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Miss Firecracker

Play trailer Poster for Miss Firecracker PG 1989 1h 42m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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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.
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Miss Firecracker

Critics Reviews

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Dolores Barclay Associated Press 10/25/2018
Ultimately, Miss Firecracker is a sweet celebration of humanity, of just plain folks trying to get by. Go to Full Review
Nell Minow Movie Mom 04/03/2003
4/5
A neglected gem with sensational performances by everyone, especially Steenburgen and Woodard. Go to Full Review
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 01/01/2000
3.5/4
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. Go to Full Review
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 08/21/2017
B+
A gentle, off-beat satire that characterizes a bunch of Southern oddballs striving for acceptance. Go to Full Review
Richard Freedman Newhouse News Service 06/27/2015
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. Go to Full Review
Chuck O'Leary FulvueDrive-in.com 05/07/2007
2/5
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Audience Reviews

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Dan F @DanFrazier Sep 14 This is a hidden gem of a movie. A real roller-coaster ride full of manic energy. Reminded me a little of "Raising Arizona" in its zaniness. But the story is not as cohesive as "Raising Arizona," or maybe it is just more complex. In any case, I did not feel like the story was as fully satisfying. The performances alone are worth the watch. Definitely captures the vibe of a small backwards Southern town. (Some who live in Southern towns may disagree. The film features inter-racial friendship and even inter-racial romance, which may be off-putting to some reviewers.) See more Blobbo X @Blobbo 05/29/2024 Thoughtful and earnest independent production made from a play which also starred Holly Hunter. Ebert gave it 3&1/2 and Blobbo concur. See more Alec B 01/10/2024 Perfectly cast and I promise you that very little of this movie is exaggerated. See more 04/29/2023 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 See more Steve D 02/26/2023 Cute enough thanks to a strong cast. See more 06/08/2021 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. See more Read all reviews
Miss Firecracker

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Movie Info

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
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