Beautiful (2000)

From the tender age of eight, Mona Hibbard's life has been dominated by an unwavering ambition: to be crowned a beauty pageant queen, an aspiration born from the ashes of a turbulent childhood. Her dreams are unconventional, her path strewn with obstacles, but her spirit is unbroken. Her steadfast companion through life's trials and tribulations is her loyal, albeit meek, best friend Ruby Stillwell, who along with her seven-year-old daughter Vanessa, forms the closest semblance of a family Mona has ever known. Mona's relentless pursuit of her dream, however, has come at a cost. Vanessa struggles to comprehend her mother's unwavering devotion to the seemingly self-centred Mona. Yet, just when the crown is within Mona's grasp, with her selection as Illinois' representative in the Miss American Miss pageant, her world begins to wobble on its axis. When Ruby is unexpectedly unavailable, Vanessa steps in to fill the void, her involvement offering a fresh perspective on the enigmatic Mona. As Mona navigates the cutthroat world of beauty pageants, she must contend with more than just her forty-nine competitors. Joyce Parkins, a news reporter with a hidden agenda, is poised to strike. Yet, the biggest challenge Mona must face is herself. As the pageant unfolds and Vanessa's presence begins to redefine her understanding of family, Mona is forced to scrutinize her life's ambition. In the quest for the coveted crown, Mona may just discover that sometimes, the dream you've been chasing isn't the one your heart truly desires. As she teeters on the brink of becoming the next Miss American Miss, Mona must grapple with the question of what it truly means to be... Beautiful.

Beautiful is a comedy movie featuring Minnie Driver and directed by Sally Field.

Beautiful is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Kanopy and it's also available on DIRECTV, Hoopla, Starz, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz Apple TV Channel and Starz Roku Premium Channel.

It is also possible to buy Beautiful on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu and YouTube.