Over & Overs: To Wong Foo
Thursday, October 24, 2019 at 3:00PM In Over & Overs we ask Team Experience to share movies that they've seen countless times and tell us why. Here's Chris Feil...
The 90s were an interesting time to be an odd kid strangely compelled to the sight of men in dresses. Drag comedies had a kind of resurgence into the mainstream, particularly with Robin Williams headlining both Mrs. Doubtfire and The Birdcage to huge popularity. But the one that struck my imagination and sparked an undefined sense of self-identification was Beeban Kidron’s oddly named To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar.
For gay folk, To Wong Foo makes for such easy, layered rewatching. Over the years, self-awareness not only reveals the double entendres in Douglas Carter Beane’s screenplay but also deepens with a growing understanding of what camp is and how it functions. For my generation of gay person, we grew with it. Returning to the movie means returning to previous baby gay versions of ourselves not fully gestated. But in these drag queens searching for glory and affirmation, the film teaches us that we are always in a process of becoming ourselves and accepting ourselves.
More importantly, To Wong Foo presented an unapologetically, unwaveringly, and uncommonly pro-gay stance for a studio film at the time. Even if Patrick Swayze’s Vida Boheme desires the affirmation of her family, the film never suggests that she needs it to be successful or complete. Wesley Snipes’ Noxeema Jackson can find community in these small town women, but she isn’t diminished by their conventionalism. And John Leguizamo’s Chi-Chi Rodriguez doesn’t have to have it all figured out in order to be a winner.
Do these actors get the credit they deserve for these performances, in all their hilarious and affectionate charms? Not by a long stretch. Where other actors fall into caricature of gayness, this trio all feels organic, unmocking, and unmired in accidental homophobia. Plus each is incredibly funny in the classic, rompy fashion of bygone farces of the 50s and 60s, truly referential of the likes of Some Like It Hot.
Whereas young gays can almost be pandered to these days (especially if you’re white), To Wong Foo felt like an oasis. Even with its quite heterosexual leads donning dresses and wigs, the film is triumphantly gay-affirming in a way that stirs a great deal of gratitude for my younger self not fully aware of what he was watching and why he was so inexplicably drawn to it. Here the film’s sentimentality and cheesy emotions serve some purpose - the kind that makes for casual rewatching ease for a straight audience, and a restorative one for queer folk.
On a more basic level, the film can’t be denied for its growing delights in the supporting ensemble you might have missed when previously paying attention to the stars. Stockard Channing as abused housewife Carol Ann likely didn’t slip notice, but her performance is an added layer of nuance that keeps the film in the real world. But the laissez-faire drollness of Blythe Danner, the dry badassery of Beth Grant, and the silent charm of Alice Drummond all make for consistently rewarding supporting players. And of course there’s some familiar gay faces like Coco Peru, Lady Bunny, and Hedda Lettuce. Imagine RuPaul making a joke as daring today as his confederate flag-wearing character Rachel Tensions.
It would be years until I saw the more overtly queer and grownup delights of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, which is fair to say To Wong Foo was slightly ripping off. But this was the gay film that feels attached to my entire life, and I’m know this isn’t an exclusive experience. While this film may have stolen some of its invention from Priscilla and Paris is Burning and even John Waters, today’s films intended for queer audiences like Mamma Mia! also owe To Wong Foo a debt of gratitude.
Previously in Over & Overs...
- Moonstruck (1987) by Deborah
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) by Lynn
- The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) by Mark
- Sugar & Spice (2001) by Spencer
- Marie-Antoinette (2006) by Claudio
- Julie & Julia (2009) by Ginny
- Moonrise Kingdom (2012) by Ginny
Reader Comments (16)
Swayze is simply glorious in this.
Ah, Swayze actually looked great in drag and yeah, I'd go for that.
I love John Leguizamo's stories about the film in Ghetto Klown as he talked about how ended up looking way too good as his best friend was trying to hit on him and John was like "hey man!" Plus, Leguizamo talked about all of the tension between him and Swayze as they did get into it until Leguizamo threw up a bunch of fried grasshoppers he ate the night before.
I haven't seen this since it came out. At the time, I thought the best thing about it was its title. Swayze tries mightily, but for for some reason it never really came together for me. Maybe it's time for a revisit? I had forgotten one of my favorite character actresses, Beth Grant was in it. I'll watch her in anything.
Glad you mentioned Priscilla... which I liked much better. It was much more fun, and also felt more real, despite its campiness. Terrence Stamp deserved an Oscar nom as Bernadette. (In fairness, I have to admit that when I watch Priscilla now, I cringe at the racist caricature of the Asian mail-order bride. So both films have their flaws.)
This and The Birdcage are still a common double feature at my parents’ house. Pure unbridled joy.
Snipes steals the whole damn show. Priscilla may have the pathos, but Wong Foo is as delectable a vehicle for these men to perform and show their true skills as any performer could ever ask for. Because true skill it does take.
That opening credit sequence is to die for, and the ending sublime.
Leguizamo is on fire in TWF every purse of the lips or sassy strop is a joy to watch,Snipes was ok but lent to much on mannersims,Swayze loved it.
Priscilla is an over and over and over times infinity.
This is a fun film, and the supporting cast is particularly great. There are also just a lot of campy and fun scenes.
However, having watched it recently, it seems so odd to me that they stay in drag the entire time. It kind of takes me out of the entire thing.
Love love this movie- Swayze is great but Leguizamo is very real.
Good point Joe- but I imagine the ladies would take off their drag and make up to go bed
Love this movie and have seen it countless times. All 3 of the leads are great, but I'm particularly impressed with Wesley Snipes, who went on to make that whole series of slasher/super hero (or whatever they were) films, i wouldn't see one for all the tea in China. Big fan, too of Patrick Swayze and John Leguisamo. Plus the film has a happy ending based on real growth of the characters.
I enjoy this one, but will always prefer PRISCILLA, which I think is maybe the funniest movie ever?
One weird thing about TO WONG FOO is that it is rated PG-13 (or R? I think it's PG-13) for "drag themes" or something like that.
I can see why people prefer Pricilla, but I actually prefer To Wong Foo.
Yep, I'm weird, but that's my opinion. ;)
Swayze was DIVINE.
(he was an underrated Actor imo)
With Sonja the taste did not jump out.
Ouch, this film. Again.
Terrible film, a blatant disneyfied version of Priscilla...
that being said, Swayze deserved an Oscar nom for this role. Leguizamo was on the limit of overacting. Sorry, Snipes, I could not believe him for a minute.
@Bless
I already said I'm weird. ;)
I think it’s notable how mainstream this film was - part of the appeal was that three movie stars were playing drag queens, so it’s nice to see that they brought such humanity to their characters. I remember Snipes saying in an interview that he burned all his wardrobe after filming, and Leguizamo on a talk show describing a picture of them as “the good, the bad, and the ugly”.