Preamble
Gosh! I forgot how much I love to curl up on my big easy chair and watch a video. Thank gawd for the holiday shut down period at the grind.
Disclaimers
If you’re homophobic, you better back away verrrrry slowly from this film. You won’t be able to take the frankness of the dialog and the sexual activity that occurs between the young men and young women is likely going to make you want to pull out your Bible and start praying.
The movie is NOT suitable for young children. If you’re a cool, hip parent who has time to sit with your young teenager and talk about the subject matter afterwards, then all the power to you. Otherwise, don’t bother.
Um, You’re Reviewing A GASP!Lesbian Flick?
So yes, you better believe I’m reviewing a lesbian flick! My husband thinks that I am secretly gay (at least bisexual) and that I am carrying on as a heterosexual. I never disagree with him because like most men, the thought of me with another woman is a turn on for him. I wouldn’t want to ruin his fantasy.
Confusion? What’s This Movie Title?
For some reason, this movie was originally released in July 2000 as, But I’m A Cheerleader. My VHS box thing calls it But I’m A Cheerleader. Epinions and the rest of the media are referring to it as Make Me Over. I did a quick search to uncover the why but was never able to turn up anything. Do feel free to share if you know the reason.
Cast
(Megan) Natasha Lyonne is someone you should recognize from several films. In 1998 and 1999, she made several movies including Slums of Beverly Hills, Detroit Rock City, and most notably, American Pie.
(Graham) Clea DuVall is an amazing actress that I mistook in this movie at first as Anna Paquin. They look very much alike. She’s appeared in several other films in a supporting role. Clea played Georgina in Girl Interrupted and Misty in She’s All That.
(Mike) RuPaul Charles is in real life, the drag-queen we all know and love. He’s previously been in films like EdTV and A Very Brady Sequel.
(Mary) Cathy Moriarty is a Faye Dunaway look alike who has been in approximately 40 films like Raging Bull, Kindergarten Cop, and Forget Paris.
Simple Plot
For those of you that do not want to read a long, drawn out plot, I can boil it down in two sentences. Cheerleader comes to find out through an intervention program (to make her straight) that she is gay. While interacting with the people who are in the program, she addresses the complicated issues of being a homosexual teenager. Does she become straight? Does she go whole-hog gay? Heck! I ain’t tellin’ you! Rent the movie to find out.
Long, Drawn-Out Plot
Megan (Natasha Lyonne) naively goes about her day as a cheerleader and all around happy young lass. Little does she know that at home, her parents and friends are staging a homosexual intervention on her behalf. Mike (RuPaul) is the facilitator from True Directions, a therapy facility that “helps” change homosexual behavior by praising that “Straight is Great”. When confronted with the evidence during the intervention (i.e. She has a Melissa Etheridge poster hanging in her room, she likes tofu, she likes to look at pictures of girls, and she dislikes kissing her boyfriend) Megan still denies that she is a “homosexual”.
Megan is carted off to True Directions where she’ll go through their intensive two month therapy program to make her “normal” again.
The first step to becoming “normal”, according to Mary (Cathy Moriarty) the director, is Admitting That You’re A Homosexual. Still in denial, Megan is led to her room and introduced to the other patients. Graham (young Ally Sheedy look-a-like Clea DuVall) in the tradition of rebel chicks like Angelina Joile (Girl Interrupted) , fast becomes a thorn in Megan’s side.
During group therapy, Megan comes to realize the she is a homosexual. Great! Now she’s ready for step 2. For step 2, she gets to Rediscover Her Sexual Identity. How does that happen? Easily of course. She and the other females patients are taught how to do all of those female-type things like vacuuming, dusting, and scrubbing floors with little toothbrushes. The men in her group are subjected to sports, auto mechanics, and wood chopping.
Now that Step 2 has been successfully conquered, Megan moves on to the painful Step 3 of family therapy. It’s in this session that she tells the group that her root of homosexuality can be traced back to the 9 month period of time when her mother had to be the breadwinner for the family and her father was unemployed. The reason is embraced and Mary believes that Megan is well on her way to a full recovery.
Step 4 is Demystifying the Opposite Sex. How do you do that? By watching slides on what stereotypical men and women do.
Before they are allowed to go on Step 5 and graduation, they are all subjected to The Final Test. Think of it as the SAT of therapy programs. Every one but one young man passes.
At this point of the movie, Megan and Graham give into their feelings. Of course what always happens when you give in to your illicit feelings? You get caught!
Megan and Graham are both given the opportunity to participate in Step 5 which is Simulating Sexual Lifestyle. Let me tell you, it was a bit creepy to watch this part of the movie. Cathy Moriarty was a little graphic in her descriptions of what men and women should be doing to each other as the characters were acting out her instructions.
Ta-da! It's graduation and all those who successfully made it through Steps 1-5 are either dressed in pink, plastic 50's dresses, or 70's blue tuxedos. Their parents proudly watch them as they walk down the aisle to receive their graduation trophy.
Analyze Me Baby!
There a couple of amazing things about this movie.
Basic Story Line
Hooray that films are being made that address female homosexual relationships. Even if it is laced with satire, you still get to see a good deal of a wholesome relationship between two girls who obviously care a ton for each other.
The Dialog
During the first 20 minutes of the movie, the satirical dialog had me in stitches. Honestly, it’s a shame that the writers didn’t keep up the pace all throughout the movie. The words that came out of the mouths of the homophobic individuals were as stereotypical as you can get. Listening to their lines was like watching a really bad (and funny) ABC Afterschool Special.
The Acting
Overall, it was above average. Cathy Moriarty was a hoot as the director of the True Directions facility. She had an edge to her very similar to Annette Bening’s character in American Beauty. Her “blonde” demeanor and denial about her own son added to the comedy of the movie.
From a physical standpoint, Natasha Lyonne was barely recognizable in this movie. Her hair was blonde and her demeanor was softer and sweeter than in her prior roles. The only real way you can tell it is her is by her throaty voice. I totally bought her as the naďve Megan. What was most impressive to me was that she was able to carry off the kissing scenes with both her “boyfriend” and Graham.
Clea DuVall (and no relation to Robert Duvall) is one of those actresses that I think has that extra spark. Given the right material, I see many Oscars for her.
RuPaul is hysterical as the man who was once gay but is now straight. The sexual tension between him and another character was hilarious!
The End
I liked this movie and I wavered between giving it three and four stars. The satire and the witty dialog was a big 4 stars. And if the movie would have continued it’s original course, that’s what my rating outcome would have been. Unfortunately, I felt like they rushed to the end and wrapped it up in a nice, neat little package. Not that I didn’t like the ending, it was just missing that satire I so loved throughout most of the movie.
Other Films I’d Recommend Heathers has the same satirical themes and indirect lesbian references., Welcome to the Dollhouse is a film that mirrors the coming of age aspect and the ironic sentiment of the main character.
The girls wear pink and the boys wear blue in BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER a film billed as a comedy about sexual disorientation. Megan Natasha Lyonne is a h...More at Family Video
But I m A Cheerleader is a comical tale about a beautiful young high school girl with a seemingly perfect life. When her popular friends, straight-lac...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.