Beauty Pageant Documentary Review

While they may not have the same appeal as prom nights, battles of the bands and dance-offs, beauty pageants do hold a certain fascination for many viewers. Unlike their Hollywood cousins that tend to focus on teenagers and their cliques, beauty pageant films often more directly discuss questions about femininity, womanhood and feminism.

The premise of Dumplin’s story is familiar: an unapologetically tomboyish girl is thrust into the world of child beauty pageants, where airless rooms filled with mists of hairspray and snapping Spanx are home to girls wearing gowns designed to make them look like fairy princesses. For a while, the girl seems to find her place in this pageant subculture, which fills a need within her.

But as the film progresses, it becomes clear that this isn’t just a story about a young girl finding her voice. It’s also a story about the larger question of whether pageants are anti-feminist.

The filmmakers of this documentary have framed their work in an honest and respectful manner, which helps the viewer to take a more objective view of the subject matter. While the film does reveal some disturbing details about how the pageant circuit operates, it doesn’t overstate them, and allows the viewer to draw their own conclusions. Moreover, it does not condescend to its subjects, which is something that is very difficult to do in this particular genre of cinema. The film is ultimately a powerful and eye-opening look at an industry that should be treated with respect and scrutiny.