The Beautician and the Beast is a film that splits the audience's opinion into two groups: you either hate it, or you love it. And that mainly depends on whether you like the star of the film, Fran Drescher. If you don't like her, this film will turn you off completely. If you do like her, you will be happy that she has finally gotten a starring role in a movie. Sure, all the roles she gets are very similar, but that isn't Drescher's fault. Drescher, the star of the very funny TV show, The Nanny, breaks into the lead actress role with a surprisingly funny and touching romantic comedy/spoof.
The title pretty much suggests a spoof of other films like Beauty and the Beast, and while the film steals the main plot from that story, but The Beautician and the Beast adds some very nice subplots and good performances from the entire cast. The film begins with a very cute satire of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which keeps everything the same, except shifts the beauty's attitude into the 90's women's rights era. We are then introduced to Joy Miller (Drescher) who teaches a beauty class in Queens, New York. Miller is single and lives with her parents, mainly because she hasn't found the right guy yet. Her motto for the class: "Flashy, not trashy." This statement describes her character right down to the wire. She has gorgeous looks, a Barbie-doll figure, and a voice to get on anyone's nerves (unless you like her voice, as I do).
The movie shifts into its main plot when Miller saves some lab animals from a fire. Grushinsky (Ian McNeice), a diplomat from a small Easter European country ("Like Paris, 50 years ago"), spots her picture in the paper and believes that she is a science teacher. He offers Miller a $40,000 paycheck to teach the President of Slovetzia's children. She accepts, and shortly after, she explains that she is only a beautician and not a science teacher. However, Miller decides to play along and pretend to be the teacher that they want... besides, it's $40,000. The movie now shifts into a satire of The Sound of Music (or more appropriately, "The Sound of Drescher"). Boris Pochenko (Timothy Dalton) is the leader of this country, and as one person admits: "He is like Stalin--without the charm." Pochenko claims that he is running a democracy, but he doesn't allow free voting or people's choice. Even his children are afraid of him.
The three and a half children Miller teaches are quite a handful with all the problems every teenager has. Katrina (Lisa Jakub) wants to have sex, although she has absolutely no idea what it is (she thinks it is holding hands and kissing). She has a boyfriend, Alek (Timothy Dowling), who happens to be a rebel against Pochenko. The subplot involving Alek is one of the weakest elements of this film, but it's not unbearable. Kleist (Patrick Malahide) is the eldest son, and he wants to become an artist. However, his father expects him to become like him, and some very funny moments come from this. Masha (Heather DeLoach) is one of the least developed characters in the film, and therefore has nothing to do. As for Yuri (the Wilkerson twins), well, he just is there to look cute. As you can probably tell, most of these characters' troubles seem to come right out of other films, but I assume that was the point writer Todd Graff had in mind. The title suggests the whole film is unoriginal, but somehow everything seems to work out to make a very lightweight romantic comedy.
The main plot involving Miller and Pochenko is the highlight of the film. While it has all been done before, Drescher and Dalton provide a nice chemistry on screen and everything seems original and fresh. Most of the comedy comes from Drescher whose voice is capable of contorting every line of dialogue and making it funnier than it probably deserves (except for her hysterical fantasy of marriage to John Kennedy Jr.). Dalton, however, manages a terrific accent which never wavers throughout the entire film. It's also quite funny the way he begins to see this new teacher corrupt his way of thinking. And if all that comedy wasn't enough, writer Graff piles on enormous amounts of movie spoofs. Many of these work, and some don't. The best scene in the film belongs to Drescher as she steps out onto a balcony, raises her arms into the air (reminiscient of Eva Peron), and then commenting, "I've always wanted to do that."
The actors of The Beautician and the Beast all work hard for a laugh. Drescher really doesn't need to, as she has wonderful comic timing. Many critics hate the film because they can't stand Fran, but I really appreciate her sense of humor because it doesn't have to dip into the stupid and gross vulgar gags that we see in films such as Kingpin (but that film really was funny on a second viewing). Drescher's costumes are tight and usually fashionably vulgar themselves, but her personality shines through all that makeup and clothes, which is what makes her so funny. Dalton is great, but he is undermined by Drescher. His accent is nice, and the contrast of the two provides some nice chemistry for when they actually begin to fall in love. The three kids are all good, and they even out the film nicely. Ian McNeice gives a very good performance, and a very funny one, as Grushinsky. And Michael Lerner and Phyllis Newman provide a lot of humor as Drescher's parents.
The Beautician and the Beast is rated PG for some mild language and sensuality. This film is appropriate for all ages. Adults will have fun spotting the film references and watching Drescher perform, and teenagers will appreciate Drescher in tight clothes, or Dalton in a uniform (whichever they prefer). Little kids might be bored, but they are sure to be entertained by the opening animated scene. This is one of those underrated gems that will be overlooked when compared with other romantic comedies. However, this is probably the funniest romantic comedy to come out since The Truth About Cats and Dogs. I just hope Drescher will be able to get another role in a different film. Oh, and watch for the funny spoof of Citizen Kane.