Themes: Fish Out of Water, Going Undercover, Kidnapping
Main Cast: Sandra Bullock, Regina King, Enrique Murciano Jr., William Shatner, Ernie Hudson
Release Year: 2005
Country: US
Run Time: 115 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
FBI agent-turned-reluctant beauty queen Gracie Hart (played by Sandra Bullock) is taking on both bad guys and high glamour again in this sequel to the comedy smash Miss Congeniality. After her undercover mission at the Miss United States pageant becomes public knowledge, Gracie becomes something of a celebrity, and the FBI uses her notoriety to generate positive PR for the bureau; however, Gracie would like to get back to some solid police work, especially after scuffling with fellow female agent "Sam" Fuller (Regina King), who isn't impressed with Gracie. Despite their differences, the two find themselves working side by side when two of Gracie's pals from the pageant -- contest winner Cheryl Frasier (Heather Burns) and master of ceremonies Stan Fields (William Shatner) -- fall victim to kidnappers. As she did on the first film, Sandra Bullock served as both producer and star for Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, while director John Pasquin's credits include several episodes of the situation comedy George Lopez, also produced by Bullock. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
Sandra Bullock's career has been quite a conundrum. America's sweetheart and an unquestioned A-lister, she nonetheless always comes up short, both critically and at the box office. So it should be no great surprise that her biggest post-Speed success has been a pair of middling comedies about an FBI agent undercover as a beauty queen, the first having grossed over 100 million dollars, hence triggering the production of a second. The heart and soul of Miss Congeniality was Gracie Hart's snort-laughing and socially maladroit ways, but those elements get pushed into the background of Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous. Perhaps not wanting to spend more time than necessary in Gracie's mannish wardrobes, Bullock sets aside the Gracie Hart persona, petitioning for a more Tracey Ullman role-playing approach to the proceedings. Toward this end, she spends the early scenes dropping brand names like a prissy perfume saleswoman, goes undercover in the middle as a kvetching retirement-home tenant, and finishes by playing, well, herself. The consequence is that the series switches from satire to buddy action comedy, with the fertile pageantry world survived only by the kidnapping victims, and it becomes more about the uneasy relationship between the suddenly meek Hart and her alpha female partner (Regina King). However it's categorized, there are enough laughs and sharp quips in Marc Lawrence's script to make Miss Congeniality 2 a good platform for Bullock's sympathetic goofiness, and her ardent fans should be pleased. But the fact that it barely made back its 45-million-dollar budget in ticket sales may not make it fabulous enough for a third outing. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
Heather Burns - Cheryl; Diedrich Bader - Joel; Treat Williams - Collins; Abraham Benrubi - Lou Steele; Nick Offerman - Karl Steele; Eileen Brennan - Carol Fields; Elisabeth Röhm - Janet; Leslie Grossman - Pam; Molly Gottlieb - Priscilla; Regis Philbin - Himself; Lusia Strus - Janine; Joy Philbin - Herself; Marcelo Trubert; Stephen Tobolowsky - Tom Abernathy; Dolly Parton - Herself; Megan Cavanagh - Shirley; Eve Gordon - Housewife #2; Kimble Jemison - Reporter #1a; Lloyd Kino - Tourist Husband; Adam Le Fevre - Bartender; Alan Luzietti - Liza Impersonator; Cameron Milzer - Reporter #1; Faith Minton - Housewife #1; Cynthia Pepper - Tourist Woman; Don Perry - Buster Harrison; Dana Lorge - Bar Patron #4; Marjorie Lovett - Bank Customer; Marcelo Tubert - Roberto Fenice; Kim Morgan Greene - Housewife #3; John DiResta - Clonsky; James DuMont - Man In Bookstore; Don Mirault - Griffin; Nancy Anderson - Drag Club Dancer; Octavia L. Spencer - Middle-aged Woman; Mary Anne Price - Dolly Parton's Assistant; Benny Nieves - Tracking Agent; Estaban Cueto - Big Man In Bar; Nate Bynum - Reporter #2; Gregory Stenson - Sniper; Susan Leslie - Reporter #2a; William O'Leary - Jenkins; Brad Grunberg - Elizabeth Taylor Impersonator; Alex Estronel - Drag Club Dancer; L. Sidney - Agent Clark; Susan Chuang - Tobin; Dori Kancher - Woman In Crowd; Max Shippee - Young Man; Brendan P. Connor - Attendant #1; Affion Crockett - Attendant #2; Audrey Wasilewski - Mother In Bank; Emy Coligado - Gate Agent; Lonnie Henderson - Tina Impersonator #4; Mark Llewellyn - S.w.a.t. Team Leader; Todd Sherry - Dolly Impersonator; Rachel L. Smith - Vegas Anchorwoman; Vic Chao - Hills; Michelle Page - Punk Girl In Bank; Rachel Iverson - Rachel (mcdonald's Assistant); Thomas McGoldrick - Regis Show Propman; Patricia Andrest Davis - Angela; Sue Tripathi - Cnn Reporter; Brian Shortall - Rob Okun; Jayne Krashin - Tourist Woman (venetian); Audrey Berger - Bar Patron #1; Richard DeDomenico - Bar Patron #2; Ivanan Trnik - Bar Patron #3; Fusako Stevenson - Housewife Tourist; Scott Noonan - Venetian Singer #1; Tracy Elizabeth Blackwell - Venetian Singer #2; Jeff Shelton - Venetian Singer #3; Emilio Giandomenico - Venetian Singer #4; Tim Clark - Man In Crowd; Ida Flammenbaum - Herself; Larry Edwards - Tina Impersonator #2; Frank Marino - Himself; Wendall Jackson - Tina Impersonator #1; Boy Thomas - Tina Impersonator #3; Bobby Newberry - Tina Impersonator #5; Nicole DeLecia - Drag Club Dancer; Michele Martinez - Drag Club Dancer; Jaayda McClanahan - Drag Club Dancer; Ayesha Orange - Drag Club Dancer; Tomasina Parrott - Drag Club Dancer; Christian Vincent - Drag Club Dancer; Jasmine Jonas - Young Woman; Randy Sutton - Treasure Island Pit Boss; John Bitley - Treasure Island Dancer; Brian Kehoe - Treasure Island Dancer; Russell S. Pernus - Treasure Island Dancer; Sam Sadovia - Treasure Island Dancer; Mitchell Tannis - Treasure Island Dancer; Jason Toohey - Treasure Island Dancer; Mark Weinhandl - Treasure Island Dancer; Adam Austin - Agent Austin; Michael Kendall - Reporter #3; Roxana Ortega - Mrs. Gordon; Christopher Ford - Jason
Credit
Andrew Cahn - Art Director, Greg Richman - Art Director, Scott Elias - Associate Producer, Nancy Foy - Casting, Gesine Bullock-Prado - Co-producer, Deena Appel - Costume Designer, K.C. Colwell - First Assistant Director, John Pasquin - Director, Garth Craven - Editor, Mary McLaglen - Executive Producer, Bruce Berman - Executive Producer, John Kirby - Executive Producer, Randy Edelman - Composer (Music Score), Christophe Beck - Composer (Music Score), John Houlihan - Musical Direction/Supervision, Pamela Westmore - Makeup, Maher Ahmad - Production Designer, Peter Menzies, Jr. - Cinematographer, Sandra Bullock - Producer, Marc Lawrence - Producer, James Tocci - Set Designer, Daniel R. Jennings - Set Designer, Mark Weingarten - Sound/Sound Designer, Jack Gill - Stunts Coordinator, Marc Lawrence - Screenwriter, Burt Dalton - Special Effects Coordinator, Bruce Stambler - Supervising Sound Editor, Paul Curtis - Supervising Sound Editor, Leslie Rollins - Set Decorator, Ben Schor - Assistant Music Editor
Bullock, who also produced the film, commented during the film's promotion on the type of story she wanted to tell:
I want women to be able to do the same thing that men get to do in comedies and say, 'That's a comedy.' Why does it always have to be a romantic comedy? Why does the girl have to end up with the guy? Why can't it be a buddy film?
Three weeks after the events of the first film, FBIagent Gracie Hart (played by Bullock) has become a celebrity after she infiltrated a beauty pageant on her last assignment. Her fame results in her cover being blown while she is trying to prevent a bank heist.
To capitalize on the publicity, the FBI decide to make Gracie the new "face" of the FBI; Gracie, who is hurt after being dumped by her boyfriend, fellow Agent Eric Matthews (who is relocated to Miami in the movie), agrees to the reassignment. The movie flashes forwards ten months, and she begins appearing on morning television giving out fashion advice and promoting her book.
However, when Cheryl, Miss United States and Gracie's friend (played by Heather Burns), and Stan Fields (played by William Shatner) are kidnapped in Las Vegas, Gracie is prompted to return to her old ways. She goes undercover to try to rescue them, accompanied by her bodyguard Sam Fuller (played by Regina King). This puts her at odds with the FBI, as they are unwilling to lose their mascot and are unsure if she's still up to the task.
