MISS CONGENIALITY

REVIEWED BY BETH FEAKER

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Because of: innuendo, brief strong language

Rated:

A small, dim and noiseless diner. One lone waitress, scurrying around cleaning tables, heedless of the drama around her. Three tall men, arrayed in dark overcoats, entering subtlety through the door. A woman with tousled hair, slurping milkshakes, reading her grammar book upside down and whispering into the camera hidden in the pages. "Yes, sir, they've entered the building." Suddenly ten policemen thunder into the room and flood it with lights, throwing the men onto the floor and restoring peace to civilization.

That's only a small taste of what FBI Agent Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) does for a living - she thrives on being the meanest, the toughest, and the ugliest woman in the force. It's her job to catch the bad guy and she can prove it. So when the FBI. starts receiving letters scrambled in code from a killer signed "The Citizen," Gracie will do anything it takes to bring him down -- even go undercover in a beauty pageant! Problem is, she's not good-looking, snorts when she laughs and walks like an ape. But when the horror-stricken agency discovers that she's the only candidate who can halfway convince people that she's contestant material, it throws her into a whirl of makeovers, etiquette lessons, and sessions with a professional beauty consultant. Arriving at the pageant looking gorgeous and mad and donning a new name, Gracie gets to know the other contestants, trying to discover just who "The Citizen" is among them. Meanwhile, as they continue to receive bomb threats on the pageant Gracie's co-cop Eric (Benjamin Bratt) is discovering just how much he's attracted to the new and improved her...

The days are numbered and the contestants are buzzing with ditzy anticipation. Gracie spends her time between night lessons on her posture and competitions in the day -- until "The Citizen" is somehow miraculously caught, far away from the pageant. The FBI is no longer needed there, but Gracie isn't sure about it. Feeling in her heart that something still isn't right, she votes to stay on, although she'll be on her own -- no beauty consultant, no backup team. As he's boarding the plane to leave, suddenly Eric believes that Gracie's right, and stays behind, ready for the final night when all will be revealed. But is Gracie right? Will the girls be in danger, and where is "The Citizen" hiding the bomb? And most importantly, how will Gracie learn to put her makeup on all by herself in 24 hours? "She's Got A Killer To Catch... Right After The Swimsuit Competition." 

Miss Congeniality promises to be exciting and fun, and does just that -- but drops the magic after the first thirty minutes. It's the kind of movie that tries to please both feminists and romantics, and ends up truly pleasing neither. Although it tries slightly to make you believe that beauty is only skin deep, the overall message is that beauty may be shallow and selfish, but it can make the cute guy fall in love with you and give you a happier life. Language is moderate to heavy, there's a hint of violence, dozens of innuendos, and several blatant sexual remarks dampen what could be a hilarious movie. I wouldn't recommend guys to see it as most of the scenes show pageant contestants in very little clothing. Most offensively, in one scene Gracie uses Christ's name as an exclamation, and then mockingly prays to cover it up. Parts of the movie are funny and the acting makes it occasionally hilarious, but for some viewers, it will feel lame and leave you unsatisfied.

The emotions feel more forced than felt, and when it was over I thought if they could've just spent more time developing an innocent romantic relationship between Eric and Gracie, it would have left a more lasting impression. But if you just want a funny movie to escape to for a few hours and can overlook occasional embarrassing or offensive things, Miss Congeniality is sure to give you two hours of laughs and an exciting look into one of America's most popular pastimes.