Perante a iminência de um ataque terrorista ao concurso de beleza Miss Estados Unidos da América, o FBI decide infiltrar nesse concurso uma das suas agentes. Porém, Gracie Hart é uma "durona" que não parece ter sido talhada para a tarefa, e que vai ter de passar por uma séria mudança de visual e maneiras a fim de cumprir com a sua missão.

Um relato da sensacional história verídica da interrupção do concurso Miss Mundo de 1970 pelo crescente Movimento de Libertação das Mulheres, um evento que foi notícia principal em todo o mundo. Durante um dos programas de TV mais populares do mundo, assistido por 100 milhões de espectadores, o Libbers interrompeu espetacularmente a transmissão. Não apenas isso, quando a ordem foi restaurada, num cenário de manifestações Anti-Apartheid, a primeira mulher de cor foi coroada Miss Mundo.

Archie Rice, an old-time British vaudeville performer sinking into final defeat, schemes to stay in show business.

Em Mount Rose, uma pequena cidade do Minnesota, há uma grande movimentação para a 50ª edição do Jovem Princesa da América, o mais antigo concurso de beleza dos Estados Unidos. A vencedora irá disputar o prêmio estadual e quem vencer esta etapa disputará o prêmio nacional. Gladys Leeman (Kirstie Alley), que já venceu o concurso e pertence à família mais rica de Mount Rose, quer que sua filha, Becky Leeman (Denise Richards), seja a vencedora. Gladys está disposta a fazer qualquer coisa, literalmente falando, para ver sua filha como a ganhadora, mas existe uma maquiadora de defuntos, Amber Atkins (Kirsten Dunst), que correndo por fora se mostra uma forte rival.

Quando a jovem Olive ganha a oportunidade de participar da final do concurso de beleza infantil "Little Miss Sunshine", toda a família se mobiliza para lhe permitir o sonho, embarcando numa divertida e atribulada viagem até à Califórnia numa carrinha "pão-de-forma" a cair aos pedaços. Mas esta família tem tudo menos normalidade: o pai é um orador motivacional fracassado, a mãe está à beira de um colapso nervoso, o irmão mais velho é um adolescente revoltado que fez voto de silêncio contra a família, o avô é um pervertido e o tio é um homossexual com tendências suicidas que sabe tudo sobre Marcel Proust.

Alex, um jovem que está descobrindo sua identidade de gênero, resgata seu sonho de infância e decide participar do concurso de beleza Miss França.

Thirty girls arrive in a seaside town to participate in a beauty contest. Marina has no ambitions of victory: she only wants to have the sewing machine promised to each participant.

A young woman who lives in a desert trailer park must choose between caring for her hapless father and sick friend or fulfilling her own destiny.

Local councillor Sidney Fiddler persuades the Mayor to help improve the image of their rundown seaside town by holding a beauty contest. But formidable Councillor Prodworthy, head of the local women's liberation movement, has other ideas. It's open warfare as the women's lib attempt to sabotage the contest.

A beauty contest turns into a hostage situation, when the Miss Galaxy competition is taken over by a gang, demanding a ransom of diamonds. Sharon, a kick-boxing actress, is the host of the show, and the thorn in the terrorists side.

A series of sketches with a shoe clerk, his wife, and his extra-curricular activities. The shoe clerk steps out on his wife with one of his customers. Both his wife and the woman's husband catch them when they go to the beach and later watch a beauty and fashion contest. His wife enters it wearing a mask. Back at work on Monday, all has returned to normal, until the winner of the contest shows up for her prize - a complete wardrobe...

Keeping the position of number one son requires a certain amount of ingenuity. Twelve year old Greg has inherited his father's competitive streak. On a family holiday to Fiji they have different ideas about where Greg should focus his talents. When his creative pursuits fail to amuse his father Greg goes to bizarre lengths to win him back.

Lily is a winner, but when her boyfriend leaves her for a vapid beauty pageant queen, she gets the notion that winning the Miss India America title would bring him back. Since Lily is perfect in everything else she does, it should be a cinch...or so she thinks. The pageant world isn't just pretty smiles and high heels, and her main competition, Sonia, gives her a run for her money.

Impoverished Jane Miller is loved by millionaire Roger and newspaperman William. Though William warns her otherwise, she goes with the millionaire to his French chateau where she risks terrible cruelty and even death.

The pursuit by America's loveliest girls for a coveted beauty crown is threatened by a scandal which implicates a judge, a former winner, and one of the five finalists.

Poor Ella Cinders is much abused by her evil step-mother and step-sisters. When she wins a local beauty contest she jumps at the chance to get out of her dead-end life and go to Hollywood, where she is promised a job in the movies. When she arrives in Hollywood, she discovers that the contest was a scam and the job non-existent. But through pluck, luck, and talent, she makes it in the movies anyway, and finds true love.

Advocate Ramesh saves Devan from a murder case. Later, he realize Devan was the actual culprit. Ramesh tries for a payback, unaware of Devan's real intentions and the reason for the murder.

A ski resort town struggles to become the top tourism spot.

Marian Medford Woodstock gave up a chance twenty years ago to compete for the Miss USA beauty title in order to marry Jeffrey Woodstock. She hopes to realize her past ambitions for fame and fortune through her daughter Kay, whom she persuades to enter a local beauty contest. Kay wins and is interviewed by reporter Gil McRoberts, who advises her to get married and settle down. Jeffrey is very upset with his wife's and daughter's passion for beauty contests and, when Kay enters the national contest, he informs Marian that she must choose between him and her chase after empty honors for Kay.

Documentary about British artist Andrew Logan as he attempts to put on the 2009 edition of his Alternative Miss World. The film also presents a history of the contest (which has run eccentrically since 1972) which was set up firstly as an excuse to have a good party, but has grown into a celebration of alternative lifestyles and sexualities. The documentary mixes archive footage, animated inserts, with talking head interviews and a fly-on-the-wall look at the organisation of the 2009 event