Whatever people’s reasons for disliking the movie back in 1999, it’s gone on to garner something of a cult following, and rightly so.
As Michaely points out, at this point in time it was rare for anything to show a healthy, happy queer relationship – so for a film to not only come out swinging in this manner but to be directed by a gay woman too, is incredibly important.
A cast reunion included on the Blu-ray explains this further, but actors Clea DuVall and Joel Michaely (both gay themselves) remain clearly indebted and grateful towards Babbit for daring to break the mould and make something so unashamedly queer. At the tail end of the 20th century queer cinema hadn’t quite taken off yet, and as a result, this movie remains something of a pioneer of queer filmmaking. The fact that it’s so unashamedly gay is easily one of Cheerleader’s greatest strengths. The film that follows is nothing short of a total hoot, smart as a whip and funny as all hell – and honestly, we’re baffled by how many people hated it back in 1999. We know how intense that sounds, but don’t worry: Babbit isn’t interested in queer suffering. Originally released in 1999 and now available in a swanky new Blu-ray restoration, Babbit’s directorial debut follows Megan (Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll), a high school cheerleader who’s sent to a conversion therapy camp when her friends and family think she might be gay. But sometimes, we can watch a film that was panned on its initial release, and realise it’s something of an unsung gem, aeons ahead of its time, and a cornerstone for an entire genre of filmmaking: Jamie Babbit’s But I’m a Cheerleader is a perfect example of the latter. Sometimes, we can watch previously lauded films and realise they’re pretty dodgy ( Revenge of the Nerds, for instance, or Last Tango in Paris). In 2021, humanity is more socially and politically engaged than it ever has been – in the world of film criticism, this can be either a blessing or a curse. Musical highlights include the gospel-tinged One Step at a Time in which Knights as supposedly ex-gay counsellor Mike sings “I’m a big homo no mo’,” and the sweet duet How It Feels, during which Megan and Graham get, um, acquainted.Hindsight is a fine thing.
SPONSOREDWhy you need to explore Türkiye’s Dalaman region for yourself The Darkest Part of the Night at the Kiln: uneven but affecting.The Great’s Phoebe Fox on why she’s desperate to break into song.Carrie Hope Fletcher will make her panto debut in Sleeping Beauty alongside Ore Oduba.She’s packed off to rural institution True Directions, where founder Mary (Graves) is in deep denial about which side her own, singlet-clad son Rock is batting for. Goody-goody Megan believes she’s straight – she has a footballer boyfriend, even – but her friends and parents stage an intervention based on her vegetarianism, the girly pics in her locker, and her liking for Melissa Etheridge. The wry wit of the film is preserved, along with its gender-specific, blue-and-pink colour palette. The Turbine only has space for a cramped, shoddy set and vestigial choreography. There’s far too much filler between the good songs, and the plot has if anything become baggier on stage. The show’s heart and conviction are hard to fault, but an air of amateurishness also looms large. Tiffany Graves and Lemuel Knights, as the camp bosses trying to make gay boys less camp and gay girls less butch, are tuneful and amusing. There are likeable performances and fine, clear singing from relative newcomer Alice Croft and from Evie Rose Lane as our heroine Megan and Graham (yes, really) the girl she learns to love. Jamie Babbit’s 1999 film has become a queer-culture classic, but looks slow, arch and almost wilfully slapdash today.Ĭomposer Andrew Abrams, writer Bill Augustin and director Tania Azevedo have turned it into a vivacious, affirmative riposte to heteronormative oppression. N some ways this cheerfully rackety musical about a cheerleader who accepts herself as a lesbian while undergoing gay conversion therapy improves on its source material. New West End Company BRANDPOST | PAID CONTENT.
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