To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar is a prime contender for one of the weirdest titles in the history of cinema. 

At least, unlike some movies though, the title has a relevance to the actual movie as it refers to the text of an autographed picture of the former Catwoman actress one of the main characters steals from a restaurant wall. I remember this movie coming out and all the trailers for it although it's not one I've ever watched before now so I can't say it had any influence on me as a youth however just seeing men in drag would have been enough to get me thinking. Back in those days as well you could be familiar with sections of movies just from overplayed trailers and clips on movie review shows. 

Released in 1995, To Wong Foo... tells the story of three drag queens, Vida Boheme (Patrick Swayze), Noxeema Jackson (Wesley Snipes) and Chi-Chi Rodriguez (John Leguizamo) driving across the USA from New York to Hollywood to participate in the Miss Drag Queen USA pageant. Their car breaks down in the small town of Snydersville (I want you all to know I'm resisting a Snyder cut gag about now) where they stay for a few days while it's fixed. Faced with living amongst some potentially hostile locals they set about charming them. 

I watched this yesterday and to be honest I didn't know much about the plot of this movie going in - just that it was a road movie but once it was clear that the queens were going to stick around in Snydersville I was pleased to find a very 90s movie about acceptance and makeovers. The makeover movie was quite a thing for a while especially in the teen film genre. The queens teach the women of the town how to stand up for and believe in themselves and of course dress like absolute divas. Also we have a villain of the piece, a homophobic police officer, Dollard, played by Chris Penn, who is thwarted at the end by the townspeople standing together in support of their new friends. 

For such a light comedy it also features attempted sexual assault and domestic violence. Early on Dollard, pulls the girls' car over and attempts to rape Vida. When she fends him off there's a suspicion that she may have killed him and indeed she spends most of the movie thinking she did although it has little effect. I did wonder if he was really was going to be killed off as that would cast a shadow over the light comedy to follow despite what a loathsome character he was. Penn does put in a great performance though and I had to love the odd list he draws up of places he believes the queens may frequent. As the queens travel throughout the country you can see some of the prejudice that they face. In one scene Chi-Chi barrels into a hotel while Vida and Noxeema try to restrain her, fearful of the reaction inside. I know I've had a few moments like that. 

There are some fabulous outfits of course and way too many for the queens to be keeping in their battered Cadillac but that's the magic of the movies. One of my favourites was the combination of a striped top and purple skirt worn by Chi-Chi.   

I did find it a little odd that all three of the queens were in drag the whole time, indeed the only time we see them out of drag and getting ready is in the opening credits and the ending at the pageant was a little odd unless it was meant to be a dream sequence or a flash forward (I won't spoil it here) but at least it gives Julie Newmar a guest appearance in a film baring her name. Swayze, Snipes and Leguizamo were excellent in this and completely inhabited their personas. All in all, a sweet fun movie that made me nostalgic for the 1990s despite never seeing it the first time round. 

To Wong Foo... is presently on Amazon Prime in the UK. 

Theatrical poster for To Wong Foo,
Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)

Credit: Wikipedia