Miss Congeniality

 Miss Congeniality 2000

• Director: Donald Petrie
• Seen by this director: Grumpy Old Men
• Based on the book: no
• Cast: Sandra Bullock, Michael Caine, Benjamin Bratt, Candice Bergen, William Shatner, Heather Burns
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Sandra Bullock – Gravity, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Crash, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, 28 Days, Practical Magic, A Time to Kill, While You Were Sleeping, Speed
• Michael Caine – Tenet, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, Harry Brown, Flawless, The Prestige, Children of Men, The Weatherman, Last Orders, Get Carter, The Cider House Rules, Little Voice, Mona Lisa, Educating Rita, Sleuth (both versions), Alfie
• Benjamin Bratt – Doctor Strange, Thumbsucker
• Candice Bergen – Gandhi
• William Shatner – Star Trek
• Heather Burns – Manchester by the Sea, You’ve Got Mail
• Why? Good cast
• Seen: 2 January 2022      

       Good cast, yes, but can it make this spy comedy worth watching?

       Gracie Hart (Bullock) is an FBI agent (OK, not a spy story), a real toughie but a bit of a maverick. Against her will she’s forced undercover as a contestant in the Miss USA Pageant because of bomb threats to the event. Mr Vic (Caine) is stuffy and highly competent and is forced through unfortunate unemployment to turn her into a potential Miss in two days.

       They both hate it. And each other.

       Beauty pageants, yuck. This is annoyingly sexist despite Gracie’s comment on feminism but there are some good digs at the whole beauty pageant thing. And it’s often very funny.

       So, all in all, it’s quite sweet, a film to enjoy in spite of everything. 

3* of 5.