At first, "But I'm a Cheerleader" is far too campy and quirky to be any fun. It's subject matter, gay teens who are sent to "rehab" centers where they are "converted" to heterosexuality, is much too much of a sore subject to make light of. But as the film evolves, the absurdity of these places becomes more and more the subject of the film and the inane, campy and overblown manner in which the film is presented suddenly seems to fit. Before it is all over, when true love, as it obviously must, wins out, it becomes easier and easier to like the film. By the end, it's heart wins us over.

The fine acting in the film doesn't hurt either. Natasha Lyonne makes the film work because she takes it all so seriously. Like the best of camp, the film achieves success because it isn't treat it as camp, at least by it's main actress. Nor does Clea Duvall who turns in a stellar performance as a rugged tomboy trying to "fake" it through the rehab center. She too evokes a serious character and has quite a nice time playing off Lyonne. I wish the same could be said for the young men here. Playing it up to the hilt, the young male actors in the piece act like screaming homos, flitting and prissing their way through the action. It's repulsive and unrealistic. We deserve better.

Of course, the lesbians are the true focus of the film and Lyonne is marvelous here. She and Duvall ignite a chemistry that shoots off the screen like a laser. We love the film because we love Lyonne's character and her chemistry with Duvall makes it all click.

Director and co-scripter Jaime Babbit tries far too hard to make the film campy. The outrageous blinding art direction of the film is really far too far over the top. And the performance by Kathy Moriarity, as the matriarch of the center, seems like an audition for a John Waters film. It seems like everyone here is trying to impress Waters, really.

I guess what would have been nice would be to have a serious film about this serious topic to expose this "crime" against gays as a precursor to this film. This topic, of young gay and lesbian teenagers made to feel ashamed, wrong, unnatural and perverted by these disgusting people who think they can "reassign" their sexuality, is far too serious a subject matter currently to be truly funny. This film only half succeeds in shedding some light on the topic.

I pray for the day when these repulsive places are banished from society forever. Then maybe I'll find it easier to laugh about the idea that they ever existed at all. At least "But I'm a Cheerleader" is a step in that direction.

Note:

Also with Mink Stole, Bud Cort, Richard Moll, RuPaul (out of drag).

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