MISS CONGENIALITY (2000)
Michael Caine is Sandra Bullock’s gay beauty pageant coach in the 2000 comedy MISS CONGENIALITY.
MISS CONGENIALITY
2000. USA.
Director: Donald Petrie
Screenplay: Marc Lawrence, Katie Ford & Caryn Lucas
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Michael Caine, Benjamin Bratt, Candice Bergen, William Shatner, Ernie Hudson, Heather Burns and Melissa De Sousa
In MISS CONGENIALITY, Sandra Bullock plays the clever and unkempt FBI agent Gracie Hart. A lapse in judgement causes her to be demoted to a desk job, but a lack of female staff sends her back into the field – at the Miss United States pageant. In order to fit in, and seem like she’s competing for the crown, Hart is forced to have a complete makeover. She is begrudgingly taken under the wing of Victor (Caine), a disgruntled former beauty pageant coach who helps transform her while she attempts to discover who is behind recent threats against the pageant.
Surprising for the early 2000s, MISS CONGENIALITY actually features a (mostly positive) supporting character in Victor. Sure, he’s there for a few laughs, and kind of rude at the beginning, but he’s integral to the plot and softens emotionally as the film progresses. His presence also highlights the homophobia and toxic masculinity represented in Hart’s love interest, Agent Matthews (Benjamin Bratt) – who also gradually becomes more likeable and accepting.
Another queer character featured throughout the film is Karen (Melissa De Sousa), Miss New York, a Black lesbian who becomes one of the top 10 finalists in the pageant. Before leaving the stage for the last time, she shouts support to other lesbians and declares her love for her girlfriend Tina.
Interestingly, MISS CONGENIALITY also has a bit of a queer influence; both Sandra Bullock and Ellen DeGeneres have talked about the fact that Ellen inspired one of the film’s writers, Marc Lawrence, to create the character of Gracie Hart. Lawrence was apparently watching Ellen learn how to walk in a dress while preparing to host the Emmy Awards. Additionally, one of the contributing writers was out screenwriter Katie Ford. Personally I’d love to know if she wrote Karen’s iconic coming out scene.
You can find MISS CONGENIALITY on DVD/Blu-ray, streaming on Starz (Canada), Tubi (USA), SkyTV an Now Cinema (UK), Prime and Max (Mexico) – and available for rent/purchase through AppleTV and Amazon.
