| To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar | |
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Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Beeban Kidron |
| Produced by | Walter F. Parkes Bruce Cohen |
| Written by | Douglas Beane |
| Starring | Wesley Snipes Patrick Swayze John Leguizamo Stockard Channing |
| Music by | Rachel Portman |
| Cinematography | Steve Mason |
| Editing by | Andrew Mondshein |
| Studio | Amblin Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | September 8, 1995 |
| Running time | 109 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $47,774,193 |
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar is a 1995 American comedy film, starring Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, and John Leguizamo as three New York drag queens who embark on a road trip. The film's title refers to a totemic autographed photo of Julie Newmar that the trio carries with them on their journey.
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After entering a local "drag queen of the year" contest in New York City, Noxeema Jackson (Wesley Snipes) and Vida Boheme (Patrick Swayze) win a trip to Hollywood to take part in an even bigger, national drag queen contest. Before they depart, Vida persuades Noxeema to take along the inexperienced 'drag princess' Chi-Chi Rodriguez (John Leguizamo) as their protégé (the duo initially refer to Chi-Chi simply as a "boy in a dress" rather than as a fully-fledged drag queen). To do this, they trade in their airplane tickets for cash and buy a stylish but old Cadillac convertible with money given to them by John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt (Robin Williams) and the three of them set off for Los Angeles by car, carrying with them an iconic photo of Julie Newmar (signed, "To Wong Foo, thanks for everything! Julie Newmar") that Vida purloined from a restaurant wall.
While on the road they are pulled over by the racist, homophobic Sheriff Dollard (Chris Penn), who tries to force himself onto Vida. He discovers Vida is not female and, in the commotion, Dollard falls backwards and is knocked unconscious. The trio think he is dead, and they hurry off and leave him behind. While recovering from the incident at a rest stop, their car breaks down. A young man, Bobby Ray (Jason London), from the nearby small town of Snydersville happens by and gives them a ride, where they take refuge in a bed and breakfast owned by Carol Ann (Stockard Channing) and her abusive car repairman husband, Virgil (Arliss Howard).
The drag queens become stranded in the town for the weekend as they wait for the replacement spare part for their car to arrive. Whilst there, they are confronted by the town's small-mindedness, though it does not focus on their transgender identities but rather, their status as females, which exposes to them and the audience the difficulties faced by anyone deviating from the "default" gender status (white heterosexual male). Chi-Chi is harassed by a group of roughnecks, but is saved by Bobby Ray. The drag queens are ecstatic to find vintage fashions from the 1960s in the town's clothing store and give the town's female residents (and themselves) a make-over.
Following their make-over, the group is abused by the same roughnecks that attempted to attack Chi-Chi. Fed up, Noxeema handles the situation in a typically New York manner and teaches their ringleader a lesson in manners. Vida, Noxeema, and Chi-Chi do what they can to be positive and they set out to improve the lives of the townspeople, including offering assistance in organizing the annual "Strawberry Social" event.
Meanwhile, Sheriff Dollard is ridiculed by his colleagues, who believe he was beat up by a girl. He goes in search of the drag queens and makes a list of places to look (entitled "Places for Homos"), which reads:
Vida, meanwhile, becomes acutely aware of Carol Ann's abuse at the hands of her husband Virgil and, shortly thereafter, the three queens overhear Virgil giving Carol Ann another beating. Vida decides to intervene and beats up Virgil before throwing him out of the house. The next day Virgil runs into Sheriff Dollard at a bar and the two realize that the newcomers to town are the same people Dollard has been searching for. They head back to Snydersville and Dollard insists the townspeople turn over the drag queens.
However, the townspeople, who now realize the true gender of their new friends, begin to protect them. One by one they step up and confront Dollard, each one claiming to be a drag queen, à la Spartacus. Dollard is humiliated and flees. The Strawberry Social commences with everybody dressed in vibrant red outfits for the party. Shortly after, Carol Ann repairs their car and the three queens are finally able to leave Snydersville, though they are now slightly saddened to leave behind their new friends. Carol Ann reveals to Vida that she knew Vida was a man all along due to his Adam's Apple, which women do not have.
They eventually make it to Los Angeles where Chi-Chi, after having received many tips from Vida and Noxeema during their ordeal, wins the title of Drag Queen of the Year. Fittingly, the crown is presented by Julie Newmar herself.
Swayze and Leguizamo earned Golden Globe Award nominations for "Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical" and "Best Supporting Actor" respectively.
The opening and closing scenes were filmed in New York City featuring dozens of New York's local drag performers and underground stars in small roles or as featured extras. Included in the mix were RuPaul, Joey Arias, Lady Bunny, Miss Understood, Candis Cayne, Flotilla DeBarge, Clinton Leupp a.k.a. Miss Coco Peru, and Quentin Crisp. The three stars had previously spent some time in the local drag scene while researching their roles. The ending scene of the movie, the anticipated Miss Drag Queen USA contest, was filmed at The John S. Phipps Estate in Old Westbury, New York, now colloquially known as Old Westbury Gardens. Much of the rest of the film was shot on location in Montclair, New Jersey,[1] Loma, Nebraska, as well as nearby Lincoln and Omaha. Though greatly faded, the coca-cola billboard painted with Chi-Chi's name still stands in Loma.
Robin Williams also has a cameo early in the film as the queens' friend John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt. Julie Newmar, an iconic figure to the main characters, also makes a cameo appearance as does supermodel Naomi Campbell, although it is not clear whether the latter is playing herself or not.
Champions Tour professional Chi Chi Rodriguez sued the production company and distributor over the use of his name in the movie. [2]
This American film is a parallel story/plot idea of the earlier 1994 Australian comedy-drama, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert which stars Hugo Weaving, Terrance Stamp, and Guy Pearce in the roles of the three cross-country cabaret drag queens.
Filming was delayed on the set for several days do to a drag queen named William Crowder streaking the set. It wasn't until his arrest that actor Patrick Swayze would agree to come out of his trailer to continue filming the movie.
A DVD is available with several deleted scenes.
Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar/ To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar at Rotten Tomatoes
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