By Lisa Ades
racking the country's oldest beauty contest¡ªfrom its inception in 1921 as a local seaside pageant to its heyday as one of the country's most popular events¡ªMISS AMERICA paints a vivid picture of an institution that has come to reveal much about a changing nation. The pageant is about commercialism and sexual politics, about big business and small towns. But beyond the symbolism lies a human story¡ªat once moving, inspiring, infuriating, funny, and poignant.
Combining rare archival footage, with a host of intimate interviews with distinguished commentators including Gloria Steinem, Margaret Cho, Isaac Mizrahi, former contestants and behind¨Cthe¨Cscenes footage and photographs, the film reveals why some women took part in the fledgling event and why others briefly rejected it - how the pageant became a battle ground and a barometer for the changing position of women in society.
Reviews
~ "American Experience' takes the crown with producer Lisa Ades' masterful 'Miss America'¡ Brilliantly anecdotal and pungently opinionated." - TV Guide
~ "Superb¡effortlessly mines perspective, poignancy and cultural significance for an exercise that has embodied the essence of kitsch and tacky¡" - The Hollywood Reporter
~ "¡ this critical but balanced American Experience documentary acknowledges the pageant's status as a national institution." - People Magazine
|