Popeye jackson from the miss firecracker contest summary. Carnelle scott holly hunter is a restless mississippi girl looking for a life change. Miss firecracker ist eine usamerikanische filmkomodie aus dem jahr 1989. Motion picture association of america rating definitions. It forms the dramatic core of miss firecracker, a real. Elain won the miss firecracker beauty pageant years ago.
Miss firecracker is a 1989 american comedy film directed by thomas schlamme. Its heroine, carnelle, is an irrepressible young woman who thinks that winning the local beauty contest will restore her soiled reputation and make. Miss firecracker 1989 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. Watch miss firecracker online stream full movie directv. Maybe i should go on and get your measurements off you right now if ya dont mind.
With holly hunter, mary steenburgen, tim robbins, alfre woodard. Miss firecracker 1989 movie clip open, do you believe. The excitement and anticipation of the shows kickoff to a threeweek run was apparent in the audience and on stage. 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 queens of my youth teenage girls made up to within an inch of their lives and trotted out in their formal gowns to parade in the heat of an august afternoon, downwind from the hog judging, which always took place at about the same time. In miss firecracker, the playwright beth henley has taken such a contest, the fourth of july pageant in yazoo city, miss. At first i was thinking the beauty contest in miss firecracker was too. Popeye notices a picture of carnelles cousin delmount and falls in love immediately. She is a young girl trying to follow in her older sisters footsteps. 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.
The miss firecracker contest is a twoact play that was originally. A scene from the miss firecracker contest by beth henley, directed by abby illig. She received a best actress oscar nomination for her work in the latter. She looks up to her older sister and wants to win the miss firecracker contest and be like her. Miss firecracker 1989 movie clip funny looking creatures. 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.
In the miss firecracker contest, her comedy at the manhattan theater club, this mississippibred playwright reaches that high pitch for the first time since her celebrated debut, crimes of. Alfre woodard played popeye wilson, a seamstress, who has a crush on delmount. The miss firecracker contest, with hunter as a young woman hellbent on rehabilitating her tarnished reputation by becoming a beauty queen, closed in 1985. The miss firecracker contest south camden theatre company. The miss firecracker contest, which was published a year later, was turned into a 1989 movie starring holly hunter. The miss firecracker contest is a southern literature play written by beth henley. 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. A good movie with a good message for your kids about the important things in life.
The miss firecracker contest the miss firecracker contest, along with other beth henley plays, is characterized as a southern gothic. Opening march 10 and running through march 26, the miss firecracker contest is a play written by beth henley after her pulitzer prize winning, crimes of the heart. It moved to a larger offbroadway house, the westbank theater. Character description, analysis and casting breakdown for popeye jackson from the miss firecracker contest. Miss firecracker contest a story of unexpected love sun.
When was the last time you heard of a woman named popeye. Miss firecracker lights up the stage at tipping point in. In addition to the hermit of fort fisher, big dawg productions is opening another play this week. She decides to enter a beauty pageant, which her cousin elain mary steenburgen had won years before. 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. Stein as carnelle scott, tori sicklick as popeye jackson in a scene from the miss firecracker contest, written by beth henley. She looks up to her older sister and wants to win the miss firecracker contest and. The miss firecracker contest fort hays state university. See more ideas about firecracker, jackson and stick figure drawing. Selected monologues from the miss firecracker contest including video examples, context and character information. Poignant, daft miss firecracker the new york times.
Miss firecracker contest a story of unexpected love. Milloy as executive producers, the movie is rated pg for language. Mississippian carnelle holly hunter, readying herself for the pageant, introduces two allies, alfre woodard as popeye, who s engaged to create her costume, and scott glenn as carnie mac whom, we learn, is her itinerant boyfriend, early in miss firecracker. She enters the miss firecracker contest, the local 4th of july beauty pageant, and puts her. While taking measurements, she sees a picture of delmount and instantly falls in love. Produced by fred berner with lewis allen and ross e. May 28, 1984 in the miss firecracker contest, her comedy at the manhattan theater club, this mississippibred playwright reaches that high pitch for the first time since her celebrated debut, crimes of. From the author of crimes of the heart, the miss firecracker contest is a. Her reputation is just a bit tarnished shes called miss hot tamale, after all but carnelle scott has a plan to win the admiration of the townsfolk in her small mississippi community. She plans to overcome her past by winning the local fourth of july beauty pageant in the miss firecracker contest, the final east central university theatre production of the academic year. From the author of crimes of the heart, the miss firecracker contest is a southern gothic comedy for which henley is best known. 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 miss firecracker contest play monologues stageagent.
Elain enters with the news that popeye is missing and thus cannot fix the dress. Adapted by beth henley from her own play the miss firecracker contest, miss firecracker finds hunter reprising her stage role. Despite a lack of support from those close to her, including conniving cousin delmount tim robbins, carnelle remains determined. Apr 16, 2014 the miss firecracker contest is reynoldss favorite henley comedy, and several of henleys plays have shown at new stage. She enlists the help of a seamstress alfre woodard to outfit her for the. Starring as contest hopeful carnelle scott is holly hunter, reprising the role she played in the play. Jul 04, 2015 starring as contest hopeful carnelle scott is holly hunter, reprising the role she played in the play. Jul 28, 2011 academy award nominee holly hunter is sensational as carnelle scott, a catfishfactory worker from mississippi whose rep as the town slut cant stop her dream to win the local miss firecracker. Firecracker, a beth henley comedy the new york times. Film credits include appearances on the history channel, and the indie film. Miss firecracker is a dramedy centering on the woeful carnelle, a mississippi sad sack played by holly hunter, whose unrealistic dream is to enter and win the miss firecracker contest. The miss firecracker contest, her wily and witty comedy now being revived at south camden theatre company, is no exception.
Determined to follow in her cousins footsteps footsteps,carnelle enlists the help of local seamstress popeye jackson in preparing for the miss firecracker pageant. March 10 march 26, 2017 the miss firecracker contest written by beth henley. Aided by a touchingly awkward seamstress named popeye and several other cheerfully nutty characters, carnelle perseveres. Miss firecracker general discussions tcm message boards. Holly hunter plays a mississippi girl whose sole reason for being is to enter. The very best example of this in henleys corpus is the miss firecracker contest, a play brimming with people demanding that we pay attention to them. It stars holly hunter, mary steenburgen, tim robbins, alfre woodard, and scott glenn.
Written in 1978, the play was first performed at new stage in 1980. 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. The miss firecracker contest ends with carnelle, popeye, and delmount watching the independence day pyrotechnics from a perch atop the. Holly huntercarnelle scott, elain mary steenburgen, alfre woodard popeye jackson, scott glennmac sam, tim robbins delmount, ann wedgeworth miss blue, veanne cox. 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. Popeye is the seamstress who makes carnelles costume. The miss firecracker contest at cape fear playhouse. Henley, beth, the miss firecracker contest, dramatists play service, 1985, pp. Theatre announces cast for the miss firecracker contest. It got a production at the manhattan theatre club offbroadway in 1984 directed by stephen tobolowsky, who was henleys romantic partner at the time. The tale of carnelle scott, a young woman with bright red hair, who dreams of escaping her humdrum exis tence in rural mississippi.
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. March 10 march 26, 2017 the miss firecracker contest. A previous winner of the miss firecracker contest, she is. The plays popularity allowed for the production of miss firecracker, the film. Miss firecracker begins and ends with the image of a little girl in a fuzzy hat. Performed at bergen county academies june 10th, 2011. Carnelle holly hunter enters the miss firecracker beauty pageant which her. I told her what happened and thats when she give me the news, popeye, youre fired. The miss firecracker contest, along with other beth henley plays, is characterized as a southern gothic.
As the miss firecracker contest opens, carnelle scott is practicing her talent routine for the upcoming fourth of july beauty pageant in brookhaven, mississippi. Jul 20, 2019 the miss firecracker contest, along with other beth henley plays, is characterized as a southern gothic. 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 actress also starred in henleys crimes of the heart on broadway, although she did not appear in the 1986 film adaptation. Miss firecracker not a dud, but it misses key sad notes. The excitement and anticipation of the shows kickoff to a threeweek run was apparent in the audience and on stage during executive producer todd harts introduction. Oct 22, 2011 a gaggle of images that remind me of popeye. Henleys shows explore the absurd truth of living in a contemporary world. Popeye jacksons monologue from the miss firecracker contest. For full extended monologue, please refer to the script edition cited here. Both plays were produced on broadway and both had movie versions. Mar 14, 2017 the miss firecracker contest, her wily and witty comedy now being revived at south camden theatre company, is no exception. 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. Because her flighty cousin mary steenburgen won many years ago and subsequently married well, carnelle has rationalized that winning will prove to be her.
Delmount treats the local belles like dogs, but succumbs to a saltoftheearth seamstress named popeye alfre. The miss firecracker contest ends with carnelle, popeye, and delmount watching the independence day pyrotechnics from a perch atop the tent where the contest was held. Popeye earned her nickname when she accidentally applied ear drops to her eyes, causing them to swell. This is not new material, but henley replaces some of the painful sincerity with. Few think she can win, even her closest friends and relatives e. The miss firecracker contest by beth henley, the playwright from jackson, miss. Miss firecracker is the streamlined title of the film version of beth henleys play the miss firecracker contest.
Theatre arlingtons production of the miss firecracker contest was a pleasant way to start my weekend as i attended opening night this past friday. Popeye alfre woodard the dressmaker sews carnelles red. Watch miss firecracker 1989 full movie free online. Miss firecracker contest ending theatre season at ecu.
Tim robbins in miss firecracker 1989 tim robbins and scott glenn in miss firecracker. Both charming and irreverent, the miss firecracker contest is a wistful take on southern beauty culture and the reallife facades it so eloquently symbolizes. Beth henleybased on beth henleys play the miss firecracker contest. The miss firecracker contest beth henley the miss firecracker contest by beth henley the play.