Miss Congeniality (2000)

Following a long string of financially disappointing films, Sandra Bullock attempted a return to star status with this glossy, effective action comedy that she also produced through her company Fortis Films. If the script for Miss Congeniality is too by-the-numbers, predictable, and preprogrammed, it also makes exuberantly satirical use of its main idea of a butch FBI agent undercover at a beauty pageant, sending up that world's participants with relish. Particularly noteworthy are vigorous, funny supporting performances from Michael Caine and William Shatner as longtime pageant veterans suffering the vagaries of their profession with good humor and wit. When Bullock turns on her high-wattage charm, as she does here, she earns her status as an alternative Julia Roberts. (Indeed, her vibrant acting quickly earned her a Golden Globe nomination.) With a smidgen more edge and a dash of extra attitude -- perhaps casting her as a lesbian instead of a red-blooded heterosexual -- Bullock's film might truly have been a classic comedy. But in the hands of director Donald Petrie, who's overly friendly with the lowest common denominator, the watered-down final product is too eager to please. At its core, however, Miss Congeniality is an entertaining farce that prevails in its chief effort -- putting Bullock back on the mainstream map. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide