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Drop Dead Gorgeous

Play trailer 1:59 Poster for Drop Dead Gorgeous PG-13 1999 1h 39m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
47% Tomatometer 73 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
An annual beauty pageant in small-town Minnesota turns ridiculously competitive and ultimately chaotic in this biting comedy. Amber Atkins (Kirsten Dunst), the daughter of hard-drinking mom Annette (Ellen Barkin), and Becky Leeman (Denise Richards), who is motivated by her former beauty-queen mother, Gladys (Kirstie Alley), are among the top contenders in the event. As Amber, Becky, and other local girls prepare for the big day, bizarre incidents occur, leading up to an ending with a bang.
Drop Dead Gorgeous

What to Know

Critics Consensus

It's dark humor sometimes hits, but mostly misses the target.

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Critics Reviews

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Jia Tolentino The New Yorker 07/08/2019
The smile of a beauty queen, the glinting crown and the heaps of flowers, always holds the faint scent of bloodlust, and a whisper of the grave. Go to Full Review
Jay Carr Boston Globe 01/01/2000
Drop Dead Gorgeous hasn't enough structural savvy to make it a winner. Go to Full Review
Dennis Harvey Variety 01/01/2000
Fitfully amusing! Go to Full Review
Trace Thurman Horror Queers Podcast 07/12/2022
5/5
Acerbic and hilariously un-PC, Drop Dead Gorgeous stands the test of time as one of the best comedies ever made. Go to Full Review
Joe Lipsett Horror Queers Podcast 07/01/2022
This cult classic is horribly offensive and devastatingly funny. Featuring a stacked cast of powerful female performers and a razor sharp screenplay, Drop Dead Gorgeous is a misunderstood classic that we will never see the likes of again. Go to Full Review
Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 02/17/2022
2.5/4
While funny at times, it doesn't resonate beyond the gleeful, acidic surface Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Gerry K Nov 21 This film could’ve changed my life but I didn’t let it. However, I did buy a caravan and affected an American accent when dressing as a lady. See more Brian L Nov 9 This is one of the most underrated movies with an all star cast. Some of the most iconic lines and comedy. See more Michael M. @mjmbond Nov 6 Most underrated dark comedy ever. See more Andrea W Oct 24 This is one of my favorite movies I could watch over and over again! I don’t understand the low score. Allison Janney is one of the best parts of this movie and also Ellen Barkin! Denise Richard is great! Will Sasso is hilarious! Kirstie Alley is amazing and I love her accent. I mean, I could just go on and on about how good this movie is! See more Julian S. @akajulianscott Oct 4 It might just be Kirstie Alley’s finest performance. See more thiago s @Thiagostone Aug 29 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Read all reviews
Drop Dead Gorgeous

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis An annual beauty pageant in small-town Minnesota turns ridiculously competitive and ultimately chaotic in this biting comedy. Amber Atkins (Kirsten Dunst), the daughter of hard-drinking mom Annette (Ellen Barkin), and Becky Leeman (Denise Richards), who is motivated by her former beauty-queen mother, Gladys (Kirstie Alley), are among the top contenders in the event. As Amber, Becky, and other local girls prepare for the big day, bizarre incidents occur, leading up to an ending with a bang.
Director
Michael Patrick Jann
Producer
Judy Hofflund, Gavin Polone
Screenwriter
Lona Williams
Distributor
New Line Cinema, Capella International, Icon Film Distribution Ltd., Pony Canyon Inc., Metropolitan Filmexport [fr], Filmes Castello Lopes [pt], Concorde Filmverleih, New Line Home Video [us]
Production Co
New Line Cinema, Capella International, KC Medien AG
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 23, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 3, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA)
$10.6M
Runtime
1h 39m
Sound Mix
Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1)