Dumplin’ Trailer: Jennifer Aniston Plays the Ultimate Texas Pageant Mom
She plays a former beauty queen unable to let go of her glory days in the new Netflix film.
In recent years, we’ve been bombarded with movies and TV shows (not to mention news items) about beauty pageants and the people involved. Netflix’s latest offering in the category is Dumplin’, in which Jennifer Aniston stars as Rosie, a former Texas beauty queen focused far more on recreating that success as head of her local pageant than on the titular Dumplin’, her daughter Willowdean, played by Patti Cake$‘s Danielle Macdonald, who has exactly zero interest in participating in her mother’s favorite pastime.
According to the official synopsis, after the death of Rosie’s sister, Willowdean’s favorite aunt, Dumplin’ feels more alone than ever in their isolated small-town Texas community and attempts to distract herself by defying her mother and entering the Miss Teen Bluebonnet pageant. As is to be expected in a Hollywood production—helmed by 27 Dresses and The Proposal director Anne Fletcher, no less—an idea that starts as an irreverent stunt soon turns into a full-on “journey of self-discovery” for Dumplin’, helped along by her best friend Ellen (Lady Bird‘s Odeya Rush), a few drag queen mentors (including Harold Perrineau and Ginger Minj), and her spirit guide Dolly Parton, who collaborated with artists like Sia, Mavis Staples, and Miranda Lambert to produce revamped versions of several of her hits for the film.
As seen in the film’s official trailer, which dropped Wednesday, Willowdean’s initial relationship with her mother primarily revolves around her shuttling Rosie back and forth to pageants since, of course, the tiara-wearing Rosie can’t risk wrinkling her dress by sitting upright in a car seat. Once Dumplin’ embarks on her plan to enter the pageant, though she claims not to be the “Joan of Arc of fat girls,” she inspires others outside the pageant’s usual contestant pool to enter as well. And while, as the protest goes on, Willowdean starts to doubt herself, she’s bucked up by Perrineau, who quotes Parton: “Figure out who you are, and do it on purpose.” Dumplin’ proceeds to strut her stuff on the pageant stage, queuing up a tear-jerking mother-daughter moment between Willowdean and Rosie—despite Rosie’s best attempts to preserve her makeup.
Watch the full trailer for Dumplin’, which hits Netflix on December 7, below.
Related: The Evolution of Jennifer Aniston’s Iconic Hair
The Evolution of Jennifer Aniston’s Iconic Hair
Aniston arrived at the screening of Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story in 1995 with shoulder-length brown hair and a matte mauve lip.
At The Object of My Affection film premiere in 1998, Aniston wore her hair in a playful, knotted up do.
Aniston wore her golden blonde locks in twisted curls at the Meet Joe Black film premiere in 1999.
Aniston has a red carpet moment at the 72nd Annual Academy Awards in 2000, wearing her long, straight hair with a slick middle part.
Aniston debuted newly chopped locks with a glossy pink lip at the 2001 People’s Choice Awards.
The Friends star wore her golden locks in natural, tousled waves to celebrate her Emmy win in 2002.
At the 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in 2004, Aniston wore a natural face with long tousled waves.
Aniston rocked tousled bangs and rosy cheeks at the 61st Annual Golden Globe Awards in 2004.
Aniston looked naturally chic with a high tousled pony and luminous skin at the Friends With Money film premiere in 2006.
At the 2009 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, Aniston wore her hair in a chic side french braid with loose curls.
With her highlighted blonde locks, Aniston rocked a faux bob at the UK Horrible Bosses film premiere in 2011.
At the We’re The Millers film premiere in 2013, Aniston wore her tousled locks swept over with a subtle blue smoky eye.
Aniston wore her golden brown locks in a sleek bob with a glossy pink lip at the Life of Crime premiere in 2014.
At the 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards in 2015, Aniston wore her hair in a swept back up do with a bold eye and pink lip.
Aniston rocked her signature slick straight hair and natural makeup at the film premiere of Mother’s Day in 2016.
