But I'm a Cheerleader
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| But I'm a Cheerleader | |
|---|---|
 region 1 DVD cover |
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| Directed by | Jamie Babbit |
| Produced by | Leanna Creel |
| Written by | Jamie Babbit (story) Brian Wayne Peterson (screenplay) |
| Starring | Natasha Lyonne Cathy Moriarty Bud Cort Mink Stole RuPaul Clea DuVall Dante Basco |
| Music by | Pat Irwin |
| Cinematography | Jules Labarthe |
| Editing by | Cecily Rhett |
| Distributed by | Universal Home Entertainment |
| Release date(s) | 1999 |
| Running time | 85 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,200,000 |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
But I'm a Cheerleader is a 1999 satire film directed by Jamie Babbit about a high school cheerleader, Megan Bloomfield (Natasha Lyonne), who is sent to a reparative therapy camp.
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[edit] Plot
Megan, a high school cheerleader, is sent to a reparative therapy camp, run by Mary Brown (Cathy Moriarty), to become a heterosexual after her friends and family have an "intervention" and tell her she is a lesbian.
Seventeen-year-old Megan is a high school senior who loves cheerleading and is "going steady" with boyfriend Jared. Her family and friends suspect that Megan is in fact a lesbian, and, with the help of "ex-gay" Mike (RuPaul), surprise her with an "intervention." After producing such evidence as her vegetarianism, pictures of girls, her almost-refusal to make out with Jared, and a Melissa Etheridge poster, Megan's parents send her to "True Directions," a reparative therapy camp.
At True Directions, Megan meets the founder of True Directions, Mary Brown (Cathy Moriarty). Mary tries to make Megan admit she is a homosexual (Step 1). Eventually, Megan breaks down in tears, sobbing, "I'm a homosexual." The other campers are happy and supportive of Megan, with the exception of Graham (Clea DuVall), who seems dubious of the process.
Step 2, "Rediscovering Your Gender Identity," consists of the campers performing various duties which will supposedly help them relearn their masculinity and femininity. The boys practise car maintenance and chopping wood, while the girls practise vacuuming and child care.
In order to learn about same-sex friendship, Megan ends up partnered with Graham. Although they initially do not get along, the two talk more and gradually become friends.
At Family Therapy (Step 3), the young homosexuals and their parents discuss their "root" (the reason they became gay). Megan eventually decides that her root is the period in her life when her father was unemployed and her mother had to financially support the family.
Megan and Graham begin to flirt and Megan finds herself fantasizing about kissing Graham. Soon after, she catches two boys, Dolph (Dante Basco) and Clayton (Kip Pardue), in each other's arms during the night. Megan panics and screams for help, telling Mike what she has seen. Dolph is kicked out of True Directions and Clayton is locked in a doghouse for a week.
One night, several campers, including Graham and a reluctant Megan, escape for a night out. Two "ex-ex-gays," Larry (Richard Moll) and Lloyd (Wesley Mann), take them on a trip to a local gay bar. Megan dances with a woman she meets, but when she sees Graham dancing with Sinead (Katharine Towne) she gets jealous and runs out. Graham confronts Megan and they end up kissing.
Mary finds out about the night out, and to distract her, Graham announces that she has a crush on Joel (Joel Michaely). Mary makes them picket Larry and Lloyd's house shouting homophobic abuse and carrying posters with phrases such as "Silly faggot — dicks are for chicks."
Megan and Graham sneak away at night to make love. Afterwards, Megan says that she has never felt this happy except when cheering, and Graham says she would love to see her cheer.
Mary finds out that Megan and Graham have had sex and Megan is kicked out. She goes to Larry and Lloyd, who let her stay with them. She discovers Dolph is also living there, and he thanks her for saving him from True Directions.
Megan and Dolph decide to rescue Graham and Clayton at True Directions Graduation. Clayton is easily persuaded, but Graham, afraid of being disowned by her parents, refuses to come with Megan. Refusing to give up, Megan puts on her cheerleading outfit and in front of everyone, performs a cheer, telling Graham that she loves her. Graham comes with Megan and they drive off with Dolph and Clayton.
Megan's parents (her mother in disguise) attend a PFLAG meeting to come to terms with their daughter's homosexuality.
[edit] Cast
- Natasha Lyonne as Megan Bloomfield
- Clea DuVall as Graham Eaton
- Cathy Moriarty as Mary J. Brown, the founder of "True Directions"
- RuPaul as Mike
- Mink Stole as Nancy Bloomfield, Megan's mother
- Bud Cort as Peter Bloomfield, Megan's father
- Melanie Lynskey as Hilary Vandermuller
- Joel Michaely as Joel Goldberg
- Kip Pardue as Clayton Dunn
- Katharine Towne as Sinead Laren
- Douglas Spain as Andre
- Eddie Cibrian as Rock Brown, Mary Brown's son
- Dante Basco as Dolph
- Katrina Phillips as Jan
- Richard Moll as Larry Morgan-Gordon, "ex-ex-gay"
- Julie Delpy as lipstick lesbian
- Wesley Mann as Lloyd Morgan-Gordon, "ex-ex-gay"
- Brandt Wille as Jared, Megan's boyfriend
- Michelle Williams as Kimberly, Megan's schoolfriend who participates in her intervention
[edit] Distribution
But I'm a Cheerleader was shown on September 12, 1999 at the Toronto Film Festival and in January 2000 at the Sundance Film Festival. It went on to play at several international film festivals including the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival. It was distributed in the United States by Lions Gate Films.
[edit] Rating
When originally submitted to the MPAA rating board, the film received an NC-17 rating. Preferring a commercially-viable R rating instead, the director shortened the scene where Megan masturbates (even though Megan is not naked when she does it) and re-edits the sex scene between Graham and Megan to be less explicit.[1]
[edit] Reception
The film grossed $2,199,853.
The film won the Audience Award and Graine de Cinéphage Award of Créteil International Women's Film Festival. It was nominated by the Political Film Society of America for the PFS award in the category of human rights.
Critical response to the film was mixed. While some critics were very appreciative of the film's execution and tone[2], others found it to be "over-stereotyped"[3] and "cartoonish"[4]
