But I'm a Cheerleader
Encyclopedia
But I'm a Cheerleader is a 1999 satirical
romantic comedy film
directed by Jamie Babbit
and written by Brian Wayne Peterson
. Natasha Lyonne
stars as Megan Bloomfield, an apparently happy heterosexual high school cheerleader. However, her friends and family are convinced that she is a homosexual and arrange an intervention
, sending her to a residential inpatient reparative therapy camp to cure her lesbianism. There Megan soon realizes that she is indeed a lesbian and, despite the therapy, gradually comes to embrace her sexual orientation. The supporting cast includes Dante Basco
, Eddie Cibrian
, Clea DuVall
, Cathy Moriarty
, RuPaul
, Richard Moll
, Mink Stole
, Kip Pardue
, Michelle Williams
, and Bud Cort
.
But I'm a Cheerleader was Babbit's first feature film. It was inspired by an article about conversion therapy and her childhood familiarity with rehabilitation programs. She used the story of a young woman finding her sexual identity to explore the social construction of gender role
s and heteronormativity
. The costume and set design of the film highlighted these themes using artificial textures in intense blues and pinks.
When it was initially rated as NC-17 by the MPAA
, Babbit made cuts to allow it to be re-rated as R. When interviewed in the documentary film This Film Is Not Yet Rated
Babbit criticized the MPAA for discriminating against films with gay content.
Many critics did not like the film, comparing it unfavorably with the films of John Waters
and criticizing the colorful production design. Although the lead actors were praised for their performances, some of the characters were described as stereotypical
.
) is a sunny high school senior
who loves cheerleading and is dating football player
Jared (Brandt Wille). She does not enjoy kissing Jared, however, and prefers looking at her fellow cheerleaders. Combined with Megan's interest in vegetarianism
and Melissa Etheridge
, her family and friends suspect that Megan is in fact a lesbian. With the help of ex-gay
Mike (RuPaul), they surprise her with an intervention. Following this confrontation, Megan is sent to True Directions, a reparative therapy camp which uses a five-step program (similar to Alcoholics Anonymous
' twelve-step program
) to convert its campers to heterosexuality.
At True Directions, Megan meets the founder, strict disciplinarian Mary Brown (Cathy Moriarty
), Mary's supposedly heterosexual son Rock (Eddie Cibrian
), and a group of young people trying to "cure" themselves of their homosexuality. With the prompting of Mary and the other campers, Megan reluctantly agrees that she is a lesbian. This fact, at odds with her traditional, religious upbringing, distresses her and she puts every effort into becoming heterosexual. Early on in her stay at True Directions, Megan discovers two of the boys, Dolph and Clayton (Dante Basco
and Kip Pardue
), making out. She panics and screams, leading to their discovery by Mike. Dolph is made to leave and Clayton is punished by being forced into isolation.
The True Directions program involves the campers admitting their homosexuality, rediscovering their gender identity
by performing stereotypically gender-associated tasks, finding the root
of their homosexuality, demystifying the opposite sex, and simulating heterosexual intercourse. Over the course of the program, Megan becomes friends with another girl at the camp, a college student named Graham (Clea DuVall
) who, though more comfortable being gay than Megan, was forced to the camp at the risk of otherwise being disowned by her family.
The True Directions kids are encouraged to rebel against Mary by two of her former students, ex-ex-gay
s Larry and Lloyd (Richard Moll
and Wesley Mann
), who take the campers to a local gay bar
where Graham and Megan's relationship develops into a romance. When Mary discovers the trip, she makes them all picket Larry and Lloyd's house, carrying placards and shouting homophobic
abuse. Megan and Graham sneak away one night to have sex and begin to fall in love. When Mary finds out, Megan, now at ease with her sexual identity, is unrepentant. She is made to leave True Directions and, now homeless, goes to stay with Larry and Lloyd. Graham, afraid to defy her father, remains at the camp. Megan and Dolph, who is also living with Larry and Lloyd, plan to win back Graham and Clayton.
Megan and Dolph infiltrate the True Directions graduation ceremony where Dolph easily coaxes Clayton away. Megan entreats Graham to join them as well, but Graham nervously declines. Megan then performs a cheer for Graham and tells her that she loves her, finally winning Graham over. They drive off with Dolph and Clayton. The final scene of the film shows Megan's parents (Mink Stole
and Bud Cort
) attending a PFLAG meeting to come to terms with their daughter's homosexuality.
s, Frog Crossing (1996) and Sleeping Beauties
(1999), both of which were shown at the Sundance Film Festival
. She went on to direct the 2005 thriller The Quiet
and the 2007 comedy Itty Bitty Titty Committee
. Babbit and Sperling (as producer) secured financing from Michael Burns, then the vice president of Prudential Insurance
(now Vice Chairman of Lions Gate Entertainment
) after showing him the script at Sundance. According to Babbit, their one-sentence pitch was "Two high-school girls fall in love at a reparative therapy camp". Burns gave them an initial budget of US$500,000 which was increased to US$1 million when the film went into production.
perspective to contrast with several films of the time that represented the butch perspective (for example, Go Fish
and The Watermelon Woman
). She also wanted to satirize both the religious right
and the gay community
.
Not feeling qualified to write the script herself, Babbit brought in screenwriter and recent graduate of USC School of Cinematic Arts
Brian Wayne Peterson
. Peterson had experience with reparative therapy while working at a prison clinic for sex offender
s. He has said that he wanted to make a film that would not only entertain people, but also make people get angry and talk about the issues it raised.
Babbit says that her influences for the look and feel of the film included John Waters, David LaChapelle
, Edward Scissorhands
and Barbie
.
She wanted the production and costume design to reflect the themes of the story. There is a progression from the organic world of Megan's hometown, where the dominant colors are orange and brown, to the fake world of True Directions, dominated by intense blues and pinks (which are intended to show the artificiality of gender construction
). According to Babbit, the germaphobic
character of Mary Brown represents AIDS
paranoia and her clean, ordered world is filled with plastic flowers, fake sky and PVC
outfits. The external shots of the colorful house complete with a bright pink picket fence
were filmed in Palmdale, California
.
. Lyonne first saw the script in the back of DuVall's car and subsequently contacted her agent about it. She had seen and enjoyed Babbit's short Sleeping Beauties and was eager to work with the director. She was not the first choice for the role of Megan. An unnamed actress wanted to play the part but eventually turned it down because of religious beliefs; she did not want her family to see her face on the poster. Babbit briefly considered Rosario Dawson
as Megan but her executive producer persuaded her that Dawson, who is Hispanic
, would not be right for the All-American character.
Babbit made a conscious effort to cast people of color
for minor roles, in an effort to combat what she describes as "racism at every level of making movies". From the beginning she intended the characters of Mike (played by RuPaul), Dolph (Dante Basco
) and Andre (Douglas Spain
) to be African American
, Asian
and Hispanic, respectively. She initially considered Arsenio Hall
for the character of Mike but says that Hall was uncomfortable about playing a gay-themed role. As Mike, RuPaul makes a rare film appearance out of drag
.
But I'm a Cheerleader is not only about sexuality, but also gender and the social construction of gender role
s. One of the ways in which Babbit highlighted what she called the artificiality of gender construction was by using intense blues and pinks in her production and costume design. Chris Holmlund in Contemporary American Independent Film notes this feature of the film and calls the costumes "gender-tuned". Ted Gideonse in Out
magazine wrote that the costumes and colors of the film show how false the goals of True Directions are.
Gender roles are further reinforced by the tasks the campers have to perform in "Step 2: Rediscovering Your Gender Identity". Nikki Sullivan in A Critical Introduction to Queer Theory says that this rediscovery is shown to be difficult and unsuccessful rather than the natural discovery of their latent heterosexuality. Sullivan says that the film not only highlights the ways in which gender and sexuality are constructed but also takes the norms and truths about heteronormative
society and renders them strange or "queer". Holmlund says that Babbit makes the straight characters less normal and less likable than the gay ones. Sullivan says that this challenge of heteronormativity makes But I'm a Cheerleader an exemplification of queer theory
.
rating board, But I'm a Cheerleader received an NC-17 rating. In order to get a commercially-viable R rating, Babbit removed a two second shot of Graham's hand sweeping Megan's clothed body, a camera pan
up Megan's body when she is masturbating, and a comment that Megan "ate Graham out" (slang for cunnilingus
). Babbit was interviewed by Kirby Dick
for his 2006 documentary film This Film Is Not Yet Rated
. A critique of the MPAA's rating system, it suggests that films with homosexual content are treated more stringently than those with only heterosexual content, and that scenes of female sexuality draw harsher criticism from the board than those of male sexuality. American Pie
(also released in 1999), which features a teenage boy masturbating, was given an R rating. Babbit says that she felt discriminated against for making a gay film. The film was rated as M (for mature audiences) in Australia and in New Zealand, 14A in Canada, 12 in Germany and 15 in the United Kingdom.
The film premiere
d on September 12, 1999 at the Toronto International Film Festival
and was shown 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 and the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
. It first appeared in U.S. theaters on July 7, 2000, distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment
. Fine Line Features
had intended to distribute the film but dropped it two months before it was due to open following a dispute with the film's production company, Ignite Entertainment
. It closed after 8 weeks, with its widest release having been 115 theaters.
The film was released on Region 1
DVD by Lions Gate on July 22, 2002 and by Universal Studios
on October 3, 2002. Other than the theatrical trailer, it contains no extras. It was released on Region 2 DVD on June 2, 2003 by Prism Leisure. In addition to the trailer, it features an interview with Jamie Babbit and behind the scenes footage.
2,205,627 in the United States and US$389,589 elsewhere, giving a total of US$2,595,216 worldwide. In its opening weekend, showing at four theaters, it earned $60,410 which was 2.7% of its total gross. According to Box Office Mojo
, it ranked at 174 for all films released in the US in 2000 and 74 for R-rated films released that year. , its all time box-office ranking for LGBT
-related films is 70.
The film was a hit with festival audiences and received standing ovation
s at the San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. It has been described as a favorite with gay audiences and on the art house
circuit.
gave it a score of 35% based on 43 reviews, and Metacritic
gave it a score of 39% based on 30 reviews. The overall theme of reviews is that it is a heartfelt film with good intentions, but that it is flawed. Some reviewers found it funny and enjoyable with "genuine laughs". Roger Ebert
called it the type of film that "might eventually become a regular on the midnight cult circuit." Others found it obvious, leaden and heavy handed.
Writing for The New York Times
, Elvis Mitchell
described the character of Megan as a sweet heroine and Lyonne and DuVall were praised for their performances. Mick LaSalle
called Lyonne wonderful and said that she was well matched by DuVall. Marjorie Baumgarten said that they "hit the right notes". Alexandra Mendenhall, writing for AfterEllen.com felt that the relationship between Graham and Megan, having great chemistry, does not get enough screen time. Mitchell called their love scenes "tender".
Other characters, particularly the males, were described as "offputting" and "nothing but stereotypes".
Several reviewers compared the film to those of director John Waters
but felt that it fell short of the mark. Stephanie Zacharek called it a "Waters knockoff" while Ebert said that Waters might have been ruder and more polished. Babbit says that although Waters is one of her influences, she did not want her film to have the "bite" of his. She states that whereas John Waters does not like romantic comedies, she wanted to tell a conventionally romantic story. The production design, which was important to the overall look and feel of the film, drew mixed responses. LaSalle described it as clever and eyecatching and James Berardinelli
called it a standout feature. Others found it to be gaudy, dated, cartoonish and ghastly.
Stephanie Zacharek, writing for Salon.com
said that with regard to issues of sexual orientation and homophobia, Babbit is preaching to the converted. Cynthia Fuchs, for NitrateOnline.com, agreed, stating that "no one who is phobic might recognize himself in the film" and that "the audience who might benefit most from watching it either won't see the film or won't see the point". David Edelstein
said that the one sidedness of the film creates a lack of dramatic tension and calls it lazy counterpropaganda. In contrast, LaSalle said that "the picture manages to make a heartfelt statement about the difficulties of growing up gay" and Timothy Shary said that the film openly challenges homophobia and offers support to teenaged gay viewers. Chris Holmlund said that the film shows that queer
identity is multi-faceted, using as an example the scene where the ex-ex-gays tell Megan that there is no one way to be a lesbian.
Reviews from the gay media were similar to those from the mainstream press. Jan Stuart, writing for The Advocate
, said that although the film tries to subvert gay stereotypes, it is unsuccessful. She called it numbingly crude and said that the kitsch
portrait of Middle America is out of touch with today's gay teenagers. Mendenhall for AfterEllen.com called the story predictable and the characters stereotypical. Despite these comments she said that overall the film was funny and enjoyable. Curve
called the film an incredible comedy and said that with this and her other work, Babbit has redefined lesbian film.
, an annual French festival which showcases the work of female directors. Also that year it was nominated by the Political Film Society
of America for the PFS award
in the categories of Human Rights
and Exposé
, but lost out to The Green Mile
and Boys Don't Cry
respectively.
. The soundtrack has never been released on CD. Artists featured include indie acts Saint Etienne
, Dressy Bessy
and April March
. RuPaul contributed one track, "Party Train," which Eddie Cibrian's character Rock is shown dancing to.
featured a musical
stage adaptation of But I'm a Cheerleader written by librettist
and lyricist Bill Augustin and composer Andrew Abrams. With 18 original songs, it was directed by Daniel Goldstein and starred Chandra Lee Schwartz
as Megan. It played during September 2005 at New York's Theatre at St. Clement's.
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
directed by Jamie Babbit
Jamie Babbit
Jamie Babbit is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. She directed the films But I'm a Cheerleader, The Quiet and Itty Bitty Titty Committee. She has also directed episodes of television programs including Gilmore Girls, Malcolm in the Middle, United States of Tara, Nip/Tuck and...
and written by Brian Wayne Peterson
Brian Wayne Peterson
Brian Wayne Peterson is a screenwriter and television producer. He wrote the script for 1999 film But I'm a Cheerleader and has worked on many episodes of Smallville as writer and producer since 2002...
. Natasha Lyonne
Natasha Lyonne
-Early life:Lyonne was born Natasha Braunstein in Manhattan, New York City, the daughter of Yvette Lyonne, a product licensing consultant, and Aaron Braunstein, a native of Brooklyn who worked as a boxing promoter. Lyonne grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household...
stars as Megan Bloomfield, an apparently happy heterosexual high school cheerleader. However, her friends and family are convinced that she is a homosexual and arrange an intervention
Intervention (counseling)
An intervention is an orchestrated attempt by one, or often many, people to get someone to seek professional help with an addiction or some kind of traumatic event or crisis, or other serious problem. The term intervention is most often used when the traumatic event involves addiction to drugs...
, sending her to a residential inpatient reparative therapy camp to cure her lesbianism. There Megan soon realizes that she is indeed a lesbian and, despite the therapy, gradually comes to embrace her sexual orientation. The supporting cast includes Dante Basco
Dante Basco
Danté Basco is an American actor, voice actor, poet, and dancer. He is best known for playing Rufio in the 1991 live-action Peter Pan film Hook...
, Eddie Cibrian
Eddie Cibrian
Edward Carl "Eddie" Cibrian is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as Cole Deschanel on Sunset Beach, Jesse Cardoza in CSI: Miami, Jimmy Doherty on Third Watch and Russell Varon in Invasion.-Early life and career:...
, Clea DuVall
Clea DuVall
Clea Helen D'Etienne DuVall is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Sofie on the television series Carnivàle as well as for films such as The Faculty , Girl, Interrupted and The Grudge .-Early life:DuVall was born in Los Angeles, California, the only child of Rosemary and...
, Cathy Moriarty
Cathy Moriarty
-Career:Her first film credit was Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull in 1980, as Vikki LaMotta, the wife of Robert De Niro's lead character. Her performance earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also appeared opposite Andrew Dice Clay in the short-lived CBS...
, RuPaul
RuPaul
RuPaul Andre Charles , best known as simply RuPaul, is an American actor, drag queen, model, author, and singer-songwriter, who first became widely known in the 1990s when he appeared in a wide variety of television programs, films, and musical albums. Previously, he was a fixture on the Atlanta...
, Richard Moll
Richard Moll
Charles Richard Moll is an American actor and voice artist,best known for playing Bull Shannon, the bailiff on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1983 to 1992...
, Mink Stole
Mink Stole
Nancy Paine Stoll better known by the stage name Mink Stole, is an American actress from Baltimore, Maryland. She began her career working for director John Waters, having appeared in all of his feature films to date...
, Kip Pardue
Kip Pardue
Kevin Ian "Kip" Pardue is an American actor and model, best known for his roles in the films Remember the Titans, Driven, The Rules of Attraction, and Thirteen....
, Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams (actress)
Michelle Ingrid Williams is an American actress. After starting her career with television guest appearances in the early 1990s, Williams achieved recognition for her role as Jen Lindley on the WB television teen drama Dawson's Creek, which she played from 1998 to 2003...
, and Bud Cort
Bud Cort
Bud Cort is an American film and stage actor, writer, and director. He is best known for his portrayals of Harold in Hal Ashby's 1971 film Harold and Maude and the titular hero in Robert Altman's 1970 film Brewster McCloud...
.
But I'm a Cheerleader was Babbit's first feature film. It was inspired by an article about conversion therapy and her childhood familiarity with rehabilitation programs. She used the story of a young woman finding her sexual identity to explore the social construction of gender role
Gender role
Gender roles refer to the set of social and behavioral norms that are considered to be socially appropriate for individuals of a specific sex in the context of a specific culture, which differ widely between cultures and over time...
s and heteronormativity
Heteronormativity
Heteronormativity is a term invented in 1991 to describe any of a set of lifestyle norms that hold that people fall into distinct and complementary genders with natural roles in life. It also holds that heterosexuality is the normal sexual orientation, and states that sexual and marital relations...
. The costume and set design of the film highlighted these themes using artificial textures in intense blues and pinks.
When it was initially rated as NC-17 by the MPAA
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
, Babbit made cuts to allow it to be re-rated as R. When interviewed in the documentary film This Film Is Not Yet Rated
This Film Is Not Yet Rated
This Film is Not Yet Rated is a 2006 independent documentary film about the Motion Picture Association of America's rating system and its effect on American culture, directed by Kirby Dick and produced by Eddie Schmidt. It premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and was released limited on...
Babbit criticized the MPAA for discriminating against films with gay content.
Many critics did not like the film, comparing it unfavorably with the films of John Waters
John Waters (filmmaker)
John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
and criticizing the colorful production design. Although the lead actors were praised for their performances, some of the characters were described as stereotypical
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
.
Plot
Seventeen-year-old Megan (Natasha LyonneNatasha Lyonne
-Early life:Lyonne was born Natasha Braunstein in Manhattan, New York City, the daughter of Yvette Lyonne, a product licensing consultant, and Aaron Braunstein, a native of Brooklyn who worked as a boxing promoter. Lyonne grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household...
) is a sunny high school senior
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
who loves cheerleading and is dating football player
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
Jared (Brandt Wille). She does not enjoy kissing Jared, however, and prefers looking at her fellow cheerleaders. Combined with Megan's interest in vegetarianism
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...
and Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals...
, her family and friends suspect that Megan is in fact a lesbian. With the help of ex-gay
Ex-gay
The ex-gay movement consists of people and organizations that seek to get people to refrain from entering or pursuing same-sex relationships, to eliminate homosexual desires, to develop heterosexual desires, or to enter into a heterosexual relationship...
Mike (RuPaul), they surprise her with an intervention. Following this confrontation, Megan is sent to True Directions, a reparative therapy camp which uses a five-step program (similar to Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
' twelve-step program
Twelve-step program
A Twelve-Step Program is a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion, or other behavioral problems...
) to convert its campers to heterosexuality.
At True Directions, Megan meets the founder, strict disciplinarian Mary Brown (Cathy Moriarty
Cathy Moriarty
-Career:Her first film credit was Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull in 1980, as Vikki LaMotta, the wife of Robert De Niro's lead character. Her performance earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also appeared opposite Andrew Dice Clay in the short-lived CBS...
), Mary's supposedly heterosexual son Rock (Eddie Cibrian
Eddie Cibrian
Edward Carl "Eddie" Cibrian is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as Cole Deschanel on Sunset Beach, Jesse Cardoza in CSI: Miami, Jimmy Doherty on Third Watch and Russell Varon in Invasion.-Early life and career:...
), and a group of young people trying to "cure" themselves of their homosexuality. With the prompting of Mary and the other campers, Megan reluctantly agrees that she is a lesbian. This fact, at odds with her traditional, religious upbringing, distresses her and she puts every effort into becoming heterosexual. Early on in her stay at True Directions, Megan discovers two of the boys, Dolph and Clayton (Dante Basco
Dante Basco
Danté Basco is an American actor, voice actor, poet, and dancer. He is best known for playing Rufio in the 1991 live-action Peter Pan film Hook...
and Kip Pardue
Kip Pardue
Kevin Ian "Kip" Pardue is an American actor and model, best known for his roles in the films Remember the Titans, Driven, The Rules of Attraction, and Thirteen....
), making out. She panics and screams, leading to their discovery by Mike. Dolph is made to leave and Clayton is punished by being forced into isolation.
The True Directions program involves the campers admitting their homosexuality, rediscovering their gender identity
Gender identity
A gender identity is the way in which an individual self-identifies with a gender category, for example, as being either a man or a woman, or in some cases being neither, which can be distinct from biological sex. Basic gender identity is usually formed by age three and is extremely difficult to...
by performing stereotypically gender-associated tasks, finding the root
Root cause
A root cause is rarely an initiating cause of a causal chain which leads to an outcome or effect of interest. Commonly, root cause is misused to describe the depth in the causal chain where an intervention could reasonably be implemented to change performance and prevent an undesirable outcome.In...
of their homosexuality, demystifying the opposite sex, and simulating heterosexual intercourse. Over the course of the program, Megan becomes friends with another girl at the camp, a college student named Graham (Clea DuVall
Clea DuVall
Clea Helen D'Etienne DuVall is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Sofie on the television series Carnivàle as well as for films such as The Faculty , Girl, Interrupted and The Grudge .-Early life:DuVall was born in Los Angeles, California, the only child of Rosemary and...
) who, though more comfortable being gay than Megan, was forced to the camp at the risk of otherwise being disowned by her family.
The True Directions kids are encouraged to rebel against Mary by two of her former students, ex-ex-gay
Ex-ex-gay
The term ex-ex-gay is used to describe people who at one time participated in the ex-gay movement in an attempt to change their sexual orientation to heterosexual, but who then later went on to publicly accept that their sexual orientation falls under the LGBT umbrella...
s Larry and Lloyd (Richard Moll
Richard Moll
Charles Richard Moll is an American actor and voice artist,best known for playing Bull Shannon, the bailiff on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1983 to 1992...
and Wesley Mann
Wesley Mann
Wesley Mann is an American character actor.Many of Mann's roles are minor and he frequently he delivers only a handful of lines, but he has a somewhat distinctive appearance, that of a long-suffering, vaguely glib demeanor that makes him easily recognizable whenever he shows up in a film or on...
), who take the campers to a local gay bar
Gay bar
A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender clientele; the term gay is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT and queer communities...
where Graham and Megan's relationship develops into a romance. When Mary discovers the trip, she makes them all picket Larry and Lloyd's house, carrying placards and shouting homophobic
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
abuse. Megan and Graham sneak away one night to have sex and begin to fall in love. When Mary finds out, Megan, now at ease with her sexual identity, is unrepentant. She is made to leave True Directions and, now homeless, goes to stay with Larry and Lloyd. Graham, afraid to defy her father, remains at the camp. Megan and Dolph, who is also living with Larry and Lloyd, plan to win back Graham and Clayton.
Megan and Dolph infiltrate the True Directions graduation ceremony where Dolph easily coaxes Clayton away. Megan entreats Graham to join them as well, but Graham nervously declines. Megan then performs a cheer for Graham and tells her that she loves her, finally winning Graham over. They drive off with Dolph and Clayton. The final scene of the film shows Megan's parents (Mink Stole
Mink Stole
Nancy Paine Stoll better known by the stage name Mink Stole, is an American actress from Baltimore, Maryland. She began her career working for director John Waters, having appeared in all of his feature films to date...
and Bud Cort
Bud Cort
Bud Cort is an American film and stage actor, writer, and director. He is best known for his portrayals of Harold in Hal Ashby's 1971 film Harold and Maude and the titular hero in Robert Altman's 1970 film Brewster McCloud...
) attending a PFLAG meeting to come to terms with their daughter's homosexuality.
Background and production
But I'm a Cheerleader was Babbit's first feature film. She had previously directed two short filmShort subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
s, Frog Crossing (1996) and Sleeping Beauties
Sleeping Beauties
Sleeping Beauties is a 1999 short comedy film directed by Jamie Babbit. It premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. It stars Sarah Lassez as a morgue beautician trying to get over her ex-girlfriend, played by Radha Mitchell. Babbit made the film with help from David Fincher and Michael Douglas...
(1999), both of which were shown at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
. She went on to direct the 2005 thriller The Quiet
The Quiet
The Quiet is a 2005 American drama and thriller film directed by Jamie Babbit, and starring Camilla Belle and Elisha Cuthbert. It focuses on a mute teenage girl, Dot who goes to live with her godparents after her father dies, where she slowly learns the disturbing secrets of the family, primarily...
and the 2007 comedy Itty Bitty Titty Committee
Itty Bitty Titty Committee
Itty Bitty Titty Committee is a feminist, lesbian-related comedy film directed by Jamie Babbit. It was released on 28 September 2007.The film had its premiere at the international film festival Berlinale on 9 February 2007, where it was nominated for a Teddy Award for Best Feature...
. Babbit and Sperling (as producer) secured financing from Michael Burns, then the vice president of Prudential Insurance
Prudential Financial
The Prudential Insurance Company of America , also known as Prudential Financial, Inc., is a Fortune Global 500 and Fortune 500 company whose subsidiaries provide insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services to both retail and institutional customers throughout the...
(now Vice Chairman of Lions Gate Entertainment
Lions Gate Entertainment
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation is a North American entertainment company. The company was formed in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1997, and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California...
) after showing him the script at Sundance. According to Babbit, their one-sentence pitch was "Two high-school girls fall in love at a reparative therapy camp". Burns gave them an initial budget of US$500,000 which was increased to US$1 million when the film went into production.
Conception
Babbit, whose mother runs a halfway house called New Directions for young people with drug and alcohol problems, had wanted to make a comedy about rehabilitation and the 12-step program. After reading an article about a man who had returned from a reparative therapy camp hating himself, she decided to combine the two ideas. With girlfriend Andrea Sperling, she came up with the idea for a feature film about a cheerleader who attends a reparative therapy camp. They wanted the main character to be a cheerleader because it is "...the pinnacle of the American dream, and the American dream of femininity". Babbit wanted the film to represent the lesbian experience from the femmeButch and femme
Butch and femme are LGBT terms describing respectively, masculine and feminine traits, behavior, style, expression, self-perception and so on. They are often used in the lesbian, bisexual and gay subcultures...
perspective to contrast with several films of the time that represented the butch perspective (for example, Go Fish
Go Fish (film)
Go Fish is a 1994 American lesbian-themed independent drama film. Directed and co-written by Rose Troche, the film tells the story of the interrelationships of a small group of lesbian friends in Chicago...
and The Watermelon Woman
The Watermelon Woman
The Watermelon Woman is a 1996 feature film by filmmaker Cheryl Dunye about Cheryl, a young black lesbian working a day job in a video store while trying to make a film about a black actress from the 1930s known for playing the stereotypical "mammy" roles relegated to black actresses during the...
). She also wanted to satirize both the religious right
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
and the gay community
Gay community
The gay community, or LGBT community, is a loosely defined grouping of LGBT and LGBT-supportive people, organizations and subcultures, united by a common culture and civil rights movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality...
.
Not feeling qualified to write the script herself, Babbit brought in screenwriter and recent graduate of USC School of Cinematic Arts
USC School of Cinematic Arts
The USC School of Cinematic Arts, until 2006 named the School of Cinema-Television , is a film school within the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. It is the oldest and largest such school in the United States, established in 1929 as a joint venture with the Academy of...
Brian Wayne Peterson
Brian Wayne Peterson
Brian Wayne Peterson is a screenwriter and television producer. He wrote the script for 1999 film But I'm a Cheerleader and has worked on many episodes of Smallville as writer and producer since 2002...
. Peterson had experience with reparative therapy while working at a prison clinic for sex offender
Sex offender
A sex offender is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions compile their laws into sections such as traffic, assault, sexual, etc. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a...
s. He has said that he wanted to make a film that would not only entertain people, but also make people get angry and talk about the issues it raised.
Set and costume design
David LaChapelle
David LaChapelle is a photographer and director who works in the fields of fashion, advertising, and fine art photography, and is noted for his surreal, unique, sexualized, and often humorous style.-Early life:...
, Edward Scissorhands
Edward Scissorhands
Edward Scissorhands is a 1990 romantic fantasy film directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. The film shows the story of an artificial man named Edward, an unfinished creation, who has scissors for hands. Edward is taken in by a suburban family and falls in love with their teenage daughter...
and Barbie
Barbie
Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration....
.
She wanted the production and costume design to reflect the themes of the story. There is a progression from the organic world of Megan's hometown, where the dominant colors are orange and brown, to the fake world of True Directions, dominated by intense blues and pinks (which are intended to show the artificiality of gender construction
Gender studies
Gender studies is a field of interdisciplinary study which analyses race, ethnicity, sexuality and location.Gender study has many different forms. One view exposed by the philosopher Simone de Beauvoir said: "One is not born a woman, one becomes one"...
). According to Babbit, the germaphobic
Mysophobia
Mysophobia is a term used to describe a pathological fear of contamination and germs. Someone who has such a fear is referred to as a mysophobe. The term was introduced by Dr. William Alexander Hammond in 1879 when describing a case of obsessive-compulsive disorder exhibited in repeatedly washing...
character of Mary Brown represents AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
paranoia and her clean, ordered world is filled with plastic flowers, fake sky and PVC
Polyvinyl chloride
Polyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated PVC, is a thermoplastic polymer. It is a vinyl polymer constructed of repeating vinyl groups having one hydrogen replaced by chloride. Polyvinyl chloride is the third most widely produced plastic, after polyethylene and polypropylene. PVC is widely used in...
outfits. The external shots of the colorful house complete with a bright pink picket fence
Picket fence
A picket fence is a variety of fence that has been used mostly for domestic boundaries. Until the introduction of advertising on fences in the 1980s, a Cricket field was also usually surrounded by a picket fence, giving rise to the expression rattling the pickets for a ball hit firmly into the...
were filmed in Palmdale, California
Palmdale, California
Palmdale is a city located in the center of northern Los Angeles County, California, United States.Palmdale was the first community within the Antelope Valley to incorporate as a city on August 24, 1962; 47 years later, voters approved creating a charter city in November, 2009. Palmdale is...
.
Casting
Babbit recruited Clea DuVall, who had starred in her short film Sleeping Beauties to play the role of Graham Eaton. Babbit says that she was able to get a lot of the cast through DuVall including Natasha Lyonne and Melanie LynskeyMelanie Lynskey
Melanie Jayne Lynskey is a New Zealand actress best known for playing Charlie Harper's neighbor/stalker Rose on Two and a Half Men, and a range of characters in films such as Win Win, Up in the Air, The Informant!, Away We Go, Flags of Our Fathers, Shattered Glass, Sweet Home Alabama, Ever After...
. Lyonne first saw the script in the back of DuVall's car and subsequently contacted her agent about it. She had seen and enjoyed Babbit's short Sleeping Beauties and was eager to work with the director. She was not the first choice for the role of Megan. An unnamed actress wanted to play the part but eventually turned it down because of religious beliefs; she did not want her family to see her face on the poster. Babbit briefly considered Rosario Dawson
Rosario Dawson
Rosario Isabel Dawson is an American actress, singer, and writer. She has appeared in films such as Kids, Men in Black II, 25th Hour, Sin City, Clerks II, Rent, Death Proof, The Rundown, Eagle Eye, Alexander, Seven Pounds, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Unstoppable.-Early...
as Megan but her executive producer persuaded her that Dawson, who is Hispanic
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
, would not be right for the All-American character.
Babbit made a conscious effort to cast people of color
Person of color
Person of color is a term used, primarily in the United States, to describe all people who are not white. The term is meant to be inclusive among non-white groups, emphasizing common experiences of racism...
for minor roles, in an effort to combat what she describes as "racism at every level of making movies". From the beginning she intended the characters of Mike (played by RuPaul), Dolph (Dante Basco
Dante Basco
Danté Basco is an American actor, voice actor, poet, and dancer. He is best known for playing Rufio in the 1991 live-action Peter Pan film Hook...
) and Andre (Douglas Spain
Douglas Spain
Douglas Spain is an American film and television actor, director and producer. In 1998 Spain was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award in the category of Best Debut Performance for his role in the film Star Maps...
) to be African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
and Hispanic, respectively. She initially considered Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall is an American actor, comedian, and former talk show host. He is best known for his talk show The Arsenio Hall Show, which ran between 1989 and 1994, and his roles in the films Coming to America and Harlem Nights.Hall is also known for his appearance as Alan Thicke's sidekick on the...
for the character of Mike but says that Hall was uncomfortable about playing a gay-themed role. As Mike, RuPaul makes a rare film appearance out of drag
Drag (clothing)
Drag is used for any clothing carrying symbolic significance but usually referring to the clothing associated with one gender role when worn by a person of another gender. The origin of the term "drag" is unknown, but it may have originated in Polari, a gay street argot in England in the early...
.
Themes
Gender role
Gender roles refer to the set of social and behavioral norms that are considered to be socially appropriate for individuals of a specific sex in the context of a specific culture, which differ widely between cultures and over time...
s. One of the ways in which Babbit highlighted what she called the artificiality of gender construction was by using intense blues and pinks in her production and costume design. Chris Holmlund in Contemporary American Independent Film notes this feature of the film and calls the costumes "gender-tuned". Ted Gideonse in Out
Out (magazine)
Out is a popular gay and lesbian fashion, entertainment, and lifestyle magazine, with the highest circulation of any gay monthly publication in the United States. It carries itself in a similar editorial manner to Details, Esquire, and GQ. Out was published by PlanetOut Inc...
magazine wrote that the costumes and colors of the film show how false the goals of True Directions are.
Gender roles are further reinforced by the tasks the campers have to perform in "Step 2: Rediscovering Your Gender Identity". Nikki Sullivan in A Critical Introduction to Queer Theory says that this rediscovery is shown to be difficult and unsuccessful rather than the natural discovery of their latent heterosexuality. Sullivan says that the film not only highlights the ways in which gender and sexuality are constructed but also takes the norms and truths about heteronormative
Heteronormativity
Heteronormativity is a term invented in 1991 to describe any of a set of lifestyle norms that hold that people fall into distinct and complementary genders with natural roles in life. It also holds that heterosexuality is the normal sexual orientation, and states that sexual and marital relations...
society and renders them strange or "queer". Holmlund says that Babbit makes the straight characters less normal and less likable than the gay ones. Sullivan says that this challenge of heteronormativity makes But I'm a Cheerleader an exemplification of queer theory
Queer theory
Queer theory is a field of critical theory that emerged in the early 1990s out of the fields of LGBT studies and feminist studies. Queer theory includes both queer readings of texts and the theorisation of 'queerness' itself...
.
Rating and distribution
When originally submitted to the Motion Picture Association of AmericaMotion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
rating board, But I'm a Cheerleader received an NC-17 rating. In order to get a commercially-viable R rating, Babbit removed a two second shot of Graham's hand sweeping Megan's clothed body, a camera pan
Panning (camera)
In photography, panning refers to the horizontal movement or rotation of a still or video camera, or the scanning of a subject horizontally on video or a display device...
up Megan's body when she is masturbating, and a comment that Megan "ate Graham out" (slang for cunnilingus
Cunnilingus
Cunnilingus is an oral sex act performed on a female. It involves the use by a sex partner of the mouth, lips and tongue to stimulate the female's clitoris, vulva, or vagina...
). Babbit was interviewed by Kirby Dick
Kirby Dick
Kirby Dick is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor. He is best known for directing documentary films. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature for directing Twist of Faith...
for his 2006 documentary film This Film Is Not Yet Rated
This Film Is Not Yet Rated
This Film is Not Yet Rated is a 2006 independent documentary film about the Motion Picture Association of America's rating system and its effect on American culture, directed by Kirby Dick and produced by Eddie Schmidt. It premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and was released limited on...
. A critique of the MPAA's rating system, it suggests that films with homosexual content are treated more stringently than those with only heterosexual content, and that scenes of female sexuality draw harsher criticism from the board than those of male sexuality. American Pie
American Pie (film)
American Pie is a 1999 teen comedy film written by Adam Herz. American Pie was the directorial film debut of brothers Paul and Chris Weitz, and the first film in the American Pie film series...
(also released in 1999), which features a teenage boy masturbating, was given an R rating. Babbit says that she felt discriminated against for making a gay film. The film was rated as M (for mature audiences) in Australia and in New Zealand, 14A in Canada, 12 in Germany and 15 in the United Kingdom.
The film premiere
Premiere
A premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
d on September 12, 1999 at the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
and was shown in January 2000 at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
. It went on to play at several international film festivals including the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
The Sydney Mardi Gras is an annual LGBTQI pride parade and festival in Sydney, Australia, and draws in thousands of visitors from around Australia and overseas...
festival and the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
The London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival takes place every spring in London, England. It began as a season of gay and lesbian films at the National Film Theatre in 1986 and 1987 under the title "Gay's Own Pictures", curated by Peter Packer of the Tyneside Cinema, and was renamed the London...
. It first appeared in U.S. theaters on July 7, 2000, distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment
Lions Gate Entertainment
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation is a North American entertainment company. The company was formed in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1997, and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California...
. Fine Line Features
Fine Line Features
Fine Line Features was the speciality films division of New Line Cinema. It produced, purchased, distributed and marketed films of a more "indie" flavor than its parent company...
had intended to distribute the film but dropped it two months before it was due to open following a dispute with the film's production company, Ignite Entertainment
Ignite Entertainment
Ignite Entertainment is an American film production company. It was developed from the film producing arm of the Hollywood Stock Exchange , and formally created by Leanna Creel and Michael Burns. In 1999, Creel left the company and Scott Bernstein joined as vice president...
. It closed after 8 weeks, with its widest release having been 115 theaters.
The film was released on Region 1
DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
DVD by Lions Gate on July 22, 2002 and by Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
on October 3, 2002. Other than the theatrical trailer, it contains no extras. It was released on Region 2 DVD on June 2, 2003 by Prism Leisure. In addition to the trailer, it features an interview with Jamie Babbit and behind the scenes footage.
Box office and audience reaction
But I'm a Cheerleader grossed US$United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
2,205,627 in the United States and US$389,589 elsewhere, giving a total of US$2,595,216 worldwide. In its opening weekend, showing at four theaters, it earned $60,410 which was 2.7% of its total gross. According to Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is a website that tracks box office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. Brandon Gray started the site in 1999. In 2002, Gray partnered with Sean Saulsbury and they grew the site to nearly two million readers when, in July 2008, the company was purchased by Amazon.com through...
, it ranked at 174 for all films released in the US in 2000 and 74 for R-rated films released that year. , its all time box-office ranking for LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
-related films is 70.
The film was a hit with festival audiences and received standing ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
s at the San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. It has been described as a favorite with gay audiences and on the art house
Art film
An art film is the result of filmmaking which is typically a serious, independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience...
circuit.
Critical
Critical response to But I'm a Cheerleader was mostly negative. Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gave it a score of 35% based on 43 reviews, and Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
gave it a score of 39% based on 30 reviews. The overall theme of reviews is that it is a heartfelt film with good intentions, but that it is flawed. Some reviewers found it funny and enjoyable with "genuine laughs". Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
called it the type of film that "might eventually become a regular on the midnight cult circuit." Others found it obvious, leaden and heavy handed.
Writing for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Elvis Mitchell
Elvis Mitchell
Elvis Mitchell is an American film critic, host of the public radio show The Treatment, and visiting lecturer at Harvard University. He has served as a film critic for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the LA Weekly, The Detroit Free Press, and The New York Times...
described the character of Megan as a sweet heroine and Lyonne and DuVall were praised for their performances. Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle is an American Mick LaSalle is an [[United States|American]] Mick LaSalle is an [[United States|American]] [[film reviewer] and the author of two books on pre-[[Motion Picture Production Code|Hays Code]] Hollywood...
called Lyonne wonderful and said that she was well matched by DuVall. Marjorie Baumgarten said that they "hit the right notes". Alexandra Mendenhall, writing for AfterEllen.com felt that the relationship between Graham and Megan, having great chemistry, does not get enough screen time. Mitchell called their love scenes "tender".
Other characters, particularly the males, were described as "offputting" and "nothing but stereotypes".
Several reviewers compared the film to those of director John Waters
John Waters (filmmaker)
John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
but felt that it fell short of the mark. Stephanie Zacharek called it a "Waters knockoff" while Ebert said that Waters might have been ruder and more polished. Babbit says that although Waters is one of her influences, she did not want her film to have the "bite" of his. She states that whereas John Waters does not like romantic comedies, she wanted to tell a conventionally romantic story. The production design, which was important to the overall look and feel of the film, drew mixed responses. LaSalle described it as clever and eyecatching and James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli is an American online film critic.-Personal life:Berardinelli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and spent his early childhood in Morristown, New Jersey. At the age of nine years, he relocated to the township of Cherry Hill, New Jersey...
called it a standout feature. Others found it to be gaudy, dated, cartoonish and ghastly.
Stephanie Zacharek, writing for Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
said that with regard to issues of sexual orientation and homophobia, Babbit is preaching to the converted. Cynthia Fuchs, for NitrateOnline.com, agreed, stating that "no one who is phobic might recognize himself in the film" and that "the audience who might benefit most from watching it either won't see the film or won't see the point". David Edelstein
David Edelstein
David Edelstein is the chief film critic for New York Magazine, as well as the film critic for NPR's Fresh Air and CBS Sunday Morning. He lives in Brooklyn, New York....
said that the one sidedness of the film creates a lack of dramatic tension and calls it lazy counterpropaganda. In contrast, LaSalle said that "the picture manages to make a heartfelt statement about the difficulties of growing up gay" and Timothy Shary said that the film openly challenges homophobia and offers support to teenaged gay viewers. Chris Holmlund said that the film shows that queer
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
identity is multi-faceted, using as an example the scene where the ex-ex-gays tell Megan that there is no one way to be a lesbian.
Reviews from the gay media were similar to those from the mainstream press. Jan Stuart, writing for The Advocate
The Advocate
The Advocate is an American LGBT-interest magazine, printed monthly and available by subscription. The Advocate brand also includes a web site. Both magazine and web site have an editorial focus on news, politics, opinion, and arts and entertainment of interest to LGBT people...
, said that although the film tries to subvert gay stereotypes, it is unsuccessful. She called it numbingly crude and said that the kitsch
Kitsch
Kitsch is a form of art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art or a worthless imitation of art of recognized value. The concept is associated with the deliberate use of elements that may be thought of as cultural icons while making cheap mass-produced objects that...
portrait of Middle America is out of touch with today's gay teenagers. Mendenhall for AfterEllen.com called the story predictable and the characters stereotypical. Despite these comments she said that overall the film was funny and enjoyable. Curve
Curve (magazine)
Curve is a lesbian magazine in the United States. It covers news, politics, social issues, and includes celebrity interviews and stories on entertainment, pop culture, style, travel, and a website that hosts an internet forum focusing on lesbian issues, active since 2000.The magazine was first...
called the film an incredible comedy and said that with this and her other work, Babbit has redefined lesbian film.
Awards
The film won the Audience Award and the Graine de Cinéphage Award at the 2000 Créteil International Women's Film FestivalCréteil International Women's Film Festival
The Créteil International Women's Film Festival is an annual event in Créteil, Paris, France founded by Jackie Buet in 1978 to showcase the directing talents of female filmmakers who, at the time, had difficulty getting their films adequately distributed. The first festival was held in 1979 in Sceaux...
, an annual French festival which showcases the work of female directors. Also that year it was nominated by the Political Film Society
Political Film Society
The Political Film Society is a nonprofit corporation that exists to recognize Hollywood films' ability to raise awareness in political matters in the world. Film makers are the ones who are awarded by this organization...
of America for the PFS award
Political Film Society Awards
The Political Film Society Awards are handed out each year by the Political Film Society. Each year, films that best promote political consciousness are selected in four categories; democracy, exposé, human rights, and peace. In addition, the Society can give special awards...
in the categories of Human Rights
Political Film Society Award for Human Rights
The Political Film Society Award for human rights is given out each year to a film that deals with struggle for human rights in both fictional and non-fictional stories. This award has been handed out by the Society since 1987...
and Exposé
Political Film Society Award for Exposé
The Political Film Society Award for exposé is given out each year to a film that has an investigative depth into a subject matter and often exposes surprising information on the subject. This award has been handed out by the Society since 1988...
, but lost out to The Green Mile
The Green Mile (film)
The Green Mile is a 1999 American drama film directed by Frank Darabont and adapted by him from the 1996 Stephen King novel of the same name...
and Boys Don't Cry
Boys Don't Cry (film)
Boys Don't Cry is a 1999 American independent romantic drama film directed by Kimberly Peirce and co-written by Andy Bienen. The film is a dramatization of the real-life story of Brandon Teena, a transgender man played by Hilary Swank, who pursues a relationship with a young woman, played by Chloë...
respectively.
Music
The composer for But I'm a Cheerleader was Pat IrwinPat Irwin
Pat Irwin is an American composer and musician, who was a founding member of a number of groups that grew out of New York City's No Wave scene in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including 8-Eyed Spy and Raybeats. He has composed the scores for numerous films and cartoons...
. The soundtrack has never been released on CD. Artists featured include indie acts Saint Etienne
Saint Etienne (band)
Saint Etienne are an English Pop group comprising Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs. They are named after the French football team AS Saint-Étienne.-History:Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs were childhood friends and former music journalists...
, Dressy Bessy
Dressy Bessy
Dressy Bessy is an indie rock band from Denver, Colorado, associated with the Elephant Six Collective. Guitarist John Hill also plays with The Apples in Stereo. Lead vocalist/guitarist Tammy Ealom formed the band with drummer Darren Albert and guitarist turned bassist Rob Greene in 1996. The name...
and April March
April March
April March is an American indie pop singer/songwriter who sings in English and French...
. RuPaul contributed one track, "Party Train," which Eddie Cibrian's character Rock is shown dancing to.
Track listing
- "Chick Habit (Laisse tomber les fillesLaisse Tomber Les Filles"Laisse tomber les filles" is a French song composed by Serge Gainsbourg and originally performed by France Gall in 1964....
)" (Elinor Blake, Serge GainsbourgSerge GainsbourgSerge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
) performed by April MarchApril MarchApril March is an American indie pop singer/songwriter who sings in English and French... - "Just Like Henry" (Tammy EalomTammy EalomTammy Ealom is the lead guitarist, vocalist, and principal song writer for the Elephant 6 collective band Dressy Bessy. She was formerly a member of The Minders.-Biography:...
, John HillJohn Hill (musician)John Hill is an American guitarist best recognized as a member of The Apples in Stereo and Dressy Bessy.Hill, a college friend of drummer Hilarie Sidney and bassist Jim McIntyre, joined The Apples in January, 1994 after the departure of lead guitarist Chris Parfitt...
, Rob Greene, Darren Albert) performed by Dressy BessyDressy BessyDressy Bessy is an indie rock band from Denver, Colorado, associated with the Elephant Six Collective. Guitarist John Hill also plays with The Apples in Stereo. Lead vocalist/guitarist Tammy Ealom formed the band with drummer Darren Albert and guitarist turned bassist Rob Greene in 1996. The name... - "If You Should Try and Kiss Her" (Ealom, Hill, Greene, Albert) performed by Dressy Bessy
- "Trailer Song" (Courtney Holt, Joy Ray) performed by Sissy BarSissy BarSissy Bar is an American indie pop band. They formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994 after Joy Ray and Courtney Holt became obsessed with Snoop Dogg's then-hit Gin and Juice and recorded their own version on a friend's 6-track recorder, along with " Happy Pet"...
- "All or Nothing" (Cris Owen, Miisa) performed by Miisa
- "We're in the City" (Sarah CracknellSarah CracknellSarah Cracknell is an English pop singer who fronts the band Saint Etienne and is known for her light, smooth singing voice. She is the daughter of Stanley Kubrick's first assistant director Derek Cracknell.-Career:...
, Bob StanleyBob Stanley (Saint Etienne)Bob Stanley is a UK musician, film producer and journalist.-Saint Etienne:Stanley is best known as a member of the pop/dance group Saint Etienne for which he co-writes songs and produces...
, Pete WiggsPete WiggsPete Wiggs is an English musician and DJ.-Saint Etienne:Pete Wiggs is a member of the pop/dance group Saint Etienne for which he co-writes songs, produces and plays keyboards on stage...
) performed by Saint EtienneSaint Etienne (band)Saint Etienne are an English Pop group comprising Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs. They are named after the French football team AS Saint-Étienne.-History:Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs were childhood friends and former music journalists... - "The Swisher" (Dave Moss, Ian Rich) performed by Summer's Eve
- "Funnel of Love" (Kent Westbury, Charlie McCoyCharlie McCoyCharles "Charlie" Ray McCoy is an American musician noted for his harmonica playing. In his career, McCoy has backed several notable musicians including Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Tom Astor, Elvis Presley and Ween. He has also recorded thirty-seven studio albums, including fourteen for Monument Records...
) performed by Wanda JacksonWanda JacksonWanda Lavonne Jackson is an American singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist who had success in the mid-1950s and 60s as one of the first popular female rockabilly singers and a pioneering rock and roll artist... - "Ray of Sunshine" (Go SailorGo SailorGo Sailor was a short-lived Berkeley based twee pop band. Its members included Rose Melberg of Tiger Trap and the Softies , Paul Curran of Crimpshrine and Amy Linton of Henry's Dress...
) performed by Go Sailor - "Glass Vase Cello Case" (Madigan ShiveMadigan ShiveMadigan Rachel Ruth Shive is an American composer, performing artist, community organizer and international touring musician based in San Francisco...
, Jen WoodJen WoodJen Wood is an American indie rock musician based in Seattle, Washington. She was a member of alternative rock band Tattle Tale and is the lead artist of the Jen Wood Trio.-Biography:...
) performed by Tattle TaleTattle TaleTattle Tale is an American musical group that existed between 1992 and 1995. Composed of Jen Wood and Madigan Shive, they were well-known in the Riot Grrrl scene, playing what was later to be termed folk punk.... - "Party Train" (RuPaulRuPaulRuPaul Andre Charles , best known as simply RuPaul, is an American actor, drag queen, model, author, and singer-songwriter, who first became widely known in the 1990s when he appeared in a wide variety of television programs, films, and musical albums. Previously, he was a fixture on the Atlanta...
) performed by RuPaul - "Evening in Paris" (Lois MaffeoLois MaffeoCourtney Love is an American musician and writer who lives in Olympia, Washington. Although never achieving mainstream success, she has been closely involved with and influenced many independent musicians, especially in the 90s Olympia, Seattle and DC based musician.-as Lois Maffeo:albums*The...
) performed by Lois Maffeo - "Together Forever in Love" (Go Sailor) performed by Go Sailor
Adaptations
In 2005 the New York Musical Theatre FestivalNew York Musical Theatre Festival
The New York Musical Theatre Festival is an annual three-week fall Festival which presents more than thirty new musicals at venues in New York City's midtown theater district...
featured a musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
stage adaptation of But I'm a Cheerleader written by librettist
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
and lyricist Bill Augustin and composer Andrew Abrams. With 18 original songs, it was directed by Daniel Goldstein and starred Chandra Lee Schwartz
Chandra Lee Schwartz
Chandra Lee Schwartz is an American theatre performer, who most recently played Glinda on the first National Tour of Wicked from Friday, 21 August 2009, through Sunday, 17 April 2011. She originally starred alongside Donna Vivino as Elphaba, who was later replaced by Jackie Burns...
as Megan. It played during September 2005 at New York's Theatre at St. Clement's.