Miss America (2002)

Tracking the countrys oldest beauty contestfrom its inception in 1921 as a local seaside pageant to its heyday as one of the countrys most popular eventsMiss America paints a vivid picture of an institution that has come to reveal much about a changing nation The pageant is about commercialism and sexual politics about big business and small towns But beyond the symbolism lies a human storyat once moving inspiring infuriating funny and poignant Combining rare archival footage with a host of intimate interviews with distinguished commentators including Gloria Steinem Margaret Cho Isaac Mizrahi former contestants and behindthescenes footage and photographs the film reveals why some women took part in the fledgling event and why others briefly rejected it how the pageant became a battle ground and a barometer for the changing position of women in society