The Beautician and the Beast
Encyclopedia
The Beautician and the Beast is a 1997 American family comedy film directed by Ken Kwapis
and starring Fran Drescher
and Timothy Dalton
as the title characters. The story follows the misadventures of a New York City
beautician who is mistakenly hired as the school teacher for the children of the president of a small Eastern European country. The story is similar to that of The King and I
, The Sound of Music
, and Evita
, with elements also reminiscent of the sitcom The Nanny
, for which Drescher is most famous.
) teaches students to groom hair, but is put out of business when one of her students accidentally ignites hair spray
with his cigarette, eventually leading to the school burning down. Joy ends up being highlighted in a newspaper article after she helps her students and the caged animals escape the building successfully.
The article is seen by Ira Grushinsky (Ian McNeice
), a diplomatic representative of a small Eastern European country called Slovetzia (bordered by Hungary
, Romania
, and Ukraine
), a country she never heard of. Ira has been sent to the United States
to find a tutor for the three children of Slovetzia's President, and, mistakenly thinking that Joy is an academic teacher, offers the job to her. Joy accepts, and it is only after they arrive in Slovetzia that Ira realizes his error. By then it is too late, and Joy agrees to keep up the ruse of being a "real" teacher for the time being.
The initial meeting of Joy with the President, a dictator named Boris Pochenko (Dalton), gets off on the wrong foot, but Joy gets along well with his three children Katrina (Lisa Jakub
), Karl (Adam LaVorgna
), and Masha (Heather DeLoach
). Joy teaches them of life outside Slovetzia and helps them gain confidence in themselves. Joy frequently clashes with Pochenko, who is disturbed by her fierce independence and the fact that he cannot frighten her.
Joy's presence in Slovetzia is due to Pochenko's desire to change his reputation among other Western nations as a "beast". His second-in-command, Leonid Kleist (Patrick Malahide
) is against Pochenko's "softening" strategy, and wants to crush the growing rebellion among Slovetzia's youth. Joy eventually learns that Katrina is in love with Alek (Timothy Dowling), one of the leaders of the youth rebellion. Alek is captured by Pochenko, but Joy secretly helps Katrina sneak to his cell to see him.
A summit of visiting emissaries are arriving in Slovetzia to meet with Pochenko, and Joy convinces him that the best way to prove that he is a modern-thinking man would be to throw a party. Joy is put in charge of preparations, and during this time she and Pochenko grow closer.
On the evening of the dinner, Joy confesses that she is not an academic teacher, but by this time Pochenko does not care about her credentials, only that she has brought happiness to him and his family. Later, Leonid confronts Joy with the fact that she has been helping Katrina meet Alek. When this information is brought to Pochenko, he argues with Joy on her meddling, and Joy decides to leave Slovetzia for good.
Some months pass. Leonid has quietly taken over administrative duties and signing sentences in Pochenko's name. Pochenko, made aware of this fact by Ira, confronts Leonid and strips him of his duties. Pochenko realizes that he has spent many months depressed and discontent after Joy's leaving, and decides that it is time to change his ways.
The film's final scene shows Joy back at home with her parents. She has also been depressed after leaving Slovetzia, but then receives a surprise visit by Pochenko. The pair reconcile.
commentary, the original title for the film was The King and Oy, a direct reference to the 1956 musical film The King and I
, but it had to be changed as they could not obtain the rights from 20th Century Fox
to use it.
The film was shot in Beverly Hills
(Greystone Mansion
), Los Angeles
, and Prague
.
, Ukraine
and Hungary
; situated roughly in Trans-Carpathia
, a real region of Ukraine. The republic is a post-communist Eastern Europe
an dictatorship
.
The national flag of Slovetzia is a red over (medium) blue bicolor with a black boar's head with white tusks. The ratio of the flag is approximately 2:3. The presidential flag of Slovetzia seen on the president's car is square.
Though not a linguisitic expert himself and a unilingual English speaker
, director Ken Kwapis wanted to create a language for the fictional Slavic country of Slovetzia. He hired dialect coach
Francie Brown, who worked with the director and the actors to create a "Slovetzian language and accent".
Ken Kwapis picked sounds he liked from Czech
and Russian
(Slavic languages, but especially based on the former as the film was mostly filmed in the Czech Republic
, in and around the capital Prague
); Romanian
(a Romance language and not a Slavic language) and Hungarian
(a totally different language belonging to the Uralic languages
which is not even a Indo-European language). From that, they decided what a Slovetzian language and accent should sound like.
During one scene, papers with Czech sentences lie on the Slovetzian president's table.
. The irony is not lost, as the character of Boris Pochenko lambasts the negative coverage of his country by the American press (in particular USA Today) in the film.
Roger Ebert
wrote that "The Beautician and the Beast made me laugh, but each laugh was an island, entire onto itself. They didn't tie together into anything very interesting."
The Beautician and the Beast currently holds a 16% "rotten" rating according to Rotten Tomatoes
. Fran Drescher was nominated for a Razzie Award as Worst Actress for her performance in the film.
Ken Kwapis
Ken Kwapis is an American film and television director and screenwriter. He specialized in the single-camera sitcom in the 1990s and 2000s and has directed feature films such as Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and He's Just Not That Into...
and starring Fran Drescher
Fran Drescher
Francine Joy "Fran" Drescher is an American film and television actress, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer, author, singer, talk show host, political lobbyist and health activist...
and Timothy Dalton
Timothy Dalton
Timothy Peter Dalton ) is a Welsh actor of film and television. He is known for portraying James Bond in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill , as well as Rhett Butler in the television miniseries Scarlett , an original sequel to Gone with the Wind...
as the title characters. The story follows the misadventures of a New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
beautician who is mistakenly hired as the school teacher for the children of the president of a small Eastern European country. The story is similar to that of The King and I
The King and I (1956 film)
The King and I is a 1956 musical film made by 20th Century Fox, directed by Walter Lang and produced by Charles Brackett and Darryl F. Zanuck. The screenplay by Ernest Lehman is based on the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II musical The King and I, based in turn on the book Anna and the King...
, The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music (film)
Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical film directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film is based on the Broadway musical The Sound of Music, with songs written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and with the musical...
, and Evita
Evita (film)
Evita is the 1996 film adaptation of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of the same name based on the life of Eva Perón. It was directed by Alan Parker and written by Parker and Oliver Stone. It starred Madonna, Antonio Banderas, and Jonathan Pryce...
, with elements also reminiscent of the sitcom The Nanny
The Nanny (TV series)
The Nanny is an American television sitcom co-produced by Sternin & Fraser Ink, Inc., and Fran Drescher in association with TriStar Television for the CBS network...
, for which Drescher is most famous.
Plot
An American beautician named Joy Miller (Fran DrescherFran Drescher
Francine Joy "Fran" Drescher is an American film and television actress, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer, author, singer, talk show host, political lobbyist and health activist...
) teaches students to groom hair, but is put out of business when one of her students accidentally ignites hair spray
Hair spray
Hair spray is a common cosmetic product that is sprayed onto hair to keep it stiff or in a certain style...
with his cigarette, eventually leading to the school burning down. Joy ends up being highlighted in a newspaper article after she helps her students and the caged animals escape the building successfully.
The article is seen by Ira Grushinsky (Ian McNeice
Ian McNeice
Ian McNeice is a prolific English screen, stage, and television character actor.-Early life:McNeice was born in Basingstoke in Hampshire. McNeice's acting training started at the Taunton School in Somerset, followed by two years at the Salisbury Playhouse...
), a diplomatic representative of a small Eastern European country called Slovetzia (bordered by Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
), a country she never heard of. Ira has been sent to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to find a tutor for the three children of Slovetzia's President, and, mistakenly thinking that Joy is an academic teacher, offers the job to her. Joy accepts, and it is only after they arrive in Slovetzia that Ira realizes his error. By then it is too late, and Joy agrees to keep up the ruse of being a "real" teacher for the time being.
The initial meeting of Joy with the President, a dictator named Boris Pochenko (Dalton), gets off on the wrong foot, but Joy gets along well with his three children Katrina (Lisa Jakub
Lisa Jakub
Lisa Jakub is a Canadian-American actress, best known for her roles in Mrs. Doubtfire and Independence Day.-Early life and career:...
), Karl (Adam LaVorgna
Adam LaVorgna
-Early life:LaVorgna was born near New Haven in North Branford, Connecticut. Raised with his three siblings in North Branford, LaVorgna has been appearing on television and film since the early age of three when he first appeared on the daytime series As the World Turns.Other television work...
), and Masha (Heather DeLoach
Heather DeLoach
Heather DeLoach is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of the tap dancing "Bee Girl" in the 1992 music video for the hit single "No Rain", by Blind Melon...
). Joy teaches them of life outside Slovetzia and helps them gain confidence in themselves. Joy frequently clashes with Pochenko, who is disturbed by her fierce independence and the fact that he cannot frighten her.
Joy's presence in Slovetzia is due to Pochenko's desire to change his reputation among other Western nations as a "beast". His second-in-command, Leonid Kleist (Patrick Malahide
Patrick Malahide
Patrick Malahide is a British actor, who has played many major film and television roles.-Personal life:Malahide, real name Patrick Gerald Duggan, was born in Reading, Berkshire, the son of Irish immigrants, a cook mother and a school secretary father...
) is against Pochenko's "softening" strategy, and wants to crush the growing rebellion among Slovetzia's youth. Joy eventually learns that Katrina is in love with Alek (Timothy Dowling), one of the leaders of the youth rebellion. Alek is captured by Pochenko, but Joy secretly helps Katrina sneak to his cell to see him.
A summit of visiting emissaries are arriving in Slovetzia to meet with Pochenko, and Joy convinces him that the best way to prove that he is a modern-thinking man would be to throw a party. Joy is put in charge of preparations, and during this time she and Pochenko grow closer.
On the evening of the dinner, Joy confesses that she is not an academic teacher, but by this time Pochenko does not care about her credentials, only that she has brought happiness to him and his family. Later, Leonid confronts Joy with the fact that she has been helping Katrina meet Alek. When this information is brought to Pochenko, he argues with Joy on her meddling, and Joy decides to leave Slovetzia for good.
Some months pass. Leonid has quietly taken over administrative duties and signing sentences in Pochenko's name. Pochenko, made aware of this fact by Ira, confronts Leonid and strips him of his duties. Pochenko realizes that he has spent many months depressed and discontent after Joy's leaving, and decides that it is time to change his ways.
The film's final scene shows Joy back at home with her parents. She has also been depressed after leaving Slovetzia, but then receives a surprise visit by Pochenko. The pair reconcile.
Production
According to the DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
commentary, the original title for the film was The King and Oy, a direct reference to the 1956 musical film The King and I
The King and I (1956 film)
The King and I is a 1956 musical film made by 20th Century Fox, directed by Walter Lang and produced by Charles Brackett and Darryl F. Zanuck. The screenplay by Ernest Lehman is based on the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II musical The King and I, based in turn on the book Anna and the King...
, but it had to be changed as they could not obtain the rights from 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
to use it.
The film was shot in Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
(Greystone Mansion
Greystone Mansion
Greystone Mansion, also known as the Doheny Mansion, is a Tudor-style mansion on a landscaped estate with distinctive formal English gardens, located in Beverly Hills, California, United States. The architect Gordon Kaufmann designed the residence and ancillary structures, with construction...
), Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, and Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
Slovetzia
The fictional country depicted in the movie, "Slovetzia", is a tiny state (possibly qualifying as a European microstate) between RomaniaRomania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
; situated roughly in Trans-Carpathia
Carpathian Ruthenia
Carpathian Ruthenia is a region in Eastern Europe, mostly located in western Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast , with smaller parts in easternmost Slovakia , Poland's Lemkovyna and Romanian Maramureş.It is...
, a real region of Ukraine. The republic is a post-communist Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
an dictatorship
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
.
The national flag of Slovetzia is a red over (medium) blue bicolor with a black boar's head with white tusks. The ratio of the flag is approximately 2:3. The presidential flag of Slovetzia seen on the president's car is square.
Slovetzian language
Slovetzian, a fictional Slavic language, is spoken by the children of the president and other characters in the film. The language is written in Latin letters as seen in the film.Though not a linguisitic expert himself and a unilingual English speaker
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, director Ken Kwapis wanted to create a language for the fictional Slavic country of Slovetzia. He hired dialect coach
Dialect coach
A dialect coach assists an actor in assuming a certain regional or foreign accent to perform convincingly in radio, theatrical or film productions. Dialect coaches are skilled in pronunciation and phonetics , and do not necessarily have to have the accent that they are teaching, though it may be...
Francie Brown, who worked with the director and the actors to create a "Slovetzian language and accent".
Ken Kwapis picked sounds he liked from Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
and Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
(Slavic languages, but especially based on the former as the film was mostly filmed in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, in and around the capital Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
); Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
(a Romance language and not a Slavic language) and Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
(a totally different language belonging to the Uralic languages
Uralic languages
The Uralic languages constitute a language family of some three dozen languages spoken by approximately 25 million people. The healthiest Uralic languages in terms of the number of native speakers are Hungarian, Finnish, Estonian, Mari and Udmurt...
which is not even a Indo-European language). From that, they decided what a Slovetzian language and accent should sound like.
During one scene, papers with Czech sentences lie on the Slovetzian president's table.
Reception
The film received negative reviews from critics, including a scathing review by Susan Wloszczyna of USA TodayUSA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
. The irony is not lost, as the character of Boris Pochenko lambasts the negative coverage of his country by the American press (in particular USA Today) in the film.
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
wrote that "The Beautician and the Beast made me laugh, but each laugh was an island, entire onto itself. They didn't tie together into anything very interesting."
The Beautician and the Beast currently holds a 16% "rotten" rating according to Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Fran Drescher was nominated for a Razzie Award as Worst Actress for her performance in the film.