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The Beautician and the Beast

Play trailer Poster for The Beautician and the Beast PG 1997 1h 45m Comedy Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
19% Tomatometer 21 Reviews 46% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
After beauty school teacher Joy Miller becomes a local hero by rescuing lab animals from a fire, she's offered a job by Ira Grushinsky, an emissary from the Eastern European nation of Slovetzia. Boris Pochenko, the country's dictator, wants to improve his image by hiring an American tutor for his children. Mistaken for a real teacher, Joy soon bumps heads with Boris while brightening up palace life.
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The Beautician and the Beast

Critics Reviews

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Gene Siskel Chicago Tribune Aug 16, 2017
2.5/4
A wildly uneven story. Go to Full Review
Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader Apr 7, 2010
Manages to be sweet and likable, largely because Kwapis directs the actors well and treats the sub-Lubitsch material as if he actually believed in it. Go to Full Review
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Jan 1, 2000
2/4
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. Go to Full Review
Daniel Barnes Dare Daniel Jul 2, 2019
1.5/5
Drescher does her best, and she's very likable and charming, whatever her dramatic limitations. However, the script is complete garbage, the direction stinks, and Dalton is still a chin in search of a personality. Go to Full Review
Rachel Wagner rachelsreviews.net Mar 7, 2019
7/10
Beauty and the Beast combined with Fran- what more could you ask for? Go to Full Review
Grace Montgomery Common Sense Media Apr 15, 2015
2/5
Dated '90s romcom has some stereotypes, innuendo. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Michael C @Coxmjc23 Feb 7, 2026 Still one of the best movies ever and still ICONIC!!! See more Lana A. @llarthur Nov 11, 2025 Beautician and the Beast is a light, charming movie that delivers exactly what you want from a feel-good romantic comedy. Fran Drescher is a standout from the moment she appears on screen. Her quick wit, warmth, and larger-than-life personality give the film its spark. Timothy Dalton plays the stern, closed-off leader with just the right mix of seriousness and humor, and the two of them have great chemistry that keeps the story fun and engaging. The movie balances humor with heart, offering plenty of laugh-out-loud moments along with a sweet, hopeful storyline. It’s the kind of film you can relax into, nothing heavy, just an enjoyable escape with memorable characters and a playful twist on a classic tale. If you’re looking for something light, funny, and genuinely endearing, Beautician and the Beast is an easy pick. See more Mahnoor W @RT06396327 Sep 11, 2025 This Movie is so fun and i was laughing the whole time though, i love a rom-com! See more Jelisije J @jjosifovic Apr 24, 2025 If you love the Nanny tv show you will love this film. Its pure 90s cheesy corny comedy and I love it. See more Tom F @RT55173143 Mar 2, 2025 Watchable thanks to the charms of Fran Drescher, but otherwise coming up pretty empty. See more Aug 18, 2021 This movie was cute, silly & hardly problematic like most movies of it's time. I wish the ending gave more closure but other than that I was delighted. See more Read all reviews
The Beautician and the Beast

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Movie Info

Synopsis After beauty school teacher Joy Miller becomes a local hero by rescuing lab animals from a fire, she's offered a job by Ira Grushinsky, an emissary from the Eastern European nation of Slovetzia. Boris Pochenko, the country's dictator, wants to improve his image by hiring an American tutor for his children. Mistaken for a real teacher, Joy soon bumps heads with Boris while brightening up palace life.
Director
Ken Kwapis
Producer
Todd Graff, Hawk Koch
Screenwriter
Todd Graff
Production Co
Paramount Pictures
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy, Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 7, 1997, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$11.5M
Runtime
1h 45m
Sound Mix
Surround
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