2000, PG-13, 111 minutes

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who like Sandra Bullock and those who don't. Like a less talented and modernized version of John Wayne -- if you like her then you probably enjoy her movies, and if you don't like her then you almost definitely hate them. I myself am not a big fan, but I do understand the entertainment value that fluffy little movies like Miss Congeniality provide. The concept may not be all that interesting or compelling, however, thanks to a strong supporting cast this film is much better than I had come to expect.

Playing off of Love Potion Number 9, one of Bullock's first movies, Miss Congeniality takes advantage of the actress' middle-of-the-road appearance; she can look great and she can look horrible, mostly depending on how she presents herself. Gracie Hart is a tough FBI agent who must survive as a woman amongst men, and she's more interested in catching criminals than having a love life. However, things start to change when she goes undercover at the Miss United States Pageant after the bureau receives a bomb threat. Thanks to a little help from an obsessive beauty consultant (Michael Caine), she transforms herself into a "lady" in a matter of days.

While Miss Congeniality never goes above and beyond the call of duty in order to surprise us, for the most part it delivers exactly what the ad campaign promised. We see Sandra Bullock go through a transformation that most actresses couldn't pull off, although that's really only because of her physical appearance and doesn't have much to do with talent. The jokes about beauty pageant contestants not eating and being air-heads are done tastefully and shouldn't insult most moviegoers, and there's only one real sappy moment I can think of (and thankfully it's short-lived). The humor throughout the film isn't exactly fall-out-of-your-seat funny, but it does manage to put the occasional smile on your face and fans of Sandra Bullock will eat it right up.

Where the film truly redeems itself is in the supporting cast, particularly with Michael Caine who plays a bitter and obnoxious beauty consultant who also happens to be gay. He has one of those roles that you expect to be charming and funny in the beginning, but rather than fading into the background Caine continues to bring forth laughs up until the very end. Another great supporting actor is Candice Bergen, who took a clichéd role and managed to breathe some life into it, as did William Shatner. Also, Benjamin Bratt was better than I expected as Gracie's FBI supervisor and potential love interest.

Miss Congeniality has a lot in common with Sandra Bullock's other films -- if you saw the trailer and thought it looked funny, you'll probably feel the same way about the movie.