Hey folks, Harry here with the first test screening for the new Sandra Bullock film... MISS CONGENIALITY. Now, MISS CONGENIALITY is the type of film which, for the crowd that would never see this film because of the trailer, would spew hatred for it as being another bland romantic comedy type of thing. However, for fans of those types of film... this is their heroin. Now saying that, this movie is still a little rough around the edges from the descriptions below... But the first spy liked it, and the second one hated it. Which is right? Both... and neither... you have to decide for yourself... Here ya go....
Greetings,
I saw Sandra Bullock's Miss Congeniality in La Canada at 7:30, Thursday. I do love Sandra's work except for Hope Floats and this film. I think this is more of a chick flick because a lady with us said that she enjoyed the film. The other guy in our group and I both rated the film as FAIR to GOOD. I would not recommend it to my friends and family. Movieview said that we were the first audience to see the film. We were watching for Sandra to show up, but we couldn't recognize her (I saw her after the film, shook her hand, told her that I love her and her work and I asked her for a hug. She had a limo waiting at a side door.)
The movie starts off with a little girl knocking out boys that piss her off. Next we see Sandra in a restaurant sting operation to catch some Mafia bad guys. This takes place in New York. Sandra plays a tomboy FBI agent working with Benjamin Pratt as her partner. Ernie Hudson plays the head of her FBI unit.
They get a cryptic letter from a criminal known as the Citizen. They figure out that the citizen will strike the Miss USA pageant. They look at other female agents to play contestants. They all gather around a computer and digitally put the agents into swimsuits and dresses including Benjamin and Ernie. Sandra is recruited as Miss New Jersey. The character is called something like "Mary Nicebush".
Michael Caine is recruited by the FBI to make Sandra into a beautiful contestant. They give her a make over, put her in dresses and swimsuits and have her walk with poise in high heel shoes. She has to stop eating doughnuts, pizza and other fattening foods. She trips all over herself and has to come up with a 'talent' for the contest which takes place in San Antonio. The Alamo is used quite often as a backdrop.
William Shatner plays the Bert Parks character for the pageant. Bill does not perform any of his Priceline.com singing. Candice Bergin is the head of the pageant. Sandra feels that Miss Rhode Island might be a threat, but that soon fades out. They catch the real citizen criminal, but Sandra stays to make sure that everything is okay. Candice and her character son create a crown that contains a remote controlled bomb. Sandra figures this out near the end and grabs the crown from Miss Rhode Island when she wins the pageant. Sandra throws the crown and it explodes out of harms way. In the end, the contestants elect Sandra as Miss Congeniality and thank her and Benjamin.
That's the film. The humor is okay in spots and she even manages to wrestle with Benjamin. Her and Benjamin kiss in the end (I hope Julia Roberts doesn't get jealous). I was looking forward to seeing this film and I became disinterested about half way through. At least I got to hug her as she got into her limo. I could barely recognize her in her glasses. She is so skinny. She was nice to another fan and I at the end.
Thank you
Mark Anthony
And up next is a look at the film from Sammy So And So
Miss Congeniality
Hey Harry,
Went to see Miss Congeniality at Warners on Wednesday. It was the first audience screening. Unfortunately it seems like they have every intention to release this thing. Sandra Bullock and Donald Petrie the director were there. Most of the effects were done, but it did not yet have the final soundtrack and some minor effects.
After the screening I sat through Petrie seriously asking the audience "if anything was confusing, and if we had any questions".
Yes Donald there were a few confusing things, such as;
Why? Did you think it was a good idea to skank out Sandra Bullock for 3 quarters of the movie? I guess in her mind or yours this was the chance to show off her acting chops. Oh My God. Between Bullock and Petrie I don't know who is the scarier talent. Did Matt Dillon drop out of the project beause the script sucked? Did you at any time before or after the filming began actually read the script? If so, did you consider some possible changes to the script? Are you embarrassed when you tell people you are a director?
Of course, I just sat there silently in semi shock, instucted by my friend who invited me, to "shut up" because she was friends with one of the "filmmakers". A few rows behind me some lady said; "I loved it and would buy the DVD and watch it 100 times." If that wasn't Petrie's agent or manager I'll eat my own leg.
Oh, I almost forgot. The plot.
Tough girl who doesn't fit in and beats up kids at the playground grows up to become an slovenly, grinning, uglied up FBI agent, almost gets her fellow agent killed by giving the Hiemlich to a Russian Gangster. Terrorist threats to Beauty Pageant cause her to go undercover to become a pageant contestant to stop the killing of her fellow contestants. Oh yeah and she falls for an agent who didn't notice she was pretty because she had her hair in her face and ketchup stains on her shirt and.... who cares! The whole thing reeked of sitcom humor from the mid 80's.
There were a few scant laughs scattered throughout this mess, Shatner was funny for a second, but not enough to keep you from shaking your head in disbelief hoping for a power failure.
Petrie, I hate you.
Sammy So and so
