Too Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)
Idea: Miss Noxeema Jackson (Wesley Snipes) and Miss Vida Boheme (Patrick Swayze) tie for the title in a New York drag queen contest, winning them a trip to Hollywood to compete nationally. They find themselves persuaded to help turn Miss Chi-Chi Rodriguez (John Leguizamo) into a true drag Queen, so they trade in their fare for a classic Cadillac. On their way, their car breaks down, and they find themselves stranded in a one-horse-town in the middle of nowhere. Hilarity ensues.
Truly, truly, I used to love this movie. I couldn't get enough of it. Now, it's been years since I last saw it, but I can still hear that hilarious dialogue in my head. It just kills me. Kills me dead.
And, um, yes, it is largely about drag queens. The hilarity doesn't stem from the idea of men dressed up as women, but the confusion they can cause. There are also some social issues thrown in there for good measure.
I attribute its lasting impression on me mostly to the actors. Leguizamo is an incredible talented man, and he is possibly one of the best supporting actors out there. I do believe it is harder work to support well, and Leguizamo is perfectly cut for it. To be honest, I don't think I've ever seen Swayze do another comedy, and, well, he's good, but not good enough to be a comedic actor. As for Snipes, I much prefer him in this role as opposed to the action heroes he is so prone to playing.
Beeban Kidron, well, I don't know even know if that's a male or female name. S/he doesn't seem to have done much else, but s/he did direct the highly anticipated - at least by me - BJD sequel, The Edge of Reason. If s/he screws that up, I will turn my back on him/her with a second thought.
Moving on to Douglas Carter Beane, the writer. The movie is his writing debut, and he's only ever written one other movie. Something must have scared him of, which is a shame, given his natural knack for comedy. Hopefully he'll come out of the woodwork yet and give me something to go on.
Serious, see the movie. You'll laugh. I can't imagine anyone not laughing.
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