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Parents' Guide to

Miss Congeniality

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Pleasant and entertaining; some innuendo and profanity.

Movie PG-13 2000 109 minutes
Miss Congeniality Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 9 parent reviews

Lauren D.
Lauren D. Parent of 12 and 14-year-old
December 13, 2017
age 12+

Mildly Innapropiate

Was watching the movie with my daughter (12). Language is OK, except for a brief "oh sh*t" and "damn" "ass", words like that. Only thing is that the male characters often make sexist and rude remarks or actions. In one scene, a male and female coworker are "wrestling" on the ground and the male repeatedly grabs/slaps the female's butt, and briefly places his fingers around her crotch. However, I would recommend it, but if you want to be extra careful, have a short chat with your kid about what is and is not OK that was displayed in the movie.
4 people found this helpful.
wonder dove
wonder dove Adult
May 3, 2013
age 13+

Lots of fun for 13+ crowd!

Much better than the 2nd movie, Miss Congeniality is super fun & entertaining! There is a perfect amount of humor here, Sandra Bullock is one fantastic actress! When FBI agent Gracie Hart sets off to become a contestant in a beauty pageant, ordered by the FBI, she must make drastic changes to herself including her appearance - so much that they must hire her a consultant to help make the transformation. She later uncovers a dangerous plot that has been secretly planted to destroy the entire pageant and everyone in it. Language has some harsh words but not too bad, like @ss, cr@p, da*n, sh*t. Sexual content has some innuendo including a song Gracie likes to tease one of her partners with, some skimpy outfits used in the pageant, a kiss, flirting between FBI partners, a few sexual remarks and some jokes about virginity and relationships, a discussion about a sexual assault. Violence has guns, bombs & explosions, pushing, hitting and martial arts scenes, also some verbal abuse. There is drinking including a pageant member gets drunk at a club during a night out with the girls. Overall, a great film worth owning and watching over and over! Okay for ages 13+!

This title has:

Great role models
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
2 people found this helpful.
See all 9 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Sandra Bullock plays Grace, an FBI agent who lives for her job. She gets in trouble for not following orders and is considered so expendable that she is the one sent to Starbucks for coffee. She is more at home subduing a suspect than having a conversation with an attractive man, and spends more time with her gun than she does with a hairbrush or make-up mirror. When the FBI needs an agent to go undercover as a contestant in a beauty pageant, she is the only one who might be able to pass. So the Bureau hires Victor Melling (Michael Caine), a consultant, to oversee her transformation and her transition into the world of big hair and baton twirling.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (9 ):
Kids say (47 ):

Bullock the producer found a pretty good vehicle for Bullock the actress in this clever variation on the classic Hollywood "makeover movie." As in predecessors from Cinderella to My Fair Lady to Pretty Woman, MISS CONGENIALITY is at its core the story of an ugly duckling who finds empowerment and a boyfriend after a few pointers on good grooming and accessorizing. But Bullock's performance and a couple of new twists on the classic formula make it a pleasant and entertaining effort.

There are few new jokes to be made about beauty pageants, but Bullock delivers the lines as though no one had ever said them before. The plot is flimsy, but Bullock plays it as though it is really happening. She gets some fine support from Caine and from Candice Bergen and William Shatner as the pageant's director and master of ceremonies, both far more three-dimensional than Benjamin Bratt as Grace's FBI colleague/Prince Charming.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about beauty pageants. What are some of the stereotypes about women and beauty pageants? What about women in law enforcement?

  • How do movies reinforce and/or challenge stereotypes? Is it appropriate to rely on stereotypes for humor?

  • How is this film a typical Hollywood "makeover" movie? How is it different?

Movie Details

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