FBI Agent Gracie Hart is not a pretty girl. She is a little bit nerdy and has some anger about her life. At her job she is seen as basically one of the guys. One of her coworkers, Eric, particularly takes pleasure in taunting her. When their agency finds need to send an undercover agent to the Miss America pageant to pose as a contestant, Eric jokingly suggests that they send Gracie. Gracie turns out to be a bit of a diamond in the rough, however. After charm lessons from beauty coach Victor Melling and a long day of waxing, plucking, primping, and dressing up, Gracie is ready to shine in the Miss America pageant. The pageant is co-hosted by Kathy Morningside and Stan Fields, who are in on the deal: Gracie must make it to the finals. Despite her initial disgust for beauty pageants and all things related to them, Gracie learns a lesson about the girls she competes with and finally finds the missing piece to complete her previously disheveled life.