Miss Firecracker

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Miss Firecracker

PG

Released Apr 28, 1989

1h 42m

Comedy

Drama

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Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

11 Reviews

52%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Carnelle Scott (Holly Hunter) is a restless Mississippi girl looking for a life change. She decides to enter a beauty pageant, which her cousin Elain (Mary Steenburgen) had won years before. Despite a lack of support from those close to her, including conniving cousin Delmount (Tim Robbins), Carnelle remains determined. She enlists the help of a seamstress (Alfre Woodard) to outfit her for the competition, while rebuffing the advances of predatory men, as she aims to bring home the crown.

Dolores Barclay

Associated Press

Ultimately, Miss Firecracker is a sweet celebration of humanity, of just plain folks trying to get by.

Oct 25, 2018

Full Review

Nell Minow

Movie Mom

A neglected gem with sensational performances by everyone, especially Steenburgen and Woodard.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 3, 2003

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

What finally makes Miss Firecracker special is that it is not about who wins the contest, but about how all beauty contests are about the need to be loved and about how silly a beauty contest can seem if somebody really loves you.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

A gentle, off-beat satire that characterizes a bunch of Southern oddballs striving for acceptance.

Rated: B+

Aug 21, 2017

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Richard Freedman

Newhouse News Service

Miss Firecracker is a huge cotton candy of a movie -- there's not really much there; but it's gaudy to look at, and sweet going down the gullet.

Jun 27, 2015

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Chuck O'Leary

FulvueDrive-in.com

Rated: 2/5

May 7, 2007

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Blobbo X

Thoughtful and earnest independent production made from a play which also starred Holly Hunter. Ebert gave it 3&1/2 and Blobbo concur.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/29/24

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Alec B

Perfectly cast and I promise you that very little of this movie is exaggerated.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/10/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Holly Hunter, Scott Glenn, Alfre Woodard, Mary Steenburgen, and Tim Robbins Carnelle works in a fish factory in Mississippi but is unsatisfied with her current lifestyle she feels if she enters a beauty pageant like her cousin, Elaine did she can make something of herself yet it feels like everyone doesn't have faith in her entirely her cousin Delmont comes back into town to make something of himself but he's been in an institution for 2 years without any help from anyone he also wants to sell Carnelle's home to make enough money to fix everything this really is one of Holly Hunter's best performances and as Carnelle she's fully committed to proving she belongs somewhere are beauty pageants so superficial and full of fake people, everyone wants to be beautiful without accepting there are limitations, maybe winning or losing actually builds character, maybe what we really want out of life is some eternal grace

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/29/23

Full Review

Steve D

Cute enough thanks to a strong cast.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

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Audience Member

Possibly Holly Hunter's best work. There have lots of beauty pageant films in this flavor, but Hunter brings such raw manic emotional vulnerability to this film, it's worthwhile to watch her work. The whole cast is incredible.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

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Audience Member

Perfectly cast and I promise you that very little of this movie is exaggerated.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

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Thomas Schlamme

Director

Holly Hunter

Carnelle Scott

Mary Steenburgen

Elain Rutledge

Tim Robbins

Delmount Williams

Alfre Woodard

Popeye Jackson

Scott Glenn

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Synopsis

Carnelle Scott (Holly Hunter) is a restless Mississippi girl looking for a life change. She decides to enter a beauty pageant, which her cousin Elain (Mary Steenburgen) had won years before. Despite a lack of support from those close to her, including conniving cousin Delmount (Tim Robbins), Carnelle remains determined. She enlists the help of a seamstress (Alfre Woodard) to outfit her for the competition, while rebuffing the advances of predatory men, as she aims to bring home the crown.

Director: Thomas Schlamme
Producer: Fred Berner
Screenwriter: Beth Henley
Production Co: Corsair Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 28, 1989, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 17, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA): $646.9K
Runtime: 1h 42m
Sound Mix: Surround