Beautiful is a beautiful endeavor. It is also Chaos. First time director Sally Field takes a daring leap but falters mid-stride with a story that ultimately disintegrates into a hopeless cliched mess of a movie. Mona Hibbard (Minnie Driver) is an unusual female protagonist for film. We meet her as an incredibly focused young girl who is neither nice nor beautiful. But then neither are her surroundings. She exists only peripherally to the adults in charge of her. Which, seems for the most part to suit her fine. But Mona is adept at making her presence felt, even by these two clued-out adults, when she deems it necessary.

She has ferocious self-confidence that is neither inborn nor environmental, but a driving ambition that seems to come from her toes. She is determined to make something of herself. To justify her existence in the eyes of the world and in those of her own mother. The Miss America Miss crown, a national beauty pageant, is the focus of her desire and she means to win it by any means necessary, lying and cheating are only a start. Monas amazing capacity for tunnel vision causes her to disregard everyone (sadly, enough even herself) and everything in her quest to be crowned Miss America Miss. Her only redeemable quality is what seems to be her genuine affection for childhood friend Ruby Stillwell (Joey Lauren Adams). But even that is suspect, as its unclear just how much of that affection (at least initially) is fueled by Rubys usefulness as a costume designer and manager of Monas life. They are a match made in purgatory, Mona is completely self consumed, and Ruby is completely self-effacing.

It would have been great to see how this character played out, without the contrivance and general silliness to which the film falls victim. But the movie stumbles fatally. By the end we are uncertain whether the affect being attempted is farce, satire or soap opera. So strong here is the sense of a narrative hijacking, one wonders whose fingers were stuck into the pie to turn such a promising an effort into the unlovely mess we see on screen.

The performances here are fine, but not fine enough to do more than help the story limp along. There is one shining moment in the movie during which Driver sings. With this performance, the movie raises entirely new questions about the character and then refuses to answer them.

However, while Beautifuls reach exceeds its grasp, its still worth renting as a light comedy to pass the time.