Miss Congeniality

An FBI unit chasing a terrorist known as The Citizen learns his next target is the Miss America pageant. Gracie Hart, a blunt, fearless agent, goes undercover as the New Jersey contestant. Her mission pits hard nosed crime fighting against the beauty contest world, with its etiquette drills and glamour pressure day after day. She endures makeup sessions, interviews and rehearsals while staying alert for clues. Veteran handler Victor Melling and the team coach her from behind the scenes, and she forges uneasy bonds with fellow contestants and with Eric Matthews, a fellow agent assigned to monitor her. As the pageant nears, Gracie must balance wit, resolve and timing to keep the operation on track without blowing her cover.

Released in 2000, Miss Congeniality was directed by Donald Petrie and based on an original screenplay by Marc Lawrence, Katie Ford and Caryn Lucas. The film blends fast paced crime humor with charismatic performances from Bullock, Bratt, and Caine alike.

With a budget of 45 million, the comedy earned about 212 million worldwide, delivering a solid box office return and helping establish Sandra Bullock as a bankable lead in light hearted action comedies, solidifying her appeal with broad audiences worldwide.

Miss Congeniality helped blend female empowerment with broad comedy by placing a tough cop in a beauty pageant setting, turning Gracie Hart into a memorable anti stereotype. The film contributed to the dialogue about competence over prettiness in popular culture, influencing later action comedies that pair strong women with rituals.

Critics praised Bullock's timing and the film's balance of laughs with stakes. It treats pageantry with warmth, while Gracie's evolving relationship with Eric Matthews and her approach to danger highlight themes of competence, autonomy and partner trust. The mix of action and humor proves a woman can lead a comedy.