A wickedly colorful, twisted comedy, Drop Dead Gorgeous probes the heart of a small Minnesota town where a fictional teen beauty pageant has unleashed a fury of very unladylike behavior.

Here in the hallowed American heartland -- amidst the cow fields, pork sausage factories and Lutheran churches, going after the tiara is not just a fairy-tale dream: it's all-out war.

Everyone involved in the contest - mothers, daughters, boyfriends - knows only one thing counts and it isn't talent, physical fitness, current events or sportsmanship. It's being Number One, "yah, you betcha!" Because in Mount Rose, you win any way you can.

Let's meet a few of the main contestants: enjoying a firm lead is Becky Leeman (Denise Richards), spoiled little rich girl, daughter of former winner Gladys Leeman (Kirstie Ally). Becky's main talent seems to be sanctimoniousness, sucking up to the judges with all the gusto that she - and her mother - can muster.

Close behind Becky Leeman is television anchorwoman-in-waiting Amber Atkins (Kirsten Dunst), the smart, sexy trailer-park beauty who was raised on second-hand smoke, and dreams of getting out of Mount Rose and away from her trailer home where she lives with her loving mother Annette (Ellen Barkin). If Diane Sawyer could make it out of a small town, so can Amber! This little lady shows promise - especially in underdog perseverance, tap-dancing and beautifying stiffs at the local funeral parlor.

Joining Becky and Amber is an equally ambitious cadre of girls doing animal calls, lip-synching and interpretive sign language dances in sequins and spandex.

Popular Mount Rose Phrases:

Yah, you betcha: a Minnesotan term which is a fool-proof answer to almost any question; most often used when you're trying to be pleasantly agreeable and not state your unpleasantly strong opinion.

Hotdish: a meal cooked in a single baking dish that usually has a can of Cream of Mushroom Soup for a base and contains Spam or tuna. Often served with Jello salad.

Lutefisk: a popular Minnesotan dish derived from the appetizing Scandinavian specialty featuring dried codfish soaked for several days in lye. Often served with Jello salad.

Vo-tech: the college choice of most Mount Rose teens.

Sin City: Minneapolis, where it's believed women dress like men and everybody pierces their privates.

Popular Mount Rose Places:

Mall of America: has the distinction of being the world's largest indoor shopping Mecca.

World Largest Ball of Twine: Another local "largest." The American Midwest has many large balls of twine, but Minnesota boasts the biggest, created by a man of singular talent.

Dakota County Eating Disorders Clinic: A popular Mount Rose American Teen Princess hangout.

Home of Freda Klinhagen, Minnesota's Oldest Living Lutheran: self-explanatory, you would think.