The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
1994, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment et al
The title character of this surprise Oscar-winning hit is actually a bus carrying two drag queens and a transgender woman across the Australian outback. Their adventures entertaining the locals along the way are genuinely funny, while a touching story develops in the background. Terence Stamp as the trans is absolutely splendid. There's also a number of ABBA tunes to delight closet fans like me.
Note to fence-sitters: this is not a "gay" movie; it's an unflinching, eye-opening yet lighthearted look at the Australian drag community. While it does take a "tolerance" position, it's not in-your-face about it, and it most certainly does not come across as "woke," if that makes any difference (it predates the "woke" era anyway).
DKS 12/19/17
Rev 12/27/22
GRUMPY OLD FART-O-METER® Rating:
Bonus Material: Truly outstanding, utterly fascinating commentary by director Stephan Elliot, plus a few good behind-the-scenes docs and deleted scenes. Gag reel is less about bloopers and more about day-in-the-life stuff, offering an enlightening glimpse of low-budget indie filmmaking (Priscilla cost less than AUS $3 million).