But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)

But I’m a Cheerleader

This is one of the most gayest films I’ve ever seen, if not the most, and I absolutely adored every second of it. Just the opening credits alone had me giggling, mostly because I saw RuPaul’s name and immediately knew this was gonna be a generational piece of art. I was absolutely right. Although I’ve never been to conversion therapy, this film still hit me deeper than most others do, despite its very comedic and very satirical edge. I literally felt so seen, which is mostly because of my Christian/conservative upbringing, and I obviously still turned out gay. In fact, this film made me gayer than I already am, if that’s possible. I also think this is a great piece of work especially because of the lighthearted, colorful tone. You have films like ‘Boy Erased’ that take conversion therapy and make it a very deep and raw showing of how it affects people. This one takes that same idea and shows how deeply idiotic it is, and how everyone is exactly who they are, no matter who they love or how they feel. It’s one of the funniest films I’ve ever seen in my life, though it obviously wouldn’t be funny to “that” crowd. But my goodness, I was laughing my head off, and yet still had time to let the emotional moments hit. All the characters (well, the protagonists) are so sweet and vulnerable, and even the antagonists are hilarious and over the top. Also, can we beg the question of “Why wasn’t RuPaul nominated for an Oscar?” The man showed up and slayed (haha, see my choice of words). Also, peep Julie Delpy showing up as Lipstick Lesbian and totally stealing the spotlight for like two minutes. Oh, and Michelle Williams too! The performances were all a bit exaggerated but EXACTLY what they needed to be, with Andre being my personal favorite. Overall, this film is literally one of the funniest, most relatable, and all around best I’ve seen in terms of queer representation and mindset. Sure, it’s goofy as can be, but it’s still a borderline masterpiece. I would recommend it to everyone, especially straight people. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!