Principal photography was set to begin on May 31, 1988, in Yazoo City, Mississippi, with a budget of $4 million.
Miss Firecracker (1989) was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Beth Henley and is based on her 1984 play The Miss Firecracker Contest. Holly Hunter reprised the role of Carnelle Scott, whom she played in an off-Broadway production of Henley's play.
To prepare for her role, Holly Hunter spent several days working at the Simmons Farm Raised Catfish Factory.