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Classic Film: Smile (1975)

April 26, 2011 in Film | Permalink

Made during another era when American exceptionalism was at risk, Michael Ritchie’s 1975 satire, Smile, takes the pulse of a nation plagued by recession and sagging confidence at a regional beauty pageant in Northern California. Ritchie spent the 1970s meditating on a variety of American institutions as contact sport: commerce (Prime Cut), politics (The Candidate) and sports itself (Bad News Bears and Semi-Tough), looking at the ties the bind us, the competition that defines us and the amazing way we keep playing a game that’s clearly rigged.

High school girls (Joan Prather, Annette O’Toole and Melanie Griffith, among others) descend on Santa Rosa, California, to compete to become the Young American Miss representative for the Golden State. They all come from different backgrounds, but each is determined to achieve. Apart from light comedy segments of the girls’ less-than-amazing singing and dancing skills, Ritchie treats their hopes and dreams with seriousness. These aren’t bad or foolish people–they’re just doing the best that they can.

As the three-day competition wears on, you see the strain on the girls’ faces, as they come to realize that winning isn’t really so great and losing is unacceptable. They’re all essentially participating in something they know isn’t true, but since it’s already begun they may as well see it to the end. And they’re encouraged to do so by barely functional adults, like pageant organizer Brenda (Barbara Feldon), a former contestant whose own hopes have been dashed by an unhappy marriage and myriad other disappointments.

Despite all the females on display, the central character is pageant judge Big Bob (Bruce Dern), a used-car salesman and all-around local booster who is a true believer in the American Dream. But Bob has a problem: a close friend of his, grown despondent with the meaninglessness of his life, has become a bitter alcoholic who wants to leave town in search of something better. Big Bob won’t hear of it. He involves his friend in an idiotic local fraternal order, encourages him to cut down on his drinking and bails him out of jail when his emotions finally explode. But as he counsels his buddy, Big Bob comes to acknowledge that he too has settled for less than he hoped for. He’s a good soul, but he’s been bluffing his whole life, and in this moment his faith is shaken. But you can’t keep Big Bob down for long. Come Monday he’ll be back at the used-car lot, twisting his stiff upper lip into a smile.•

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