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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Drop Dead Gorgeous
New Line Cinema


8.6

based on 28 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 24 votes
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MPAA RATING: PG-13 for irreverent and crude humor, sex-related material and language

Starring Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Barkin, Allison Janney, Denise Richards, and Kirstie Alley

A wickedly colorful, twisted comedy, Drop Dead Gorgeous probes the heart of a small Minnesota town where a fictional teen beauty pageant has unleashed a fury of very unladylike behavior. (New Line Cinema)

GENRE(S):	Comedy
WRITTEN BY:	Lona Williams
DIRECTED BY:	Michael Patrick Jann
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: December 14, 1999 Video: April 4, 2000 Theatrical: July 23, 1999
RUNNING TIME:	97 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Salon.com Mary Elizabeth Williams

So genuinely, viciously funny you can't help laughing -- even when you feel really bad about yourself for doing so.

Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas

Occasionally heavy-handed and overdone -- and scarcely free from a self-congratulatory tone -- this latest spoof is nonetheless lots of fun, clever and fearless, and loaded with wicked lines and touches.

San Francisco Chronicle Edward Guthmann

One of the year's funniest acts of malice.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

Although the satire is biting and the tone is irreverent, Drop Dead Gorgeous lacks the killer script and top notch performances necessary to make this a wholly successful production.

USA Today Susan Wloszczyna

Allison Janney is tacky incarnate as Barkin's good-time gal pal. When she shows up, Drop Dead Gorgeous comes most to life. [23 July 1999, Life, p.12E]

Film Threat Anthony Miele

The film sets a quirky tone and sustains it until a very bizarre and contrived ending.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold

The script starts repeating its best gags about halfway through, and the direction gets ever broader as it goes along until the film finally loses all effectiveness as satire.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

The script must have been a funny read. It's the movie that somehow never achieves takeoff speed.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Deirdre Kelly

It's not a winner and not quite a loser either. Like many a beauty contestant, it's glib instead of serious, stylish instead of substantial. Miss Universe, it could never be. Homecoming queen, maybe.

Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum

An intermittently enjoyable bad movie that never knows when to stop.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

Screenwriter Lona Williams doesn't seem to have gotten much beyond the petty absurdity of theme headdresses and ludicrous talent competitions.

Mr. Showbiz Kevin Maynard

A mockumentary about small-town beauty pageants that's so confidently unfunny it's DOA.

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

Drop Dead Ugly is more like it.

LA Weekly Manohla Dargis

The film means to be a darkly funny look at the perils of winning at all costs, but there's nothing dark and searching about its take.

Washington Post Rita Kempley

Ironically, the filmmakers don't seem to realize that their movie is even shallower and sillier than its targets.

Film.com Robert Horton

Oddly enough, I'm enjoying the memory of these jokes more than I actually enjoyed watching the film.

Chicago Tribune Barbara Shulgasser

There may be better ways to waste your time than seeing this movie.

San Francisco Examiner Wesley Morris

It should be renamed "Drop Dead Ghetto" and hauled off to the "Jerry Springer" hall of shame.

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

A cheap cut-glass tiara of a booby prize goes to Drop Dead Gorgeous for messing up so utterly.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Keith Phipps

It's like a cross between "Heathers" and "Waiting For Guffman," had those movies been made by morons, for morons, and the cinematic equivalent of cow-tipping, only less graceful.

Variety Dennis Harvey

A relatively pain-free, if brain-free, diversion.

Film.com John Hartl

Broad, obvious and thuddingly unfunny, Drop Dead Gorgeous makes almost every previous "mockumentary" look like a work of genius.

New Times (L.A.) Bill Gallo

With malice for all, Drop Dead Gorgeous isn't likely to win any popularity contests.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

Screenwriter Lona Williams and director Michael Patrick Jann spare no attempt to show characters at their zaniest, wackiest or most grotesque. The effect is disconcerting. Is this light comedy or dark satire? It ends up being neither.

Newsweek Ted Gideonse

The crude humor in Drop Dead Gorgeous does not have a moral point to it. It's just crude.

Village Voice J. Hoberman

Even sillier than it is cynical, Drop Dead Gorgeous is a tiresome tale.

Film.com Sean Means

Drop Dead Gorgeous eventually shows that it doesn't like anybody -- in the movie or in the audience.

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

This biting parody of flyover-state beauty contests feels like a bad made-for-TV movie of the week.

The average user rating for this movie is 8.6 (out of 10) based on 24 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

carlona pobeck gave it a9:
A really funny and uniqe movie!

beth stahler gave it a10:
Totally awesome....I almost wet my pants.

Steve K. gave it a10:
This is a genuinely unique and funny movie. Rarely does a story line just let loose and go for the gold ring - okay, maybe a rubber ring in this case. But like other outrageous movies that have enjoyed great love from their fans, this one is stays on it's satirical theme on every level. From personal relationships, corporate advertising, eco-socio status - they rip it all up, with unique flair and intenstity. A gread movie!

Paul gave it an8:
Even though it is now 6 years old this film is still bitingly funny. Ignore the critics reviews and judge for yourself. You will find yourself chuckling all they way!

William W. gave it a7:
Underrated. The reception of this movie is a perfect example of how less-than-bright, thin-skinned, lily-livered critics destroy perfectly enjoyable movies because they don't like people being "mean" or because the characters aren't "likable." This film is careful to establish its tone from the beginning and never backs down from it: it is viciously satirical, but it is viciously satirical from start to finish without ever backing down. And still it manages to have poignant moments--due mostly to great acting, especially from Barken, Janney and Alley. A thoroughly enjoyable and hilarious film--I'm just sorry I had to wait til it ended up in a box of VHS tapes a friend was selling in a garage sale before I saw it.

Robby R. gave it an8:
Didn't want to see it, very glad that I did. Funny and biting.

Anna gave it a 10:
People tend to overlook the fact that this movie isn't suppose to be dramatic, its not suppose to take itself seriously. Its suppose to be funny. And that's exactly what it is. If there is a soul in your body, you will laugh.

Drop Dead Gorgeous New Line Cinema

Drop Dead Gorgeous
New Line Cinema