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Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Barkin, Allison Janney, Denise Richards, Kirstie Alley ... see more see more... , Brittany Murphy , Sam McMurray , Tara Redepenning , Amy Adams , Sara Stewart , Shannon Nelson , Brooke Bushman , Mindy Sterling , Matt Malloy , Michael McShane , Will Sasso , Lona Williams , Casey Garven , Nora Dunn , Mo Gaffney , Adam West , Richard Narita , Patti Yasutake , Seiko Matsuda , Thomas Lennon

So how far would you go to win a beauty pageant? That's the burning question of Drop Dead Gorgeous, in which the citizens of Mount Rose, Minnesota gear up for the year's biggest event, the Sarah Rose ... read more read more...Miss Teen Princess America Pageant, in which Becky Leeman (Denise Richards) and Amber Atkins (Kirsten Dunst) are the contestants to beat. Becky's mother Gladys (Kirstie Alley), a former beauty queen herself, has instilled in her daughter a drive to succeed at any cost. And Gladys will do anything to help Becky's chances of success. Amber's mother Annette (Ellen Barkin) is devoted to her daughter but drinks, smokes, and swears like a sailor. And while Amber is ambitious and a skilled beautician (a talent that she uses in her part-time job at the local mortuary), her view of the pageant is pragmatic: while boys can get sports scholarships, this pageant may be her only ticket out of town. However, Amber and the other contestants may have underestimated just how badly Becky wants to win -- or just how good she is with a gun. Drop Dead Gorgeous was directed by Michael Patrick Jann, a founding member of the sketch comedy group The State (who had their own series on MTV), and written by Lorna Williams, a veteran of the beauty pageant circuit who claims that nearly everything in the film is based on an actual incident. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

66% liked it

58,628 ratings

Critics

45% liked it

65 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 37 min.

Directed by: Michael Patrick Jann

Release Date: July 23, 1999

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DVD Release Date: October 2, 2001

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Stats: 3,207 reviews

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Allison Janney Drop Dead Gorgeous kirsten dunst in drop dead gorgeous
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Flixster Reviews (3,207)

  • TheGame90
    September 18, 2011
    TheGame90
    It was pretty funny. And Brittany Murphy was just great
  • jamers2011
    February 1, 2011
    jamers2011
    I had very low expections for this film. In fact, the only reason I watched it was because this is Amy Adams' debut film. However, this film was quite enjoyable. It's hilarious and I love the mockumentary style of it. The humor is so great, too. I also loved seeing all the young ... read morestars in this film....Kirsten Dunst, Brittany Murphy, Amy Adams. They all give strong, memorable, and funny performances. Amy Adams and Brittany Murphy are so awesome here. I love them!

    Not one of the funniest comedies I've seen, but it is still a genuine laugh. Definitely one of my favorites that I have watched in the past weeks. I recommend it!
  • FrizzDrop
    July 13, 2010
    FrizzDrop
    This is a great comedy with great actresses including Kirsten Dunst, Amy Adams, and Sally Field.
  • matertenebraum
    December 27, 2009
    matertenebraum
    Ellen Barkin is the trailer trash mother of Amber (Kirsten Dunst), Kirstie Alley is the homicidally ambitious mother of Becky (Denise Richards) a spoilt rich bitch. They will stop at nothing to make sure their daughters win the Mount Rose beauty pageant, and i mean nothing.

    The ... read morewhole movie is made in incredibly bad taste and for that reason alone, a lot of people will hate it; but i found it was very refreshing to see a black comedy of this quality for a change. It's wonderfully scripted and directed, and the cast is simply perfect; everyone in it appears to be relishing the humour in the movie and it shows in their performances.

    If you like this kind of humour, you will love this, if you don't warm to black comedy then it's best left alone.
  • jennifxu
    December 22, 2009
    jennifxu
    Sooo...they really need to make more movies like this. Hilarious, wicked, catfighty, beauty pageant goodness. Everybody plays their roles to pitch-perfection. Kirsten Dunst used to be so cute! Even though it dies out a little towards the end. Awesome seeing vintage blonde Amy Adams.
  • Deano78
    September 11, 2009
    Deano78
    An enjoyable comedy about a beauty pageant in the style of a documentary. Has a great cast in their earlier years here. Has some very funny moments, quite a dark comedy overall not afraid to make fun of its self. Glad I got round to watching it.
  • TomBowler
    August 3, 2009
    TomBowler
    This is one of the funniest films ever. Kirsten Dunst is brilliant while Allison Janney is awesome as usual. Amy Adams is also really good.
  • cosmo313
    May 21, 2009
    cosmo313
    Not a great satire (more farce than anything), but still funny and entertaining as hell.
  • puffchunk
    October 18, 2007
    puffchunk
    Fun mockumentary about beauty pagents. Nothing I need to see again, though. Ever.
  • gatorgirl13
    May 20, 2007
    gatorgirl13
    One of the funniest movies I have ever seen.

View All Drop Dead Gorgeous Reviews

Critic Reviews

Lisa Schwarzbaum
January 1, 2000
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

A graceless mockumentary! Full Review

Edward Guthmann
January 1, 2000
Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle

Gorgeous is one of the year's funniest acts of malice! Full Review

Sean Means
January 1, 2000
Sean Means, Film.com

Drop Dead Gorgeous is a satire of beauty contests, which is simultaneously beating a dead horse and kicking a stubborn mule.

Philip Wuntch
January 1, 2000
Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News

Beneath its mean-spiritedness is a sharp-clawed wit. Full Review

Steven Rosen
January 1, 2000
Steven Rosen, Denver Post

So passe that the movie is virtually dead on arrival!

Susan Stark
January 1, 2000
Susan Stark, Detroit News

As mean-spirited as movies come!

Jay Boyar
January 1, 2000
Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel

The target may be a bit obvious, but the laughs are often there.

Michael Rechtshaffen
January 1, 2000
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter

A mockumentary of numbingly unfunny proportions!

Mark de la Viņa
January 1, 2000
Mark de la Viņa, San Jose Mercury News

Viciously funny!

Jonathan Foreman
January 1, 2000
Jonathan Foreman, New York Post

Crude and witless!

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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    • Annette Atkins: If they ask you to take your top off, get the money first.
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Drop Dead Gorgeous Trivia

  • She was a Wild girl in Wild Things, a bond girl, and was and is Drop Dead Gorgeous.  Answer »
  • What two words can fill the blanks to make up the titles of two different movies? 1. ______ ______ Gorgeous 2. ______ ______ Fred  Answer »
  • Kirstie Alley and Ellen Barkin appeared together in which film?  Answer »
  • As a child, I appeared in Interview with a Vampire, teenager in Fifteen and Pregnant, Drop Dead Gorgeous, and Bring It On, and adult roles in Elizabethtown, Spider Man series, and Marie Antoinette. Name is __  Answer »
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