Drop Dead Gorgeous, the dark beauty pageant satire starring Kirsten Dunst, Denise Richards, Kirstie Alley and Ellen Barkin, was released on July 23, 1999. More than two decades later, the film has built a devoted following even though it struggled at the box office when it first opened, according to E! News.
The movie was written by former Minnesota pageant contestant Lona Williams and directed by Michael Patrick Jann. It drew from Williams’ own experiences in local pageants, and she later said the project felt personal when the film was initially met with poor reviews and weak ticket sales.
According to E! News, the film was made for just under $15 million and earned $10.5 million in theaters. Critics were also mixed to negative at the time, with the film landing at 46% on Rotten Tomatoes and drawing harsh reviews from outlets including Entertainment Weekly and Roger Ebert.
Even so, Drop Dead Gorgeous has become a cult comedy known for its quotes and its early appearances by future stars such as Amy Adams, Brittany Murphy and Allison Janney. E! News also reported that the production had some behind-the-scenes friction, including clashes between Williams and Jann, and that the movie was originally intended to be titled Dairy Queens before a lawsuit changed the name.
