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Title: But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Natasha Lyonne | ... | Megan | |
| Michelle Williams | ... | Kimberly | |
 |
Brandt Wille | ... | Jared |
| Bud Cort | ... | Peter | |
| Mink Stole | ... | Nancy | |
| RuPaul | ... | Mike (as RuPaul Charles) | |
|
|
Katie Donahue | ... | Cheerleader #1 |
|
|
Danielle Rene | ... | Cheerleader #2 (as Danielle Reneau) |
| Cathy Moriarty | ... | Mary Brown | |
| Eddie Cibrian | ... | Rock | |
| Melanie Lynskey | ... | Hilary | |
| Clea DuVall | ... | Graham | |
| Katrina Phillips | ... | Jan | |
| Katharine Towne | ... | Sinead | |
| Joel Michaely | ... | Joel | |
Megan is an all-American girl. She's a cheerleader and has a boyfriend, but she doesn't like kissing him very much, and she's pretty tactile with her cheerleader friends, and she only has pictures of girls up in her locker. Her parents and friends conclude that she *must* be gay and send her off to "sexual redirection" school, full of admittedly homosexual misfits, where she can learn how to be straight. Will Megan be turned around to successful heterosexuality, or will she succumb to her love for the beautiful Graham? Written by Martin Lewison <mlewison@utk.edu>
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To many viewers this is probably not much more than a well-made, feel-good satirical comedy about teenage homosexuality and adult homophobia mixed with some heart-warming moments, and indeed it serves that function of somewhat superficial entertainment well. But it is a lot more than that. If you watch carefully, this is an incredibly honest, revealing and touchingly sensitive film on teenage identity crisis and identity search interacting with social influences. It tells you more than any psychology book could tell on adolescence, because one cannot put all that into words. Natasha Lyonne as 17 year old Megan (the heroine of the story) demonstrates amazing qualities of acting in a role which is probably the most demanding any actor or actress can face: that of a changing adolescent personality re-discovering one's inner, formerly suppressed unconscious self over two months, while still remaining herself in a way. If you compare her different faces at different phases of the story, e.g. when she "just cannot think of anything" at the camp, and when she looks into the bathroom mirror much later in the film washing her teeth, you will see what I mean. If you are not distracted by hilariously funny bits and jokes and you do not consider poor acting by Cathy Moriarty, it is in fact a top quality drama made superbly. Intimate conversations between the two leading actors (Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall) tell more in one minute of this film about life than most movie star celebrities do throughout their whole career. Natasha Lyonne should have received an Oscar for this as best actress, and she should have been offered leading roles in less superficial films than "American Pie". A talent wasted. Her performance in this film is an extraordinary achievement and a very touching experience for anyone sensitive enough to resonate to it. I highly recommend it for re-watching it several times: you will not get bored if you are attentive enough.