- Miss Firecracker
-
Miss Firecracker 
DVD coverDirected by Thomas Schlamme Produced by Lewis Allen
Fred Berner
Ross E. MilloyWritten by Beth Henley Starring Holly Hunter
Mary Steenburgen
Tim Robbins
Alfre Woodard
Scott GlennMusic by David Mansfield Cinematography Arthur Albert Editing by Peter C. Frank Distributed by Corsair Pictures Release date(s) 
April 28, 1989Running time 102 min. Country USA Language English Box office $1,852,655 Miss Firecracker is a 1989 comedy film directed by Thomas Schlamme. It stars Holly Hunter, Mary Steenburgen, Tim Robbins, Alfre Woodard, and Scott Glenn.
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.
The film received divided reviews among critics, earning a 65 percent on Rotten Tomatoes
Contents
Plot
Carnelle (Holly Hunter) enters the Miss Firecracker beauty pageant in her hometown of Yazoo, Mississippi, trying to emulate her cousin Elain's (Mary Steenburgen) win some years previous. Carnelle was taken in as a waif by her genteel cousins after the death of her mother and grows up promiscuous, brash, unfeminine and lacking in grace. Few expect she can win, her closest friends and relatives think she is heading for a big disappointment, but Carnelle is ever hopeful. When her other cousin, the eccentric sociopath Delmont Tim Robbins decides to sell the house they both live in to make money, Carnelle becomes even more determined to win, viewing it as a way to escape her small town existence . Elain returns to the town to give a speech at the pageant after a breakup with her husband. Carnelle insists Elain let her wear the red dress in which she won the contest, thinking that will guarantee her success. Elain delays giving Carnelle the dress and makes excuses as to why she cannot have it, whilst pretending to be supportive. Carnelle surprisingly gets on the shortlist for the pageant when one of the other contestents pulls out. Without a red dress she breaks into a locked room in the house previously occupied by a sick relative and takes an old dress to wear. She comes last at the final and is frustrated by her failure. Back at the house she discovers Elain had brought the dress with her all along and had been lying to her. She confronts Elain about this, realising the pageant is not the most important thing after all, then leaves the house and goes to the town observatory and watches the pageant fireworks display.
Cast
- Holly Hunter as Carnelle Scott
- Mary Steenburgen as Elain Rutledge
- Tim Robbins as Delmount Williams
- Alfre Woodard as Popeye Jackson
- Scott Glenn as Mac Sam
- Veanne Cox as Tessy Mahoney
- Ann Wedgeworth as Miss Blue
- Trey Wilson as Benjamin Drapper
- Amy Wright as Missy Mahoney
- Kathleen Chalfant as Miss Lily
- Robert Fieldsteel as Tommy Turner
- Greg German as Ronnie Wayne
- Avril Gentles as Mrs. Biggs
- Bert Remsen as Mr. Morton
- Angela Turner as Caroline Jefferson
References
External links
1980s Spalding Gray: Terrors of Pleasure (1988) · Miss Firecracker (1989)1990s Categories:- 1989 films
- 1980s comedy films
- Beauty pageant films
- Films based on plays
- Films shot in Mississippi
- Plays by Beth Henley
- Films set in Mississippi
- 1980s comedy film stubs
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
