TO WONG FOO, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING! JULIE NEWMAR
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 5.4
United States, 1995 U.S. Availability: 9/8/95 (wide) Running Length: 1:48 MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Profanity, mature themes) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, John Leguizamo, Stockard Channing,
Blythe Danner, Chris Penn
Director: Beeban Kidron
Producer: G. Mac Brown
Screenplay: Douglas Carter Beane
Cinematography: Steve Mason
Music: Rachael Portman
U.S. Distributor: Universal Pictures
Lately, cross-dressing has become big in the movies. Last year, England gave us JUST LIKE A WOMAN and Australia took us on THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT. This year, the United States has gotten into the act with the documentary WIGSTOCK and now TO WONG FOO, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING! JULIE NEWMAR, the most oddly punctuated and strange-sounding motion picture title of the year (it refers to the inscription on a wall plaque in a restaurant). Unfortunately, the content of the film is greatly inferior to the title.
The story centers around two drag queens, Vida Boheme (Patrick Swayze) and Noxeema Jackson (Wesley Snipes), and their "drag princess" protege, Chi Chi Rodriguez (John Leguizamo, sounding exactly like Rosie Perez). In a rented Cadillac, the trio are on their way from New York to Hollywood to compete in the Miss Drag Queen America contest, but something goes wrong with the car somewhere west of Bala Cynwyd, in Hicksville, USA. There, while they wait a long weekend for their car to be repaired, Vida, Noxeema, and Chi Chi spend time teaching the women of the small town how to be women and convincing an abused wife (Stockard Channing) to stand up for herself.
Is America ready for a mainstream cross-dressing motion picture featuring macho action stars as frock-wearing gay men? Perhaps, especially with names like Snipes and Swayze in the cast list, but this might have been a better test if the movie had been less bland. Except for the transvestite angle, this is essentially a run-of-the-mill feel good/happy ending comedy that becomes more tedious the longer it runs. There's a fair amount of effective humor here--mostly one-liners--but the drama is insubstantial. The overriding theme is to take chances and be yourself--not exactly original, nor is it driven home with any real conviction.
The three leads are obviously having a lot of fun, and it shows. The pleasure of watching these men in drag alone makes the first half- hour worthwhile, but the effect wears off and the lame story has trouble picking up the slack. The cameo list is interesting--Robin Williams, RuPaul, Naomi Campbell, Quentin Crisp, and (of course) Julie Newmar--but these faces provide only momentary diversions. TO WONG FOO is in desperate need of something a little less superficial.
Comparisons with THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA are natural, but, aside from the obvious, the films aren't that similar. PRISCILLA was great fun, loaded with the kind of outrageous energy missing from TO WONG FOO. The musical numbers here are a pale shadow of those in the Australian film. Frequently, when this movie should soar, it crashes to the ground with a dull thud.
There are a few moments worth remembering, chief of which is Noxeema's explanation of the differences between transvestites, transsexuals, and drag queens. There's also a wonderful bit where the three "girls" transform their dreary hotel room into a drag queen's paradise to the tune of "Wonder Woman." Scenes like these provide sporadic entertainment during TO WONG FOO. However, as a whole, this film--like the broken-down Caddy--may have style, but it lacks substance.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
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