The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

Director:

Stephan Elliott

Writer:

Stephan Elliott (written by)

Release Date:

10 August 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Music

Tagline:

It's the Australian film that blitzed overseas box offices. It caused a near riot at the Cannes Film Festival. It won an Academy Award (Registeration Symbol). It's fun, daring, over-the-top and unforgettable. It's a road movie with attitude and the occasional frock.

Plot:

Two drag queens and a transsexual get a cabaret gig in the middle of the desert.

Plot Keywords:

Drag Queen | Desert | Drag | Bus | Cabaret

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 8 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Hugo Weaving	...	Tick / Mitzi
Guy Pearce	...	Adam / Felicia
Terence Stamp	...	Bernadette
Rebel Penfold-Russell	...	Logowoman (as Rebel Russell)
John Casey	...	Bartender
June Marie Bennett	...	Shirley
Murray Davies	...	Miner
Frank Cornelius	...	Piano Player
Bob Boyce	...	Petrol Station Attendant
Leighton Picken	...	Young Adam
Maria Kmet	...	Ma
Joseph Kmet	...	Pa
Alan Dargin	...	Aboriginal Man
Bill Hunter	...	Bob
Julia Cortez	...	Cynthia

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English | Filipino

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Brazil:14 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:16 | Iceland:L | Netherlands:16 | Peru:14 | Singapore:M18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia

Company:

PolyGram Filmed Entertainment

Trivia:

Due to a heavy filming schedule, lots of filming was done while the entire crew was on the road. But because the bus was such a small set, there was no room for the crew. As such in many scenes, they are actually in shot, hiding under clothes and other props.

Goofs:

Continuity: When they are in the bar in Broken Hill, Old Shirl comes over and slaps her right hand down on Bernadette's. Then, in the next camera shot, it's her left hand.

Quotes:

[First Lines]
[Tick is hit in back of head with beer can, falls]
Felicia: Are you Okay?...
[Felicia grabs mic]
Felicia: Oh that was fucking charming, you gutless pack of dickheads.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Book That Wrote Itself (1999)

Soundtrack:

A Desert Holiday

finally ...

Two drag queens (Guy Pearce as bitchy Felicia, and Hugo Weaving as Mitzi) and a transsexual (Terence Stamp, marvellous as the widowed Bernadette) make a trip to Alice Springs in a pink bus called Priscilla.

Cue a soundtrack of mostly Abba songs (plus an off-the-cuff 'I Will Survive', and C E Peniston's 'Finally' - a great set-piece) and three towering performances. From the initial hilarious premise we follow the trio through the Australian desert and meet the various inhabitants of places they pass through. It remains fast-paced and touching within the comedy. Wonderful.