To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar
- Director: Beeban Kidron
- Writer: Douglas Carter Beane
- Producer: G. Mac Brown; Bruce Cohen
CGiii Comment
Kidron should not have been chosen for this job.
Unfortunately, it misses the mark and will always be inferior to Priscilla - despite the huge Hollywood budget.
Watchable, entertaining...but, ultimately, forgettable and implausible. Shame.
It does raise that old question: Should a woman direct such a film as this?
Drag queens are NOT women and should not be directed as such!
And...what a stupid title.
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
After jointly winning a local drag queen pageant in New York City, Noxeema Jackson and Vida Boheme win the right and are given the round trip airfare to compete in the Drag Queen of America pageant in Hollywood, California. Noxeema sees herself as the next Dorothy Dandridge, who bucked the trend of most black American movie actresses of her time by never playing the slave house maid. Vida's style reflects her past of growing up in upper class suburban Pennsylvania. One of their fellow New York contestants, Chi-Chi Rodriguez, is a straight-talking but naive and inexperienced drag queen. Seeing that Chi-Chi needs some drag queen confidence (despite her bravada), Vida and a reluctant Noxeema decide to cash in their plane tickets and buy an older model Cadillac convertible and drive to Hollywood with Chi-Chi. Their drive takes them through much of the country where alternate lifestyles are less tolerated than they may be in New York or Los Angeles.
Cast & Characters
Wesley Snipes as Noxeema;
Patrick Swayze as Vida;
John Leguizamo as Chi-Chi;
Stockard Channing as Carol Ann;
Blythe Danner as Beatrice;
Arliss Howard as Virgil;
Jason London as Bobby Ray;
Chris Penn as Sheriff Dollard;
Melinda Dillon as Merna;
Beth Grant as Loretta;
Alice Drummond as Clara;
Marceline Hugot as Katina;
Jennifer Milmore as Bobby Lee;
Jamie Harrold as Billy Budd;
Mike Hodge as Jimmy Joe