The Girl Most Likely To... (1973)

The Girl Most Likely To... is a 1973 American television black comedy film directed by Lee Philips and written by Joan Rivers. The film stars Stockard Channing as Miriam Knight, an intelligent but socially rejected college student who undergoes a dramatic physical transformation after a car accident. Determined to take revenge on everyone who humiliated her, Miriam uses her new appearance and intelligence to carry out a series of murders while a police detective attempts to uncover the identity of the mysterious killer.

Plot

Miriam Knight is an intelligent, witty, and well-meaning young woman whose life is made miserable by the people around her. Considered unattractive by conventional standards, she is repeatedly ridiculed, rejected, and humiliated because of her appearance and weight. Despite her intelligence and academic abilities, Miriam struggles to find acceptance among her classmates and has difficulty establishing romantic relationships.

After attending several colleges, Miriam enrolls at another university, hoping that she might finally find a place where she belongs. Unfortunately, her experiences are no better. Her fellow students treat her with contempt, and even people who have known her for years fail to appreciate her personality. Herman Anderson, a childhood acquaintance whom her family hopes she will marry, also shows little romantic interest in her.

At her new college, Miriam becomes particularly vulnerable to the cruelty of her roommate, Heidi Murphy, a popular and attractive young woman who enjoys embarrassing her. Miriam also tutors Moose Meyers, a college football player who takes advantage of her academic abilities without showing her genuine respect.

For a brief moment, Miriam believes that she has finally found an opportunity to prove herself when she obtains the leading role in a college theatrical production. However, Heidi deliberately exploits Miriam's allergy to roses, arranging for flowers to be present during the performance. Miriam's uncontrollable sneezing ruins her moment onstage, turning what should have been a personal triumph into another public humiliation.

Devastated by the incident, Miriam leaves the campus in her car. While driving away in distress, she becomes involved in a serious automobile accident that leaves her with severe facial injuries.

Miriam survives, but she requires extensive reconstructive surgery. After recovering from the operation, she finally has the bandages removed and discovers that the surgeons have transformed her appearance. The formerly rejected young woman has become an extraordinarily beautiful brunette, so different from her previous self that people who knew her before can barely recognize her.

Her physical transformation changes the way strangers treat her, but it does not erase the resentment she has accumulated over years of humiliation. Miriam realizes that her new appearance gives her an extraordinary advantage: she can approach the people who mistreated her without being recognized.

Instead of beginning a new life, Miriam decides to settle her old scores. She carefully plans her revenge against the individuals who made her feel worthless, using her intelligence, knowledge acquired through her various college courses, and ability to disguise herself to conceal her identity.

Miriam begins killing the people she considers responsible for her suffering. In some cases, she reveals her former identity to her victims before carrying out her revenge, making it clear that the attractive woman confronting them is the same Miriam Knight they once mocked or rejected. Her crimes are frequently carried out with an absurdity that gives the film its darkly comic tone.

Meanwhile, Detective Ralph Varone is assigned to investigate the murders. Played by Ed Asner, Varone is an experienced investigator who begins piecing together the circumstances surrounding the killings. Although the victims initially appear to have little in common, he gradually discovers connections between them and realizes that the crimes may be motivated by revenge.

Varone's investigation eventually brings him closer to Miriam. He had encountered her before her accident, when she still had her original appearance, and this earlier meeting becomes an important clue in understanding the case. However, Miriam's transformation makes it difficult to connect the woman he once knew with the beautiful and mysterious suspect he is pursuing.

As the investigation progresses, Varone becomes increasingly fascinated by Miriam's intelligence and personality. Unlike the men who rejected her in the past, he appreciates qualities beyond physical appearance. His growing attraction complicates the investigation as he becomes emotionally involved with the very woman responsible for the murders.

Eventually, Varone uncovers Miriam's identity and discovers the motive behind her killing spree. Her crimes are not random: she has been systematically targeting people who humiliated, mistreated, or rejected her before her transformation.

Despite her efforts to escape detection, Miriam is ultimately caught and taken into custody. Detective Ralph Varone discovers her identity and her involvement in the murders committed against the people who had humiliated and rejected her before her transformation.

Although Miriam is imprisoned for her crimes, Varone falls in love with her and decides to marry her. The two get married while Miriam is in custody, before she begins serving her prison sentence.

Rating: 10 Stars