Movie Monday: Miss Arizona

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this screener, free of charge,from Cinedigm for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it, all opinions are my own.

Looking for a Summer movie for YOU and YOUR besties?

Then you might just want to check out THIS adult movie!

Beauty is a state of mind. In the years since her pageant heyday, Rose has seen herself transform from an ambitious young woman to an unfulfilled housewife. As the tedium of another day begins, she finds herself pulled into an unexpected adventure leading to four new friendships and one final ride for MISS ARIZONA.

Dust off that crown and get ready to work it because MISS ARIZONA didn't come to lose!

A bored housewife trapped in a less-than-ideal marriage, Rose (Braddy) accepts an invitation to teach a life skills class at a women's shelter. When trouble shows up, the group make their getaway with the help of the former beauty queen. What starts off as an escape quickly turns into a wild all-night adventure through the streets of Los Angeles. From a quick trip to the 'drug store' to an impromptu drag show, the women soon discover that inner strength, and a little help from your friends, can be the key to discovering who you are meant to be.

 This fresh and fabulous film stars Johanna Braddy ("Quantico," "UnREAL"),Robyn Lively (The Karate Kid Part III, Teen Witch), along with supporting roles from Steve Guttenberg (3 Men and a Baby, Short Circuit), and Missi Pyle (Ma, Nobody's Fool). Co-stars include Dana Wheeler-Nicholson ("Nashville,"Fletch), Otmara Marrero (Crackle's "Startup"), Shoniqua Shandai ("I am the Night," "People Just Do Nothing"), along with supporting roles from Kevin Heffernan (Super Troopers 1 & 2 & 3, Beerfest), Kyle Howard ("Royal Pains," Orange County) as well as Willam and Ginger Minj of "RuPaul's Drag Race." 

  Inspired by the Women's March in fall 2016, writer/director Autumn McAlpin (Waffle Street, Shadow) wrote the script quickly, saying, "At a time when strong women's voices are needed, I'm eager to contribute to the conversation with the hope that Miss Arizona will empower those who need it most." 

McAlpin is joined by DeAnna Cooper, award-winning producer and film industry veteran with over twenty years under her belt. McAlpin and Cooper worked together to assemble a cast and crew that were over 70% women and/or people of color as well as putting together an impressive all-female soundtrack!  Miss Arizona boasts an impressive all-female soundtrack with hits by musicians including P!nk, Lorde, Shania Twain, Donna Summer, MILCK, Kacey Musgraves, Jillian Jacqueline,and more. Director Autumn McAlpin put together a wish list and started writing letters to music talent teams hoping that at their low budget, they might be able to afford maybe one or two of the songs. Shockingly, every single music artist agreed to license her requested song at a steeply discounted rate, due to the pro-women message of the film! (Note: no soundtrack is available yet, to download here's hoping it will be soon!)

Check out the trailer!

Trailer:

Review:

When you think of LA/Hollywood wives, one thought usually comes to mind. It's the one that we've been fed over and over from reality TV, right? But the question we SHOULD be asking ourselves, is HOW did they get there, and more importantly, are they HAPPY? THAT is the kernel of what this movie is about- where do we find our happiness? If we are hunting for it in visual trappings and money, we're not going to find it. We WILL find it among our friendships and our relationships with our children. Because in those 2 things, we tend to find our true inner strengths.  

The movie could have taken a different path, but Autumn kept it on a path that just about everyone can relate to- finding bits of themselves in the different characters.No matter what your feelings about the whole issue of drag queens,et al, this is a movie that responds to one simple theme- you get love when you give love. As people, from all different walks of life, come together to SUPPORT each other, and a very relevant need, you get to see what we should all be espousing. My only quip is the ending. It could have been LONGER! It felt like it was rushed, and you didn't get to see enough of the changes that had happened, after the night that brought every one together! But overall, this is a fun movie to go see with your besties, or to have a party at home with your girls! So don't miss it!

SHOWINGS

On July 12, MISS ARIZONA opens theatrically in 10 markets including Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Boston and more! It will also be available On demand and Digital, through you can pre-order it now on Amazon and other markets.                     

ABOUT CINEDIGM

Since inception, Cinedigm (NASDAQ: CIDM) has been a leader at the forefront of the digital transformation of content distribution. Adjusting to the rapidly transforming business needs of today's entertainment landscape, Cinedigm remains a change-centric player focused on providing content, channels and services to the world's largest media, technology and retail companies. Cinedigm's Content and Networks groups provide original and aggregated programming, channels and services that entertain consumers globally across hundreds of millions of devices. For more information, visit www.cinedigm.com.