Blog 1 - Miss Congeniality

Miss Congeniality is one of Sandra Bullock’s most popular comedies from the 00’s. The movie did well globally, with a world wide gross of $212.7 million dollars.  It also earned several awards and nominations, and is a favorite of many homes across the nation. The promotion for the film was done very well, according to the shattering the box office in it’s opening weekend.

            The poster you see above was the official poster advertisement for the 2000 film. Watching the film, I picked up on a lot of humor about the national pageant system and the women that participate in them. You can see from the dress, crown, and sash Bullock is wearing in the poster that this will be a theme. Also, judging by the gun, boots, and American flag, there will be a significant amount of action in the form of undercover secret agents in defense of the United States. It is clearly a comedic

The judging by the poster, the combination of pageant queen and federal agent would be comedic. The movie actually has many components of a romantic comedy, as Bullock’s character has a love interest plot line with Benjamin Bratt’s character of Eric Matthews. The subject matter, though, is clearly represented. The poster leaves a lot to the imagination, however. Gracie Hart, Bullock’s character, begins the film as an awkward and unattractive single woman who is in bad standing as an agent for the FBI. She is chosen for a specific mission involving the Miss United States pageant, because she is the only woman up for the job. She is given a make over and lessons on proper mannerisms. The woman on the poster is very different from the woman Gracie Hart really is. The poster really focuses on the Gracie while she’s undercover, instead of Gracie in her natural state. This is probably because the version of Gracie seen on the cover is more appealing to potential audiences.

Seeing as I’ve seen the movie, the poster really enticed me to see the movie. Personally, I am a fan of action movies, and FBI agents, American pride, and subjects of the like. To see them with a twist, adding the side of the pageant industry into the mix, was the selling point for me. And, of course, I am a big Sandra Bullock fan. Who isn’t, really?

I think the poster is a very good representation of the movie. The colors speak for them selves, as pink is considered by most as a “girly color”. Gracie’s facial expression is very commanding yet mischievous, giving a nod to the comedic crossover. The image on the poster is very prop heavy, and they are each representational of the film’s themes, while attracting potential audiences. The gun and badge, boots, and American flag show that the movie will dabble in the action genre at some point, which can also be a large selling point to any men on the fence about seeing this movie. The flag can strike a feeling of patriotism in any American, as it represents our freedom. The same goes for the pageant memorabilia. The flowers, for example, seem to represent Gracie’s apparent disinterest or higher care for her job as a federal agent, because they are not cared for, and several are on the floor. The choices of words on the poster are very simple. The four main actors are featured, intending to draw in any audience that is familiar with their work. The saying “Unpolished, Unkempt, Unleashed, Undercover” is a clever alliteration that seems to describe Gracie throughout the movie, and could possibly help anyone unfamiliar with the film to see it. The movie is rated PG-13, obviously targeting the teenage and adult audiences.

To conclude, I really recommend this movie to anyone who hasn’t seen it – it has a little something for everyone! It is a great film that combines two completely opposite professions, and somehow it works.