Admittedly, this film was not one that should have expected to have a big audience...which is probably why it lost so much money. The first niche audience it had was that it was a woman's movie...but I'm not sure even most women would buy into this film. Nevertheless, I (as a man) liked it, although it is a tad bit depressing.The most basic thing this movie is about is -- people who can't.The main character is played by Minnie Driver. She is a young woman who has been aiming to win a national beauty pageant since she was a child. Unfortunately, she couldn't win those child pageants because she couldn't compete with girls who were naturally beautiful, had supportive parents, and a sense of taste. The first part of the film is the character as a cjild, but then Minnie Driver plays the young woman. Driver is good here, although what she's good at is playing a character who is totally self-absorbed and totally selfish.Joey Lauren Adams plays the best friend, who is totally supportive, going so far as to adopt Driver's illegitimate child so she can still compete in the "miss" contests. I'm not familiar with her from other films, but she's quite good here, and plays a character who can't defend herself when she is accused of killing a nursing home patient she cares for.Hallie Eisenberg plays the illegitimate daughter. What a natural! The supporting actors do well here, including Kathleen Turner. Turner plays a former beauty contestant who couldn't compete, but now trains children to become beauty contestants. The mother of Driver in the film plays the mother who can't...successfully raise a child.So, this is a movie about those who can't. The question is, will Driver's character grow up and develop some substance? Of course, we know the answer, but what's very solid about this film is that it doesn't come easy. Admittedly, the ending is a bit unrealistic. But it works, and makes the statement Sally Field (director) apparently wanted to make.Is it a great film? No. But it has substance to it, and, there are those who will agree that it's well worth watching.

I watched this movie when I was a young girl, about 12. I've never honestly liked beauty pageants or anything that has to do with them, so why would I watch a movie about one? But the 3 main women that are centered around this movie had me completely curious. I loved it then and I love it now. It has a feel good ending and the acting is terrific. I also love that you can identify with at least one of the characters. My husband and I watched (what is considered a classic) movie last night but we couldn't identify with anyone so it was much less enjoyable. With friendship, humor, and a girl learning to grow up on her own, this movie had just enough of everything. Everyone has an opinion and in my own, this was a great one. :)

I seem to be the only one that really loves this movie. I think it builds very great character development, as well as having a unique character personalities.Minnie Driver does a beautiful job in this movie playing Mona, the beauty pagaent contestant, whose hiding the fact that she has a kid by her best friend,Joey Lauren Adams, taking over the title of her mom.I think it's a powerful story, as well as a great message that moms should be able to compete in beauty pageants. It makes me mad to know that this movie got such horrible critic reviews and user reviews. It may not be as well-written of a story like Good Will Hunting, but it's a great movie to watch with your girlfriends.

She acts, she sings, she models, she's a beauty queen! Minnie Driver shines in this almost perfectly wonderful film in which she plays a mother who is obsessed with pageantry but she has a secret daughter that she's been hiding and whose identity could get her disqualified from current and future contests. Her best-friend whom has been taking care of the child for a while soon becomes ill and brings the girl to meet with the beauty queen with catastrophic results. Driver is then forced to choose between her dream and her child as she weighs the consequences of her actions, as well as the relationships that matter most to her in life. It's a sweet film that will make you laugh. It kind of reminded me of Miss Congeniality with it's bubbly nature although those two films couldn't be more different. Don't miss Driver as she showcases her vocals during a contest, a foreshadowing for the pop career she issued a CD for years later?