Everybody's Talking About Jamie
The actor and model Max Harwood brings a would-be drag queen to exotic and vivid life.
The genesis of Everybody's Talking About Jamie lies not only in a highly successful stage show but also in a moving TV documentary from 2011. That was the real-life story of Jamie Campbell and his mother Margaret who encouraged her son to pursue his dream of becoming a drag queen at the age of sixteen in a village in County Durham. In the stage show, and now the film musical, Jamie's father (Ralph Ineson) has left his wife and son because he cannot handle the fact that Jamie (Max Harwood) is gay. At school Jamie is bullied by other boys just for being who he is. In class when asked what he wants to be, Jamie always admits he needs to be a performer.
When his sixteenth birthday arrives, Jamie's mum (Sarah Lancaster) buys him his much longed-for glittery red shoes which resemble Dorothy's famous pumps in The Wizard of Oz – except they have higher heels. He gets a mixed reception at school but his best friend, a Muslim girl called Pritti (Lauren Patel), who is also bullied, encourages him to go to the school prom in a dress. He subsequently meets former drag queen Hugo (Richard E. Grant), the proprietor of a drag shop who tutors him for his initial appearance at a local nightclub.
Although based on a real-life situation, this is still a fairy story but not particularly about being gay or cross-dressing. It is ultimately a plea for acceptance of people, whoever or whatever they are. Of course there has to be a teacher, Miss Hedge (Sharon Horgan) who objects to Jamie's ambition because, as she says, it's against the school rules to cross-dress in class. It's not difficult to imagine the outcome.
The musical stage show went to town on the singing and dancing which on film are repeated in spades by no less than three directors. It's light, it's bright, it's fun and it's all wrapped up in glossy paper like a shiny new birthday present. If it recalls Billy Elliot or even Carrie, well, what the hell, it is still a (basically) true story in which Max Harwood as Jamie (in his first film) proves to be a natural acting talent, Lauren Patel is delightful as his best mate and Sarah Lancashire is very mumsy as Margaret. Richard E. Grant as Hugo, superb in drag in his appearances as the former Loco Chanelle, reminds one of another Margaret. With bigger hair he is very like Lady Thatcher – but only more so.
MICHAEL DARVELL
Cast: Max Harwood, Lauren Patel, Sarah Lancashire, Shobna Gulati, Richard E. Grant, Sharon Horgan, Samuel Bottomley, Ralph Ineson, Adeel Akhtar.
Dir Jonathan Butterell, Dan Gillespie Sells and Tom MacRae, Pro Peter Carlton, Mark Herbert and Arnon Milchan, Screenplay Tom MacRae, based on the stage musical by Jonathan Butterell, Tom MacRae and Dan Gillespie Sells, Ph Christopher Ross, Pro Des Janey Levick, Ed Mark Everson, Music Anna Dudley and Dan Gillespie Smith, Costumes Guy Speranza.
New Regency Productions/Film4/Warp Films/20th Century Studios-Amazon Studios.
115 mins. UK. 2021. Rel: 10 September 2021. Cert. 12A.