Smile
 | Directed by Michael Ritchie Starring: Bruce Dern, Barbara Feldon, Michael Kidd, Geoffrey Lewis, Nicholas Pryor MGM (Video & DVD), 1975, DVD Customer Rating: 22 reviews Recommend |
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Get ready for a hilarious (Variety) look at one of America's most beloved institutions: the beauty pageant! OscarÂ(r) nominees* Bruce Dern and Melanie Griffith wind their way throughpageant hell in this twisted exposition of Americana that deserves a high place among successful film spoofs (Cue)! The bleached-blonde town of Santa Rosa, California, is very excited aboutits annual Young American Miss Pageant. Chief judge Big Bob Freelander (Dern) promises his town a good contest. But the battling bombshells are growing ruthless in their quest for the crown! Can Big Bob make sure that his bevy of Beauties remains civil so that audiences don't discover what really lies behind those smiles?! *Dern: Supporting Actor, Coming Home (1978); Griffith: Actress, Working Girl (1988)
A small-town beauty pageant, and the turmoil it causes in the lives of its participants and sponsors, is the focus of this dark and witty cult comedy from Michael Ritchie (The Bad News Bears, Fletch). Bruce Dern shines in a rare comic lead as the chief judge of the "Young American Miss" contest, and his ability to find humor and pathos in his sad-sack character is well-matched by Barbara Feldon as a glacial former contestant, Geoffrey Lewis as a densely heartless sponsor, and famed choreographer Michael Kidd as (what else) the disillusioned pageant choreographer. Ritchie and writer Jerry Belson split the film's focus between the contestants (among them Annette O'Toole, Melanie Griffith, and Colleen Camp) and the sponsors and judges, and if the plot takes an absurd turn at the climax, Smile is ultimately a rare satire that cares for its characters while skewering their foibles. — Paul Gaita
Title: Smile
Sales Rank: 39884 in DVD
Actor: Bruce Dern, Barbara Feldon, Michael Kidd, Geoffrey Lewis, Nicholas Pryor
Director: Michael Ritchie
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD), 2004-08-24, Theatrical Release: 1975
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD, Letterboxed, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC, Acpect Ratio 1.85:1
Languages: English (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed)
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region Code: 1
Running Time: 113 minutes
Item Dimensions: 1 pounds
Package Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.42 x 0.58 inches, 0.18 pounds
- Fore- runner
- Yes this sparked Miss Congeniality but it is a show that stood on it's own a long time. Theres few surprises here as the pageant overflows the small town & the pageant managers are full of themselves. A boy sneaks looks at the contestants breasts as they change.(I've always been amazed that women with small breasts have no poise or talent that would… More reviews
- Very Funny Satire From The 1970's
- I have to admit when I selected this movie I thought I would be watching a made for TV movie I enjoyed as a kid about a beauty pageant that starred Farrah Fawcett and Eleanor Parker. When the cast of characters at the beginning of SMILE did not list either actress I did a little internet research and found that the film I was thinking of was 1973's THE… More reviews
- Nice Piece of Americana
- This is an enjoyable piece of Americana of the 1970's. Its satire is gentle and understanding of that part of American society that thinks beauty pageants mean something. The movie only loses its footing and pacing when it tries to make a serious point.
Bruce Dern's character is a great comic turn for a serious actor in his role as "Big Bob Freelander". He is head… More reviews
- Smile
- I received Smile, one of my all-time favorite parodies, this time of beauty pageants, in perfect condition and on time. Couldn't ask for anything more.… More reviews
- Hilarious and nicely done
- Long before Little Miss Sunshine, there was this funny 1975 spoof of American teen beauty pageants, nicely directed by Michael Ritchie and featuring Barbara Feldon and Bruce Dern. Many hilarious scenes, great dialogue, and a few adult-ish parts you might not expect.… More reviews
