'Everybody's Talking About Jamie' Review: Delightful musical celebration of queerdom
Spoilers for 'Everybody's Talking About Jamie'
As a child everybody's told to dream big and shoot for the stars. But as we get older, suddenly everybody around is preaching all about being realistic, practical, basically urging one to leave their big dreams behind and embrace the everyday mundane life. Set in the sleepy working-class town of Sheffield, Jamie New (Max Harwood) dreams of becoming a successful drag queen.
Although he is pretty clear about what he wants, when his teacher asks him what job he would like to take up after school during their careers class, Jamie hesitantly says he doesn't know but points out that the future is alive and full of enticing opportunities. Jamie's drag queen dreams are in sharp contrast to what his teacher Miss Hedge (Sharon Horgan) preaches in the class. The well-meaning teacher earnestly tries to urge her students to have more realistic expectations and dreams so as to prepare them for the harsh world outside and not let them live in their fantasy world of becoming a pop star or an actor. Amazon Prime's 'Everybody's Talking About Jamie' is a delightful musical about self-acceptance and queerdom.
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Inspired by true events, 'Everybody's Talking About Jamie' follows Jamie, a teenager from Sheffield, who dreams of life on stage. While his classmates plan their livelihoods after they leave school, Jamie contemplates revealing his secret career ambition to become a fierce and proud drag queen. His best friend Pritti (Lauren Patel) and his loving mother (Sarah Lancashire) shower him with endless support, while local drag legend Miss Loco Chanelle (Richard E. Grant) mentors him toward his debut stage performance.
But Jamie also has to contend with an unsupportive father (Ralph Ineson), an uninspired careers advisor (Sharon Horgan), and some ignorant school kids who attempt to rain on his sensational parade. In rousing and colorful musical numbers, Jamie and his community inspire one another to overcome prejudice, be more accepting, and step out of the darkness into the spotlight.
Although there's nothing new or groundbreaking about the story of Jamie and the people around him coming to terms with his identity and sexuality, it still makes for a great watch. Thanks to the catchy songs that replace dialogues to narrate the story, 'Everybody's Talking About Jamie' should definitely be on your watchlist if you enjoy musicals. Max Harwood and Sarah Lancashire steal the show with their amazing acting skills, while Richard E. Grant and newcomer Lauren Patel play the role of supportive mentor and best friend to perfection. By the end of the movie, you'll be left reminiscing about your own teenage dreams.
If you're curious to know how Jamie embraced his identity and got all his peers to rally for him, then you might want to check out this heartwarming movie brimming with optimism and hope for everybody.
'Everybody's Talking About Jamie' is available for streaming on Amazon Prime.