Smile – Fun City Editions (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1975
Director: Michael Ritchie
Writer: Jerry Belson
Cast: Bruce Dern, Barbara Feldon, Michael Kidd, Geoffrey Lewis, Eric Shea, Nicholas Pryor, Joan Prather, Denise Nickerson, Melanie Griffith, Annette O'Toole, Maria O'Brien, Colleen Camp, Caroline Williams

Release Date: May 25th, 2021
Approximate Running Time: 113 Minutes 7 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: PG
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English, Dolby Digital Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $34.98

"The town of Santa Rosa is abuzz. That's because it's time again for the yearly Young American Miss Pageant. Talented "misses" from up and down California have gathered for the annual event where they will be choreographed by prickly song and dance man Tommy (Michael Kidd, whose many choreography credits include Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Guys and Dolls), produced by businesslike ex-pageant winner Brenda DiCarlo (Barbara Feldon, TV's Get Smart) and judged by blustery RV salesman and town booster Big Bob Freelander (Bruce Dern, Coming Home, Nebraska, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood). Meanwhile, Bob's young son Little Bob (Eric Shea, The Poseidon Adventure) and his pals get into some hormonally-fueled hijinks." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New 2K restoration from its 35mm interpositive".

Smile comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.2 GB

Feature: 33.3 GB

The source used for this transfer is in great shape and the result is an excellent transfer that far exceeds expectations.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English and included with this release are removable English SDH subtitles. The audio is in great shape, dialog comes through clearly and everything sounds balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery, a trailer for Smile (3 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Bruce Dern titled Dernsie's Credo (27 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with actor/filmmaker Pat Healy and film curator Jim Healy, reversible cover art and a twelve-page booklet with an essay titled “She’s All an American Girl Should Be”: Satire and Sympathy in Michael Ritchie’s Smile written by Mike McPadden.

Summary:

Michael Ritchie’s Smile is a skillfully laid out satire that gives an unflinching look into the world of beauty pageants. Though Smile’s characters' motivations are often cynical, the way which the actors portray the characters makes it easy to sympathize with them. Another strength of Smile is how the visuals compliment the performances. That said, Smile is a fabulous film that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras.

Written by Michael Den Boer