The 2000 comedy Miss Congeniality has landed on Netflix and is climbing the Top 10 chart, prompting fans to ask once again how old Sandra Bullock was when she made it.
Bullock was 36 when the film reached cinemas in December 2000. Born in July 1964, she was 35 for most of the filming but had turned 36 by the time audiences saw her transformation from scruffy FBI agent Gracie Hart into a reluctant beauty pageant contestant. She is now 62, having just celebrated her birthday.
A fish out of water story
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight when the film was released, Bullock explained she had spent years searching for a project with proper physical comedy at its heart. She was keen to star in a "great fish out of water story, having to do something they would never normally do".
The role earned Bullock a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.
The plot and sequel
In the film, Gracie earns the Miss Congeniality crown for saving the lives of the contestants after cracking the bomb threat mystery. Initially sceptical about the idea, she eventually grasps the true essence of pageantry and its power to unite people from all walks of life.
The movie was such a box-office hit that it spawned a sequel, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, which has also quietly made its way onto Netflix. In the 2005 sequel, set weeks after her pageant assignment, Gracie's cover is blown when she is recognised while undercover trying to prevent a bank heist. With Gracie too recognisable to perform undercover work, she is given the choice between a desk job and a new role as a spokesperson for the FBI.
Fan reaction
One devoted fan summed it up on IMDb: "Defining this movie as about the character being a diamond in the rough would be too cliché, but this diamond has layers. You'd think it's about an ugly duckling transforming into a princess, but it's more about someone who gave up on life, afraid to reach out and look inside herself. When Gracie is confronted with something romantic, she starts singing like a child, as if a simple moment could reset her entire life. I won't elaborate on the depths of this movie, but to whoever wrote it, if you read this review, please know that I was touched, and I thank you."
