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 t
seems very fitting that Sandra
Bullock, who was voted "Most Likely to
Brighten Your Day" in high school, now stars in a movie called Miss
Congeniality.The sunny star of such hit films as Speed and While You Were Sleeping plays Gracie Hart, a tough FBI agent who goes undercover as a contestant in the Miss Liberty pageant to thwart a terrorist bomb threat. Entering a beauty contest doesn't seem much of a stretch for girl-next-door Bullock, but it turns out her character is more leather than lace. "She'd pull a gun on you instead of saying hello," explains Bullock. Enter Victor Moorehouse (Michael Caine), an image consultant hired to transform Gracie from a not-so-ugly duckling into a swimsuit-wearing swan by pageant time. He does such a good job with her makeover that Gracie nabs the attention of the judges as well as her handsome FBI partner, Eric Matthews (Law & Order's Benjamin Bratt). The action - and the relationship - heats up as the two agents work together to remain one step ahead of the terrorists targeting the pageant. |
actors Sandra Bullock Michael Caine Benjamin Bratt William Shatner Candice Bergen director location outtake |
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Rounding out the talented cast are William Shatner as the pageant host, and Candice Bergen as the chief contest co-ordinator. Despite the high-stakes plot, Miss Congeniality is "what they used to call a screwball comedy," says Caine. The Oscar-winning actor prepared for his part by studying with a pageant consultant from Texas - a state known for its pageant prowess. "I watched the pageant expert every day on the set," he explains. "One of the things they do is to spray hairspray around the bottom of the swimsuit to stop it riding up. I learned a lot." Much of the film was shot on location in Texas, including Austin, where Bullock now lives. This is no coincidence. As the film's producer (and location scout) as well as its star, Bullock had the necessary clout to keep the filming close to home. She's been building a house that she calls "a weird combination of Southern and medieval" in the woods outside Austin. After a childhood spent on the road with her opera singer mother and vocal coach dad, Bullock is content to stay put for awhile. "I've never had the ability or the fortunate circumstances to live in a place where I could take time off like I have the past couple of years," she says. "(Now) I live in a place I love, Austin, and I can make a nest." Bullock takes time out from house building to develop film projects - such as Miss Congeniality - with her production company, Fortis Films. It's a family-run business she operates with her dad, John, and her younger sister, Gesine, a lawyer. "Now I have the luxury of taking the time to make sure the writer writes the best script," says Bullock, "that we get the best director and that we make sure it's great not just for me, but story-wise too." And did this strategy work for Miss Congeniality? "It's a huge comedy," says Sandra Bullock - still out there trying to brighten your day. - Deborah Smyth |