A Beauty Pageant Turned Ugly: 1999’s ‘Drop Dead Gorgeous’
By Amy Walter
In the penultimate year of 1999, my favourite movie of all time was released, Drop Dead Gorgeous. Under a 90s haze of sparkles, American flags and rural suburbia the often underappreciated comedy instantly became my number one on Letterboxd.
Whilst over twenty years have passed since the film's initial release, it has become a cult classic for its satirical nature, stellar cast and an alternative look at the world of teenage pageants. At its heart, the film challenges the ideals of the American Dream and the limitations of class, particularly for women, asking the question: How ugly will we get for our dreams?
Still from Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)
Throughout the film we are invited into the lives of various teenage pageant contestants in the suburban town of Mount Rose, Minnesota. The pageant, for many of the girls, is seen as a golden ticket out of their rural town. As the mockumentary continues, the shiny exterior of teen pageants begins to rust away as one contestant, Tammy Curry, suspiciously dies. As the pageant draws closer, Amber Atkins (played by Kirsten Dunst) begins to receive death threats in the form of a picture of Tammy Curry saying “You’re Next.” On the night of the pageant, Rebecca Leeman is crowned the winner, unsurprisingly to the crowd due to her family's influence in the town.
Yet, as Leeman partakes in a celebration parade, her swan float sets on fire and explodes, automatically making Amber Atkins the winner, qualifying her for the state pageant and with the demise of the Leeman family. We travel with Atkins to the state pageant, where she again wins by default due to the food poisoning of the other contestants. However, upon arrival at the national pageant, the girls find Sarah Rose Cosmetics shut down due to tax evasion with the girls reacting with cries of anger and breaking of glass as they feel their dreams slip away. Months later, Amber Atkins rains victorious as she really does become the “next Diane Sawyer” due to over taking from a news reporter who is shot by Mrs Leeman.
Amongst the eight contestants, Amber Atkins, depicted by Kirsten Dunst, is the focal point of the movie. She, unlike many of the contestants, is from a working-class background where she must work two jobs along with school to support her and her mother. Amber embodies the girl-next door trope that Dunst was so known for in the 90s. Yet, her character is far more than the sweet, country bell. She also reflects many young women in rural America with her dreams limited by wealth and access rather than talent.
In opposition, Denise Richrads plays the Regina George-like archetype in Rebecca Leeman who, much like her mother, reflects middle-class Americana and privilege. The rivalry between the girls mirrors that of the American class system, with Atkins even fearful at times of the power and influence of her classmate. Despite the highschool setting, the movie remains a stark reminder of how the limitations of class are at work from a young age with Amber being labelled as “trailer trash” by Mrs Leeman. Other notable characters are Amy Adams as Leslie Miller, fulfilling the ‘sexy cheerleader’ trope and Lisa Swanson played by Brittany Murphy as the bubbly and charismatic airhead.
Still from Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)
Another integral part of the mockumentary style is how the audience learns more about each character from their environment. With Amber Atkins, we see her bedroom covered by floral wallpaper, trinkets and photos of her inspiration Diane Sawyer. Lisa Swanson’s room is another filled with inspiration, her love of New York, Barbra Striesand and Liza Minnelli plastered upon the walls. In contrast, Rebecca Leeman’s room is never revealed, she remains an aspirational figure as we only see her in her pristine living room, with either parent by her side and a plastic smile smeared upon her face.
Despite the movie's cult following today, the film's initial release in 1999 was not as successful, failing to make profit at the box office. Kirsten Dunst, who is often affiliated with other cult classics like Bring it On and The Virgin Suicides, argued that one of the reasons for the films lack of successes was due to their focus on female adolescence. At the time, stories that focused on the stories of women often remained misunderstood by critics or were ignored altogether, particularly if they were independent films.Today, the film is more so limited due to its offensive stereotypes and handling of issues such as eating disorders which cement it as very much “of its time.”
Still from Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)
Today, the film remains more prominent than ever due to its parody of all-American morality. With each year of the pageant being some display of unwavering patriotism, as the girls dress in blue and rehash why they are “proud to be an American,” a current audience needs to look no further than a Trump rally to see the same over the top depictions of American nationalism. The movie presents these women as the future, yet much like modern society, conservatism and limitations of class force the girls to perform only by a means that uphold the honour of America where they must avoid “skimpy” outfits and performances.
Beauty in Drop Dead Gorgeous is depicted as a commodity, with the pageant being the only way many of the girls can fulfil their dreams. Amber Atkins highlights how boys “get out of Mount Rose all the time” whilst only the women who fit the American beauty standard are allowed access to opportunities, education and careers. In 2022, the winner of Miss America, Emma Broyles, won $100,000 in scholarship funds still proving the twisted ideals that though pageants give women opportunities, it is only earned by being deemed the most beautiful woman in America. However, the audience sees the cost of such pressure in the film’s Mary Johanson, the winner of the 1994 pageant, who suffers from an eating disorder.
In a 90s world where the rich girls of Clueless and Legally Blonde were seen as the heroes, Drop Dead Gorgeous makes commentary on the power of the underdog seen in Kirsten Dunst’s Amber Atkins. One of the more heartwarming scenes is when her and Allison Janey’s character, Lorretta, learn they are staying at an airport hotel for the state pageant, reacting in screams and hugs. This still speaks to many working-class teenagers who are forced to remain stagnant in life due to their parent’s finances, the pure joy in the scene encapsulates Amber feeling closer to her dreams, due to feeling further away from what a life of rural Minnesota promised her.
The film's underlying competitive spirit, encapsulated by Becky Leeman, who claims “Jesus Loves Winners,” undoubtedly reflects the convoluted spirit of the American Dream. The competition proves that it matters more who you know and, in the case of Drop Dead Gorgeous, not how well you can tap dance.
