NEW ULM — A rural Minnesota beauty pageant is next to get the mockumentary treatment as The New Ulm Film Society continues its screening series with “Drop Dead Gorgeous.”

The screening starts at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 9 at the New Ulm Public Library and is free to the public.

Released in 1999, “Drop Dead Gorgeous” is a dark comedy about a documentary film crew covering a small-town beauty pageant and the odd accidents occurring around it. 

The film is set in the fictional town of Mount Rose, Minnesota. The name is an anagram for Rosemount, where scriptwriter Lona Williams graduated. 

The beauty pageant at the center of the story is the annual Sarah Rose Cosmetics American Teen Princess Pageant. High School student Amber Atkins, played by Kirsten Dunst, signed up for the pageant in hopes of earning a scholarship to pursue her dream of being a reporter. However, the winner of the pageant might have already been decided. Rebecca Leeman, played by Denise Richards, is favored to win the contest and it is implied it has been rigged in her favor. In addition to Leeman’s father being the wealthiest person in town, her mom, played by Kirstie Alley, is head of the pageant. However, the scales tip further in Leeman’s favor after a series of deadly accidents. It appears as if someone might be trying to bump off the competition for the Sarah Rose Cosmetic American Teen Princess Pageant crown.

“Drop Dead Gorgeous” received mixed reviews when it was initially released. Some critics felt the humor missed the mark or was too derivative of other films. Many compared it to “Waiting for Guffman,” another mockumentary that was released three years earlier about small-town performers with big ambitions. Other critics compared it to “Fargo,” for its dark-comedy themes and Minnesota setting. Several characters in “Drop Dead Gorgeous” speak in a heavy Minnesota accent similar to the characters in “Fargo.”

Years after its release “Drop Dead Gorgeous” found new life on home video and cable broadcast and won over a new generation of fans. Today, the film is considered a cult classic. Part of the film’s renewed success is the correct audience found it. “Drop Dead Gorgeous” is centered around a beauty pageant, but it was not written for beauty queens. It was written for outsiders seeking escape.

Unlike previous mockumentaries like “Waiting for Guffman,” the characters in “Drop Dead Gorgeous” are not without potential but they are trapped within society’s narrow standards. Atkins does have talent and abilities, but social class and a patriarchal system are holding her back. Akins’ character has dreams outside of Mount Rose but her only scholarship option is the beauty pageant. Meanwhile, her male classmates have multiple athletic scholarships available to them. The pageant is her only escape, but this too is rigged against her in favor of the wealthy. 

Another reason for the film’s continued success is the cast. “Drop Dead Gorgeous” featured some well-known actresses as a few who were soon to be well known. Kirsten Dunst was already a famous child star before taking the lead in “Drop Dead Gorgeous,” but after this film, she would appear in a string of successful movies. Actress Allison Janey was already an established actress when she played Loretta. She has gone on to appear in several high-profile films and TV shows but said in a recent interview that “Drop Dead Gorgeous” is the film for which she is most recognized. The movie was also the feature film debut of rising star Amy Adams.