Character description, analysis and casting breakdown for popeye jackson from the miss firecracker contest. Down in yazoo city, mississippi the big event of the year is the july 4th miss firecracker beauty pageant. The role of carnelle is played by julieanna stolley. With holly hunter, mary steenburgen, tim robbins, alfre woodard. 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 is reynoldss favorite henley comedy, and several of henleys plays have shown at new stage. Popeye jackson from the miss firecracker contest summary.
The miss firecracker contest is a southern literature play written by beth henley. Poignant, daft miss firecracker the new york times. Both charming and irreverent, the miss firecracker contest is a wistful take on southern beauty culture and the reallife facades it so eloquently symbolizes. Miss firecracker is the streamlined title of the film version of beth henleys play the miss firecracker contest. Holly hunter plays a mississippi girl whose sole reason for being is to enter beauty contests. A previous winner of the miss firecracker contest, she is cynical about carnelles chances of winning. Miss firecracker is a huge cotton candy of a movie theres not really much there. The miss firecracker contest, along with other beth henley plays, is characterized as a southern gothic.
The miss firecracker contest is a twoact play that was originally. It stars holly hunter, mary steenburgen, tim robbins, alfre woodard, and scott glenn. Motion picture association of america rating definitions. Determined to follow in her cousins footsteps footsteps,carnelle enlists the help of local seamstress popeye jackson in preparing for the miss firecracker pageant. 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. The miss firecracker contest, her wily and witty comedy now being revived at south camden theatre company, is no exception. Holly huntercarnelle scott, elain mary steenburgen, alfre woodard popeye jackson, scott glennmac sam, tim robbins delmount, ann wedgeworth miss blue, veanne cox. It got a production at the manhattan theatre club offbroadway in 1984 directed by stephen tobolowsky, who was henleys romantic partner at the time. A good movie with a good message for your kids about the important things in life. Miss firecracker contest a story of unexpected love.
Performed at bergen county academies june 10th, 2011. 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. 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. Adapted by beth henley from her own play the miss firecracker contest, miss firecracker finds hunter reprising her stage role. Jul 20, 2019 the miss firecracker contest, along with other beth henley plays, is characterized as a southern gothic. Film credits include appearances on the history channel, and the indie film. In miss firecracker, the playwright beth henley has taken such a contest, the fourth of july pageant in yazoo city, miss. This is not new material, but henley replaces some of the painful sincerity with. The miss firecracker contest fort hays state university. Few think she can win, even her closest friends and relatives e. It moved to a larger offbroadway house, the westbank theater. At first i was thinking the beauty contest in miss firecracker was too. 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.
Stein as carnelle scott, tori sicklick as popeye jackson in a scene from the miss firecracker contest, written by beth henley. Miss firecracker is a 1989 comedy film directed by thomas schlamme. 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. Popeye is the seamstress who makes carnelles costume. Theatre arlingtons production of the miss firecracker contest was a pleasant way to start my weekend as i attended opening night this past friday. With patriotic feel, gothic comedy and laughter at the most unexpected moments, dillard center for the arts the miss firecracker contest is a play. 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. As the miss firecracker contest opens, carnelle scott is practicing her talent routine for the upcoming fourth of july beauty pageant in brookhaven, mississippi. Miss firecracker general discussions tcm message boards. Popeye earned her nickname when she accidentally applied ear drops to her eyes, causing them to swell. The miss firecracker contest by beth henley, the playwright from jackson, miss. Holly huntercarnelle scott, elain mary steenburgen, alfre woodard popeye jackson, scott glennmac sam, tim robbins delmount, ann wedgeworth. She received a best actress oscar nomination for her work in the latter. Apr 16, 2014 the miss firecracker contest is reynoldss favorite henley comedy, and several of henleys plays have shown at new stage.
In addition to hunter, the movie also features wonderful performances by mary steenburgen as carnelles cousin elain, a former miss firecracker and alfre woodard as seamtress popeye jackson. The actress also starred in henleys crimes of the heart on broadway, although she did not appear in the 1986 film adaptation. Jul 04, 2015 starring as contest hopeful carnelle scott is holly hunter, reprising the role she played in the play. Miss firecracker begins and ends with the image of a little girl in a fuzzy hat. Watch miss firecracker 1989 full movie free online. Jun 29, 2012 the miss firecracker contest, with hunter as a young woman hellbent on rehabilitating her tarnished reputation by becoming a beauty queen, closed in 1985. Oct 22, 2011 a gaggle of images that remind me of popeye. See more ideas about firecracker, jackson and stick men drawings. Despite funny moments, the miss firecracker contest loses its sizzle in second act. Miss firecracker contest ending theatre season at ecu. Popeye s going to be using this red material to make my costume for the miss firecracker contest. Milloy as executive producers, the movie is rated pg for language. Miss firecracker ist eine usamerikanische filmkomodie aus dem jahr 1989. 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.
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. This is not new material, but henley replaces some of the painful. Jul 24, 1988 right alongside the 1979 crimes of the heart, her first success, miss firecracker, which was produced off broadway in 1984, represents topoftheline beth henley. Miss firecracker 1989 movie clip funny looking creatures. The film version of the miss firecracker contest starred academy award. Miss firecracker not a dud, but it misses key sad notes. Popeyes going to be using this red material to make my costume for the miss firecracker contest. See, elaine was miss firecracker way back when she was eighteen.
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. Produced by fred berner with lewis allen and ross e. Beth henleybased on beth henleys play the miss firecracker contest. Popeye alfre woodard the dressmaker sews carnelles red. A scene from the miss firecracker contest by beth henley, directed by abby illig. 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. Miss firecracker 1989 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. 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. Maybe i should go on and get your measurements off you right now if ya dont mind.
Now, if beth henley wants to write an entire play based on popeye jacksonwell, i am much more inclined to watch about her life. 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. Mar 14, 2017 the miss firecracker contest, her wily and witty comedy now being revived at south camden theatre company, is no exception. Popeye notices a picture of carnelles cousin delmount and falls in love immediately. The miss firecracker contest south camden theatre company. 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. Holly hunter plays a mississippi girl whose sole reason for being is to enter.
From the author of crimes of the heart, the miss firecracker contest is a. She is a young girl trying to follow in her older sisters footsteps. I cant say the miss firecracker contest does it for me. 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. The plays popularity allowed for the production of miss firecracker, the film version. While taking measurements, she sees a picture of delmount and instantly falls in love.
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. Delmount arrives to an empty living room, and popeye meets delmount. 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. Miss firecracker is a 1989 american comedy film directed by thomas schlamme. She looks up to her older sister and wants to win the miss firecracker contest and be like her. 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. Unhappy carnelle scott holly hunter is desperate to escape her reputation as yazoo citys miss hot tamale. 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.
Written in 1978, the play was first performed at new stage in 1980. Pulitzer prizewinning playwright beth henley created several roles for her, including popeye in the miss firecracker contest, a role eventually played by alfre woodard in the movie adaptation. 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 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. May 12, 2015 a scene from the miss firecracker contest by beth henley, directed by abby illig.
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