In 1999, in the wake of the re-emergence boom in popularity of the mockumentary, following the incredible return of Christopher Guest to the filmic landscape, the best of all those copycat influenced films was released; Drop Dead Gorgeous, written by Lona Williams and directed by Michael Patrick Jann. A sensationally pitch-dark and wickedly hilarious film following the trials and tribulations and multiple murders surrounding a small town beauty pageant in the fictional town of Mount Rose in Minnesota. Beautifully written, wonderfully performed and just downright exceptionally fabulous!

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Through the course of multiple interviews and footage of the pageant, director Michael Patrick Jan leads us through this film with one of the most glorious ensembles of a cast ever assembled and one of the finest collections of female acting talent the screen ever saw in a comedy, with a laundry list of stars and soon to be stars that defies any brand of explanation other than simple reeling off of names; Kirtsen Dunst, Denise Richards, Ellen Barkin, Allison Janney, Kirstie Alley,  Mindy Sterling, Brittany Murphy, Amy Adams. Lona Williams weaves an incredibly funny and sensationally dark and twisted script, based partially off her own experiences as a contestant in local beauty pageants, aswell as appearing in the film as the third judge, Jean. The script is wicked in its humour and cunning in its definitions of its characters, ranging from the truly abhorrent to the blissfully unaware to the even capriciously wicked. Williams and Jann also utilise the form of mockumentary very well with some infrequent hilarious intertitles and playing with the form. Whereas many films following the resurgence of the mockumentary felt as if they were using it as a crutch, this wholly adapts and moulds it’s story to truly justify the medium choice. Although the film is gloriously dark, I actually wish it was even darker, with the film feeling as if it’s leading to a final killer reveal that we just don’t get. In actuality I feel like the film forgets about its chief conceit and the marketing really doesn’t help, presenting it as a whodunit with multiple pageant queens offing each other to claim the top prize. The actual film we get is nothing like that synopsis would suggest however, but is instead its own piece more so based within the drama following an initial murder and then some following trickery.

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Our pageant queens are a verified collection of future talent making their first claim in the Hollywood landscape and ensuring what should have been four sturdy careers, however due to tragedy and public image we have only received two of them. Dunst is our lead, Amber Atkins, wonderfully delightful and the most naive and sweet of our possible queens. Adams, in her incredibly brilliant, already eye-grabbing, film debut stars as Leslie Miller, elevating the simple role of a sex-pot into a believable and superbly funny turn. Murphy excels as the most whimsical of our four leads, Lisa Swenson, an overly jovial delight forever in the shadow of her drag queen brother. But Richards is the standout of the queens, so damn funny as Rebecca Ann Leeman, the most outwardly confident and poised of the group, and also plainly the most cunning and comical. All four of these roles play off each other terrifically in Williams screenplay and lend to the film having a real zip about it, which lends endlessly to repeat watches.

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Alley too is on top-form in this film, as Richard’s uptight ex-queen mother Gladys Leeman and lead organizer for the current pageant, delivering some truly incredible looks and some even more fierce lines deliveries. Reportedly basing her performance off of Frances McDormand’s Oscar winning turn in Fargo, Alley perhaps best inhabits the Minnesota nice of it all, adding to the darkness of her performance exponentially. The diva nature of Alley’s Leeman actually bled into her behind the scenes practise, with her refusing to try on costumes according to the director, having them instead sent to the Scientology Celebrity Centre in Hollywood. If one thing can be said about Scientologists, it’s that they’re certainly decisive. Two furthermore wonderful performances to add to the roster, is Sam McMurray as Alley’s husband, adding some more crudity to his performance as Chandler’s boss in Friends. Aswell as Mindy Sterling as Iris Clark, the most Minnesotan of the group and the sweetest of our organisers. It’s hard to say who gives the best performance and to try and answer it may very well be futile, for the entire ensemble lends to this film being the gem that it is. However if I were to ever mark standouts it would certainly be Allison Janney and Ellen Barkin with their outrageously funny, and frequently warm and sweet turns as Amber’s mother Annette (Barkin), and family friend Loretta (Janney). So wickedly funny and so dirty as Amber’s close family. Barkin does some of the best physical humour in the film with her absurdly ridiculous, yet never not funny, prop melted beer can hand. But Janney is the heart, aswell as even more humour, as Loretta, the clear star of a film filled with them, and incredibly the only Oscar winner in a cast that should be filled with them; Dunst for Melancholia or The Beguiled, Barkin for Sea of Love, Adams for Arrival or The Master or Doubt or... Hell any of her damn roles.  Aswell as Alley and Richards for this very film! Barkin and Janney are the chief audience members for the outrageous mid-point pageant series of performances which really are the peak of the film, peaking with Richard’s Christ themed rendition of Can’t Take My Eyes Off  of You.

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The film does feature a lot of what is commonly referred to as politically incorrect fodder and for me it’s a real mixed bag. I strongly feel that many of the jokes and performances are completely justified and perfect for the tone, aswell as chiefly being intentional in their motivation. For instance I feel as if there is a lot of intentionality in the juxtaposition of these pageant queens repeatedly using slurs and the offensive comments, particularly Richard’s hilarious repeated over-enunciation of “Mexico”, perfectly parodying the unintentional racism of the upper class when they believe they’re being super sensitive. I even feel as though there is a lot of humour and intentionality with the so dark and so offensive portrayal of the Asian Mr and Mrs Howard, with their daughter getting some of the best lines fulfilling this humour in the opening pageant hat sequence. A lot of the stuff that hasn’t aged best is mainly in Will Sasso’s portrayal of mentally challenged character Hank Vilmes. Although any portrayal of a disabled person from this era, portrayed by a non handicapped performer could be seen as cancellable, I really am a strong defender of those performances clearly based on research and sensitivity. For instance the script from The Farrelly brothers for There’s Something About Mary and in turn the performance of W. Earl Brown is a clearly heartfelt and very well toned section of that comedic script, sacrificing no comedy, but also never punching down. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for Sasso and Williams here. Sasso’s performance really is not one that I will ever defend and is by no means a large stain on the film, but is also a little cringey when it comes to re-watches. But I also have no shame in admitting that this character too garners a few laughs, Williams script is just irresistibly funny like that. We know we shouldn’t laugh, but it’s just too good not to.

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There was an original ending including Alley’s character killing herself in prison, and the final sniper being the librarian that we met earlier in the film, explaining her repeated early appearances. This was changed following negative test screenings, but I don’t think this change would save the film’s final act issue. For me this film really does falter in its final stretch shifting from setting to setting before cutting off rather abruptly, following a few moderately funny “where are they now” title cards and clips. These closing comments do do some work to finish off certain strands of the plot and offer great closure to a few of our characters, however just aren’t as tight or precise as the film that came prior. All that being said however the film that comes before it is truly a stone cold camp cult classic and is one that I am very happy I have come to find in my life, the cast is obnoxiously well stacked and they serve the text immensely well, leading this to be an incredibly watchable film that I will return to over and over again. Afterall in many ways it’s made for me; a dark comedy, with musical numbers, a stacked cast, all in a Minnesota accent. What more could you ask for?

-          - Thomas Carruthers