Miss Congeniality (2000)
Director:
Donald Petrie
Tagline:
« Unpolished. Unkempt. Unleashed. Undercover. »
Actors:
Gracie Hart
Victor Melling
Eric Matthews
Kathy Morningside
Stan Fields
Rating:
(250’084 votes)
(250’084 votes)
Quotes:
« Stan Fields: Miss Rhode Island, please describe your idea of a perfect date.
»
« Cheryl "Rhode Island": That's a tough one. I'd have to say April 25th. Because it's not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket.
»
« Kathy Morningside: New Jersey, as you know, there are many who consider the Miss United States Pageant to be outdated and anti-feminist. What would you say to them?
»
« Gracie Hart: Well, I would have to say – I used to be one of them. And then I came here and I realized that these women are smart, terrific people who are just trying to make a difference in the world. And we've become really good friends. I mean, I know we all secretly hope the other one will trip and fall on her face, and – wait a minute, I've already done that! And for me this experience has been one of the most rewarding and liberating experiences of my life.
»
[audience applauds]
« Victor Melling: My God, I did it!
»
« Gracie Hart: And if anyone, anyone – tries to hurt one of my new friends, I would take them out. I would make them suffer so much that they'd wish they were never born. And if they ran, I would hunt them down. Thank you, Kathy.
»
« Victor Melling: A brief shining moment, and then that mouth!
»
« Victor Melling: I haven't seen a walk like that since "Jurassic Park"!
»
Trailer:
Miss Congeniality
Runtime:109 minutes
Plots:
A tomboyish detective infiltrates a beauty pageant as a contestant after her department learns that the event is under threat from an anonymous bomber.
Undercover FBI Agent Gracie Hart shows no signs of having any femininity in her demeanor or appearance. Generally a bright and capable agent, she is in trouble at work when she makes an error in judgment in a case which results in a near disaster. As such, one of her by-the-books colleagues, Eric Matthews, who has never shown any inclination of thinking outside the box, is assigned to lead the high profile case of a terrorist coined The Citizen instead of her, while she is facing possible disciplinary action. Gracie pieces together the evidence to determine that The Citizen’s next target will be the Miss United States beauty pageant. The pageant represents everything that Gracie abhors. Despite Gracie’s mannish demeanor, Eric, with no other undercover female agent remotely fitting the demographic, assigns her to go undercover as a pageant contestant to see if she can flush out The Citizen, who is perhaps one of the other contestants. Although the pageant administration, led by former winner Cathy Morningside and long time host Stan Fields, provides the FBI with access to the pageant, Cathy in particular is less than thrilled to have a non-credible Gracie posing as a contestant, which she feels will ruin the pageant. The FBI enlists the assistance of former pageant contestant coach Victor Melling, who is facing his own disgrace associated with the pageant, to do the nearly impossible task of transforming Gracie, not only into a woman, but a credible beauty pageant contestant. As Gracie proceeds in the transformation, she gets to know the other contestants, not only as potential criminals, but also as real people. She also discovers that another sinister element is present at the pageant. She will do whatever it takes to quash that element and protect her new friends, namely the other innocent contestants. But now displaying some femininity, Gracie begins to have more womanly feelings, and in turn, attracts the attention of men, one in particular about whom she is happy.
A middle-aged female spy goes undercover as a beauty pageant contestant to stop a bomb going off in a major global event that will affect everyone in some way. She must also discover who is behind the threat of the bomb and stop them before it is too late.
Official website:
Warner Bros. (UK)

