Throughout September I will be raiding my collection of favourite movies to review one a day, with a focus on overlooked and underappreciated films.
Where to find it: No streaming
Length: 2 hours
Synopsis: A drag queen seeks love
Recommendation rating: 3/5
What I like about it: Harvey Fierstein, dialogue
What I don’t like about it: it feels a bit long (the 4 hour play must be worse)
Review:
This play opens with a soliloquy about the lead’s longing to be coupled up, then shows us three of his main flirtations with love. Arnie Beckoff, Fierstein’s alter ego, works as a “female impersonator” in the parlance of the time and has various romantic and sexual misadventures, utilising his unique gift for face-contorting physical comedy. When he does find happiness, something gets in the way for him. Culminates in a wonderful rant at his mother and an eventual happy ending. Probably squarely in the ‘gay interest’ pigeonhole but worth a shot if you like talky plays.
Content notes (may contain spoilers): homophobia, assault, loss, guilty itself of some biphobia