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

Two drag performers and a transgender woman travel across the desert to perform their unique style of cabaret.

Director:

Stephan Elliott

Writer:

Stephan Elliott

Stars:

Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce, Terence Stamp

Won 1 Oscar. Another 12 wins & 19 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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	...	Robert 'Bob' Spart
Julia Cortez	...	Cynthia Campos

Storyline

Two drag-queens (Anthony/Mitzi and Adam/Felicia) and a transgender woman contract to perform a drag show at a resort in Alice Springs, a resort town in the remote Australian desert. They head west from Sydney aboard their lavender bus, Priscilla. En route, it is discovered that the woman they've contracted with is Anthony's wife. Their bus breaks down, and is repaired by Bob, who travels on with them.

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Plot Keywords:

bus | desert | drag queen | on the road | homosexual | 

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Taglines:

Finally, a comedy that will change the way you think, the way you feel, and most importantly... the way you dress.

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Genres:

Comedy | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sex-related situations and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

When the bus arrives in Alice Springs and is seen driving down a the street it's actually driving in the opposite way to the casino

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Goofs

After the bus breaks down for the first time in the Australian outback, and Tick (Hugo Weaving) has just given up on trying to fix it, he sits down to eat breakfast with Bernadette (Terence Stamp). In the exchange, a cameraman and some crew members are visible in the reflection of Bernadette's sunglasses.

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Quotes

Bob: [to Bernadette] Well, I can't go back to Coober Pedy for a while. I'm not the most popular bloke in the world back there anymore.

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Crazy Credits

At the end credits the song "Save the Best for Last" is played while the Drag-Queen in the Barber's Chair lip-syncs along to it.

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Alternate Versions

A joke, explaining where Trumpet got his name, was omitted for the film's US release.

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Connections

Referenced in Australia's Next Top Model: Episode #8.6 (2013)

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Soundtracks

Finally
Written by R.K. Jackson (as Rodney K Jackson), Ce Ce Peniston, Felipe Delgado and Elbert Lee Linnear (as E.L. Linnear)
Performed by Ce Ce Peniston
Published by Blue Zephyr Music, Ce Ce Pen Music, Main Lot Music, Leethal Musik, Urban Tracks Music and Wax Museum Music
Courtesy A&M Records Inc.

User Reviews

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.

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

Australia

Language:

English Filipino

Release Date:

10 August 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Priscilla

Filming Locations:

The Breakaways, Coober Pedy, South Australia, Australia

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$219,433, 14 August 1994

Gross USA:

$11,220,670

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$11,224,491

Company Credits

Production Co:

PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC), Latent Image Productions Pty. Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1