Miss You Can Do It

Director Ron Davis's upbeat HBO-aired documentary profiles a Midwestern beauty pageant for girls with disabilities. According to Jan Selman—one of the contest judges—it's about “seeing the beauty behind the challenge.” Abbey Curran, a former Miss Iowa with cerebral palsy, founded the event to encourage contestants to believe in themselves, but also as an opportunity to make friends and for parents to connect with others in similar situations. Like Curran, several of the girls here have cerebral palsy; others have spina bifida, Down syndrome, and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)—a degenerative muscular disorder. At seven years of age, ebullient Tierney has already outlived most children with SMA. Unlike the participants on Toddlers & Tiaras, the families here haven't built their lives around the pageant circuit, although the girls are just as eager to make a good impression with fancy outfits and hairstyles. Everyone goes home with an award, although there is only one overall winner, and the judges prioritize attitude over appearance. Davis's focused approach oddly makes the film feel slighter than intended since no outside voices—such as psychologists or medical professionals—are heard here. Every scene seems to be also underscored with syrupy strings, although the polished approach makes the film equally appropriate for child and adult viewers. The former might even have the most to gain—whether they have disabilities or not—since it's never too early to learn a little empathy. Joining other unusual documentaries about beauty pageants—including the Siberian prison-based Miss Gulag (VL-1/11) and Miss India-centered The World Before Her (VL-7/13), this is recommended. Aud: P. (K. Fennessy)