Miss You Can Do It

Overview

Miss You Can Do It chronicles young women with special needs and their families as they participate in the Miss You Can Do It Pageant, which was created by Abbey Curran, Miss Iowa USA 2008 and the first Miss USA contestant with a physical disability. Eight contestants from the Miss You Can Do It Pageant are profiled in the film. HBO described the film as also showing "the heroism of their parents and families, who openly describe how the heartbreak of learning that their child was different quickly gave way to loving patience, dedication and a new appreciation for the joys and challenges of raising a child with special needs".

Development

The Miss You Can Do It Pageant was established in 2004. It was founded by Abbey Curran, a woman with cerebral palsy who became the first disabled woman to complete in the Miss USA pageant. According to the Daily Mail, "Ron Davis explained that the pageant is not only an amazing opportunity for these girls, but it also brings parents together who share similar experiences and struggles ... This pageant blows every preconceived notion out of the water about what a pageant could and should be about." Following a reading a write-up of Curran in People Magazine, Davis contacted her to learn more about her role with the pageant. Curran agreed to allow Davis access to the pageants inner-workings. He has stated of the girls behavior during the shoot as, "The girls didnt even notice us - they were having their own fun time. It was so much stimulation, between the pizza and Cinderella, the hairdressers, the escorts... On stage, they were looking at the audience, the judges and the lights. The parents were a wreck, but the kids were completely themselves."

Release

The film premiered on HBO on June 24, 2013. It also had screenings at festivals including the Palm Beach International Film Festival and the Dances With Films festival in Los Angeles.

Critical response

The New York Times wrote of the film that, "Mr. Davis catches the excitement of the pageant nicely, but the real strength of this documentary is that he takes the time to show several of the families’ day-to-day lives, something invisible to anyone but close friends." Parents Magazine wrote that, "the heart of this movie is about empowerment, and about the ability behind the disability—something every one of us wants for our children, and for the world to see," and called the film "one seriously inspiring film about girls with special needs". Indiewire called the documentary "a wonderful, uplifting film", and the Star Tribune called it "Moving stuff".