Drop Dead Gorgeous
Short description
In the small Minnesota town of Mount Rose, the annual American Teen Princess beauty pageant draws a television crew and a field of hopeful contestants. Among them is Amber Atkins, a modest girl who works at the local funeral home and sees the crown as a way out of town. Standing in her path is Becky Leeman, whose mother, Gladys, won the title years earlier and is determined that her daughter repeat the achievement. The Leemans are the wealthiest family in Mount Rose, and the competition turns increasingly dangerous as other contenders fall away under suspicious circumstances. The local authorities, mindful of the family's standing, take little interest in the mounting accidents.
Michael Patrick Jann directed the film, his first feature, from a screenplay by Lona Williams. Kirsten Dunst leads the cast as Amber, with Ellen Barkin as her mother Annette, Denise Richards as Becky, Kirstie Alley as Gladys, and Allison Janney and Sam McMurray in supporting roles. The production, made for about 10 million dollars, returned roughly 11 million dollars worldwide, a modest result against its cost.
On IMDb the film holds a 6.7 rating from around 45,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.5 from fewer than 500 votes. A critics' rating of 6 out of 10 across 73 reviews places it close to the audience scores, suggesting a broadly similar reception on both sides.
What's left behind the scenes
- Screenwriter Lona Williams once participated in beauty pageants. She appeared on screen as the third judge of the competition (a non-speaking role).
- The school's sports team is called the "Muskies." This is a reference to the muskellunge (a relatively rare freshwater fish of the pike family, found in North America, particularly in Minnesota).
- Scenes with Will Sasso (playing Hank) were filmed and added to the film after the main shooting period had ended, when the producers realized there weren't enough male characters.
- The first screen appearance for Amy Adams, Jessie King, and Amanda Detmer.
- According to director Michael Patrick Jann, Kirstie Alley (who played Gladys) refused to even try on many of the costumes selected for her character and suggested sending them to the Scientology Celebrity Centre in Hollywood (an institution that caters to the spiritual needs of celebrities and helps them achieve enlightenment and personal growth).
- The film is set in the fictional town of Mount Rose, an anagram of Rosemount, where screenwriter Lona Williams graduated from high school.
- While working on the character of Gladys, Kirstie Alley drew inspiration from Frances McDormand's performance in Joel and Ethan Coen's thriller "Fargo" (1995).
- The film features numerous references to dishes from traditional Minnesota cuisine.
- The film's original title was "Dairy Queens," but it had to be changed when the American multinational fast-food and ice cream café chain Dairy Queen threatened legal action.
- The original ending of the film showed Kirstie Alley's character committing suicide, with the sniper revealed to be the character played by Claudia Wilkens. The ending was reshot due to audience reaction at a preview screening.
- Allison Janney, who played Loretta, claims she is more often recognized as the character from this film than any other.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
