Movie Review: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie Keeps You Singing
Everybody’s Talking About Jaimie is one of those films where I am 100% certain there will be a group that goes giddily wild and and another group that is like this is too joyous! That latter group will probably get hulk-smashed for not understanding that super positivity, for all its cheese, is needed. Out September 10 on Prime, the film is a proudly exuberant, exciting opus to kids that don’t feel apart of this world, and just need a good push and some glam to build their own one.
It might seem strange that between fashion fantasies held mid-class and self-love ballads in school uniforms, I kept on thinking of the philosopher Rumi and his quote: “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” This is particularly true for Jamie (played perfectly by Max Harwood). He has achieved an enlightening epiphany that most of us might not ever get: if you can’t changed the world, then why are you letting it change you? Change yourself! And so… he does! Instead of hiding his crown, he starts rocking it, literally, and aims to become a drag queen at 16 with a surprisingly sweet and avid support system.
We have all heard the horror stories of kids abandoned by their parents for coming out, but it is nice to see a tale where the only enemy is “the world.” For classmates and even adults, Jamie is loud, flashy, and deluded, but for his mother Sarah ( Sarah Lancashire) he is a star. She is so adoring, and sees his big dreams as his strongest attribute, which is nothing less than lovely. Parents, in general, cannot be so warm to their kids being entertainers, let alone drag queens, but her unbounded support is what leads Jamie to seek and invest in best pal Pritti Pasha ( the absolutely wonderful Lauren Patel) and drag mentor Loco Chanelle (Richard E. Grant playing another iconic role). After all, the love you receive at home only builds the love you have for yourself outside of it, of which dazzling numbers, (Don’t Even Know It) and a heartfelt cast are GIVING THE SELF- LOVE.
When it comes to choreographed sequences and power ballads like, “The Wall In My Head” and “This Was Me,” Everybody’s Talking About Jaimie packs a high-kick. It is glitz and glitter in visuals, but has enough wisdom to know that tender moments between loved ones and full on heart are the keys to making this true story feel like truth. In a world, that struggles to love and let itself be, you have to become your own example on how to do that. Thus, Jamie is not only empowering as an LGBTQ+ film, but also as a guide on what it takes to be truly happy with yourself, despite ALL THAT HATERS! YES!!!!!!!!!
