
Annotation
The competition in this small-town beauty pageant is cutthroat as the girls compete for top spot against front runner Becky Ann Leeman, who will do anything to win - literally. This mockumentary will keep you laughing from beginning to end.
Genre
Comedy
Challenge Issues
Possible challenge issues in this movie include profanity, violence, discussion of sex, and sacrilegious images. In the event of a challenge, I would consult the challenge defense file prepared for this movie. The challenge defense file would include: positive reviews from credible sources for the purpose of proving merit to the challenger; negative reviews in order to inform me on what might be challenged; a written explanation of my own rationale for including the movie in the collection as well as a summary of the plot; the American Library Association Bill of Rights; a review of my branch’s selection policy; and, as a last resort, an explanation of the reconsideration policy for my library and an official reconsideration form.
Curriculum Ties
The form of mockumentary, satire, and black humor.
Interest Age
Grades 8-12, and beyond.
Why I Included This Movie
This mockumentary captures and demonstrates through satire the extreme competition of adolescence perfectly. The relationships between characters are endearing in their dysfunction and tenderness, giving this film merit beyond the irreverent plot line. It is consistently hilarious. Teens will love it for its fearless sense of humor.
References
Michael Patrick Jann. (2011). Wikipedia.org. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Patrick_Jann
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