Miss Congeniality (2000)

2.5 out of 4

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Benjamin Bratt. Michael Caine, Candice Bergen, William Shatner, Ernie Hudson, Heather Burns

Director: Donald Petrie

Time: 109 mins

Since she burst onto the scene in 1993/94 with charismatic, eye-catching performances in Demolition Man (opposite Sylvester Stallone) and Speed (with Keanu Reeves), Sandra Bullock has had a mediocre trot with her chosen career path. While You Were Sleeping and A Time To Kill were reasonable successes, but then came clunkers like Two If By Sea, Speed 2, In Love And War, and Practical Magic. At her best, Bullock exhibits spark, vulnerability, and genuine all-round appeal. When the script fails her, her mannerisms can look whiny and unconvincing. Thankfully, in her latest, Miss Congeniality, she's at her best. Backed by a cast of well-known faces, this improbable comedic update of Pygmalion is pleasant and, at times, quite funny, with Bullock showing a surprising flair for humour. It's only let down by the feeling of a lack of originality running through the script, but other than that, it's an entertaining couple of hours.

Bullock plays Gracie Hart, a tomboyish FBI agent who knows little about style, fashion or etiquette. When a bomber (known as the Citizen) mails a letter to the FBI, his/her next target is traced to the Miss USA pageant to be held in San Antonio. Hart, already in trouble with her boss McDonald (Ernie Hudson) for a bungled operation during a Russian mob sting, is assigned by agent-in-charge Eric Matthews (Benjamin Bratt) to go undercover as a contestant in the pageant, much to the dismay of co-hosts Kathy Morningside (Candice Bergen) and Stan Fields (William Shatner). Style guru Victor Melling (Michael Caine) is brought in to transform her into someone more befitting of a pageant contestant, and though the swan that emerges makes even Matthews do a double-take, she still has trouble adjusting to the catwalk and glamorous lifestyle.

There is a thriller element in Miss Congeniality, but it is most definitely a comedy. There are several genuinely funny scenes in the film, and the cast's enthusiasm makes the ride quite enjoyable. The many unoriginal situations, though, means your mind won't be as engaged as some other films. This isn't to say parts of the film are boring, but one can easily see where the film is heading towards. I suppose George Bernard Shaw's oft-adapted work Pygmalion is partly to blame here, as well as the scores of action/thriller comedies in the past two decades. It's a credit that the filmmakers don't make a big thing out of the film's predictability - the script knows it's treading a well-worn path, and just intends to entertain with what it has.

Bullock is very good as the FBI agent who resents what she has to do, but does it anyway because she loves her job. Initially made to look as unkempt and unappealing as possible, her transformation into the pretty Miss New Jersey takes almost everyone (except the audience, of course) by surprise. Bullock's willingness to make herself appear like a social misfit (especially with her snort-like laugh and frequent pratfalls) goes a long way to making the film work. Bratt, as the love interest, is only adequate, but is the butt of several funny jokes. Caine, however, is especially funny as the makeover man, and is actually more impressive here than he was in the recent Quills. Bergen and Shatner are suitably hammy in their roles, and let's not forget the forgotten Ghostbuster, Ernie Hudson, who has a few scenes as the easily enraged FBI director.

For laughs alone, I would probably have rated Miss Congenialty higher. However, while the concept of going undercover in a beauty pageant may be a relatively novel idea, the rest of the story isn't. The film is a worthwhile entertainment, with fine performances by Bullock and Caine, but is not likely to be on anyone's list of memorable comedies.

(c) Joe Wong (17 March 2001)