Instead, the film, written by beth henley from her play the miss firecracker contest, is a superficial and sporadically witty piece aimed at. It stars holly hunter, mary steenburgen, tim robbins, alfre woodard, and scott glenn. The miss firecracker contest discussion questions beth henley this study guide consists of approximately 38 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the miss firecracker contest. Airing tomorrow july 4, 2015 on tcm is miss firecracker, adapted by beth henley from her play the miss firecracker contest. Miss firecracker 1989 movie clip scrape up that dog. Tamblyn will play carnelle scott, a lonely young woman in mississippi who hopes that persevering in the patriotic pageant of. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing miss firecracker near you. Beth henleys play the miss firecracker contest, which won critical praise in its off broadway run in 1984, will be mounted on broadway this spring, starring the emmynominated amber tamblyn joan of arcadia, the shows producers announced on tuesday. The miss firecracker contest, another henley play that was produced in 1980, was also made into a movie in 1989. Miss firecracker 1989 carnelle isnt happy with her life, so in order to improve herself she enters a local beauty contest, trying to emulate her cousin elains win many years ago. Miss firecracker holly hunter mary steenburgen tim robbins 1989 an exflirt holly hunter wants to win the yazoo city, miss. Carnelle hunter, an oversexed hellion who was orphaned as a young child, has always played second fiddle to her beautiful, older, southern belle cousin a past miss firecracker contest winner.
Theatre arlingtons production of the miss firecracker contest was a pleasant way to start my weekend as i attended opening night this past friday. Miss firecracker is the streamlined title of the film version of beth henleys play the miss firecracker contest. Beth henleys sly comedy about a gawky gal trying to shed her reputation as the town tramp by winning the miss firecracker contest bursts with eccentric characters that define southern gothic. As a carpenter is she not the tearsandtiara type, and after a year of walking the straight and narrow is she ready to cut loose. Both charming and irreverent, the miss firecracker contest is a wistful take on southern beauty culture and the reallife facades it so eloquently symbolizes. She received a best actress oscar nomination for her work in the latter. Miss firecracker to open on broadway the new york times. Holly hunter plays a mississippi girl whose sole reason for being is to enter. Starring as contest hopeful carnelle scott is holly hunter, reprising the role she played in the play. Miss firecracker is a 1989 comedy film directed by thomas schlamme. Motion picture association of america rating definitions. The miss firecracker contest, along with other beth henley plays, is characterized as a southern gothic. She looks up to her older sister and wants to win the miss firecracker contest and. Miss firecracker general discussions tcm message boards.
Miss firecracker is a 1989 american comedy film directed by thomas schlamme. The film, set in yazoo city, mississippi, was written by pulitzer prize winning playwright beth henley and is based on her 1984 play, the miss firecracker contest. Miss firecracker 1989 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. This is not new material, but henley replaces some of the painful sincerity with. Miss firecracker is a huge cotton candy of a movie theres not really much there. Waking up in a strangers bed with no memory was on her mind. The miss firecracker contest characters beth henley this study guide consists of approximately 38 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the miss firecracker contest. Produced by fred berner with lewis allen and ross e. With patriotic feel, gothic comedy and laughter at the most unexpected moments, dillard center for the arts the miss firecracker contest is a play of the search for ones identity and unusual love. The film, set in yazoo city, mississippi, was written by pulitzer prizewinning playwright beth henley and is based on her 1984 play, the miss firecracker contest. At first i was thinking the beauty contest in miss firecracker was too impossibly cornball to be true, but then i remembered the county fair. Milloy as executive producers, the movie is rated pg for language. She decides to enter a beauty pageant, which her cousin elain mary steenburgen had won years before.
She is a young girl trying to follow in her older sisters footsteps. Miss firecracker and the runnerups were honored to ride in the 4th of july parade and then the lighted boat parade in the evening. Carnelle scott holly hunter is a restless mississippi girl looking for a life change. Personally, i enjoyed this movie about an offbeat woman who decides compete in the miss firecracker contest. Willow gregory entered the miss firecracker contest on a dareand won. This adaptation of beth henleys play the miss firecracker contest abounds with idiosyncratic detail and such familiar henley ingredients as family madness. Watch miss firecracker 1989 full movie free online. Holly huntercarnelle scott, elain mary steenburgen, alfre woodard popeye jackson, scott glennmac sam, tim robbins delmount, ann wedgeworth miss blue, veanne cox. Start your free trial to watch miss firecracker and other popular tv shows and movies including new releases, classics, hulu originals, and more. Director thomas schlamme begins the story as credits roll, holly hunter as title character carnelle with gnarly fish processing on location, yazoo city, ms, then meeting pageant staff ann wedgworth and trey wilson, in miss firecracker, 1989, from beth henley s play and. The excitement and anticipation of the shows kickoff to a threeweek run was apparent in the audience and on stage. This boisterous and bold dark comedy, a true beth henley play, explores human nature through the slightly largerthanlife, and finds earnest humor and satire in many of the same places. Act 1, scene 1 as the miss firecracker contest opens, carnelle scott is practicing her talent routine for the upcoming fourth of july beauty pageant in brookhaven, mississippi.
On tuesday, july 1, 1969, the vallejo chamber of commerce announced that miss firecracker of 1969 was karen last name redacted, a 20yearold graduate of vallejo senior high school who worked at a local beauty salon. The play is set in the small southern town of brookhaven, mississippi, and tells an archetypical story of a young woman trying to reinvent herself. Miss firecracker not a dud, but it misses key sad notes. City, mississippi, was written by pulitzer prizewinning playwright beth henley and is based on her 1984 play the miss firecracker contest. The miss firecracker contest is a southern literature play written by beth henley. Miss firecracker this is a delightful over the top crazy characterization of a small town beauty pageant held in yazoo city. Holly hunter plays a mississippi girl whose sole reason for being is to. An orphan taken in by her genteel relatives, she idolizes her older cousin, elain rutledge mary streenburgen, a former fourth of july miss firecracker contest winner who is taking time out from her life as a pampered wife in atlanta to give a speech on my life as a beauty at this years pageant. Beth henleybased on beth henleys play the miss firecracker contest. Miss firecracker 1989, directed by thomas schlamme film. Miss firecracker the town of yazoo city, mississippi, is agog over the annual fourth of july miss firecracker contest, and no one is more obsessed with winning this honor than carnelle scott. Miss firecracker official trailer the town of yazoo city, mississippi, is agog over the annual fourth of july miss firecracker contest, and no one is more obsessed with winning this honor than. The miss firecracker contest, with hunter as a young woman hellbent on rehabilitating her tarnished reputation by becoming a beauty queen, closed in 1985.
Playing carnelle scott, a twentysomething ole miss desperate for just one positive achievement in. Mary streenburgen, a former fourth of july miss firecracker contest winner who is taking time out from her life as a pampered wife in atlanta to give a speech on my life as a beauty at this years. Read the miss firecracker movie synopsis, view the movie trailer, get cast and crew information, see movie photos, and more on. Watch miss firecracker streaming online hulu free trial. Miss firecracker contest a story of unexpected love. It got a production at the manhattan theatre club offbroadway in 1984 directed by stephen tobolowsky, who was henleys romantic partner at the time. In miss firecracker, the playwright beth henley has taken such a contest, the fourth of july pageant in yazoo city, miss. Movie info miss firecracker is the streamlined title of the film version of beth henleys play the miss firecracker contest. Multiple links are listed since a different versions exist and b many scripts posted become unavailable over time.