This candy-box colored comedy of sexual discovery chronicles the life of Megan (Natasha Lyonne) a typical teenager coming of age in anything but a typical fashion. Megan's super normal suburban existence is filled with fri... more »ends pom-poms and rah-rah enthusiasm until her straight-laced parents (Mink Stole and Bud Cort) suspect that their "little poodle" may in fact be showing deviant tendencies. In a complete panic Megan's parents elicit the help of her friends and the guidance of a rehabilitation camp to mount an all-out intervention. Mike (an out-of-drag RuPaul Charles) a True Directions counselor leads the intervention and before Megan can pack her pom-poms she is whisked off to learn how to be a perfect woman.True Directions is run under the strict all-seeing eyes of the sadistic Mary (Cathy Moriarty). Megan dutifully gets with the deprogramming so she can quickly return to her life of boyfriends football games and her absolute favorite activity - cheerleading. Everything seems perfect but the fun begins when her hormones start to rage and her friends and family wonder where she'll find love!System Requirements:Starring: RuPaul Charles Clea DuVall Natasha Lyonne Cathy Moriarty Eddie Cibrian Melanie Lynskey Wesley Mann Richard Moll Douglas Spain Katharine Towne Directed BY: Jamie Babbit Running Time: 84 Min. Color Copyright Lion's Gate Entertainment 2003.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: R UPC: 031398834823 Manufacturer No: 71577« less
Nicole W. (sterju3) from SCRANTON, PA Reviewed on 9/5/2009...
Wow, what a great movie! This is a movie about gay and lesbian teens that are at a camp to be reprogramed not to be gay. It is very funny, but does tell a good story, the moral being: No one chooses to be gay, it is just who you are. If you are homophobic or a strict christian, it's not for you, or maby it is and you will finally get it! Anyway if was very fine acting, and yes there are gay/lesbian sex scenes, but it was beatifully done, just like any other straight scenes. I love the fact that the woman who runs the camp has a gay son, but she just can't see it, even though it it very obvious. Anyway, if you think I'm pushing this movie because I'm gay, your wrong, I'm not.. It was just a very good movie about a subject many people can't accept.
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Movie Reviews
Ridiculous...absurd....hilarious!
Sharon D. Spiller | Erie, Pennsylvania USA | 10/15/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is the most ridiculous film I have ever seen. The absolute absurdity and unbelievability of the entire plot is beyond belief. And you know what? I loved this film. Natasha Lyonne gives a stellar performance as Megan, a high school cheerleader who is sent away in order to rid herself of what her parents see as "unnatural tendencies". While there, she meets Mary, brilliantly played by Cathy Moriarty, the head of the camp who has taken over the task of ingraining heterosexual values into the ditzy high school student. During her stay she comes into contact with a motley group of people trying to go straight. Clea Duvall's portrayal of Graham as a pessimistic and brooding parental disappointment is the perfect foil for the optimistic/goody two shoes Megan and is never overblown or excessive. RuPaul's performance as Mary's assistant and Eddie Cibrian's portrayal as her son Rock, are extremely funny and absurd at the same time. Although this film is a satire on the "ex gay" movement, there are some scenes that are so accurate and true regarding love, attraction and disappontment, that the viewer ends up nodding in agreement. Do yourself a favor and watch this film. It's hilarious!"
Cute and Hilarious Fun!
Andre Mason | 09/06/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I really really enjoyed this gay cinderella story. Even though, the rest of America didnt enjoy this movie, because it wasn't released nationally, but I saw it when it came out in NYC and I absolutely loved it. It's was a cute satrical look at the coming of age gay girl in many middle americans, that just dont know that they are. So the main character's mom sends her to a camp to be straight again. This is where the fun begins. The camp is full of different characters each portraying some gay stereotype one way or another. Certain scenes will leave you chuckling to yourself or laughing out loud. Clea Duvall is always an enjoyable sight, but she has to be careful before she's type cast. She's already played a few lesbian characters before. Natasha Lyonne was such a believable, closeted gay character that you cant help, but laugh at her funny looks of confusion. Rupal is hilarious and is great as a man as he is in drag and it was good seeing him without the wig for a change, but the funniest character, Eddie Cibrian, who plays Rock, a gay guy trying to be masculine for his mother, Cathy Moriarty who is the head of the camp. It's funny seeing him flip flop back and forth from being butch to queen. This is definitely a movie worth checking out and something not to be afraid of watching. It's good exposure."
Funny, touching movie
Amy | San Francisco | 08/18/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This movie was great. Alot of people have said that it couldn't decide weather it was funny or serious but that's actually what makes it so good--and a romantic comedy!It gets laughs by exaggerating gay and lesbian sterotypes (in a non-offensive way), making fun of those 'gay rehab' places, at homophobia, and at itself. There are also a lot of "inside jokes" in there--pay attention! ("raging bulldyke", "it's time to wake mary")!The romantic part is truly sweet and is in classic love/hate relationship format. You walk out just feeling happy! :) This is the first movie that I've seen that doesn't portray lesbians as either: man-hating super-butches, leather bound kink-freaks, psychotic killers, or soft-core porn icons to please the straight males in the crowd. That's really important for all us young lesbians who don't fall into one of those categories and it is a sign of society's (or at least the film industry's) changing attitude towards lesbainism!That being said,this movie is for EVERYONE--highly enjoyable for all. My (straight as an arrow, happily married) mother went with me and there were quite a few straight couples there on dates. Everyone was laughing out loud and clapping at the end--something that doesn't seem to happen much at movies!In case you can't tell, I highly recommend this movie!"
One of my all-time favourite movies.
Claire Hennessy | Dublin, Ireland | 08/27/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Not a movie that's meant to be taken terribly seriously, but a one that's fun to watch and one which at moments catches you off-guard with its insight. Natasha Lyonne stars as a cheerleader who hugs her friends too much, can't stop thinking about her fellow squad members while she's kissing her boyfriend, is a vegetarian, and has a poster of Melissa Etheridge on her wall. Her parents, boyfriend and friends decide that she needs to be straightened out, and send her off to True Directions, a sexual rehabiliation camp where she will reclaim her true heterosexuality. Girls wear pink, boys wear blue, and they must participate in a five-step program to relearn their gender roles and their sexuality. The problem, of course, with putting a bunch of lesbians in the same (pink, pink, pink!) room is that you're bound to have some attraction. The object of Megan's affections is the moody Graham, played by Clea DuVall. (At which point most of the audience decide that this is going to be a very good movie indeed. ;))Megan fights her attraction but soon accepts that she is who she is. Graham, despite acting brave and proud of her sexuality ("I'm Graham and I like girls. A lot.") is under pressure from her parents to 'get it out of her system' with the threat of no college fund or support of any kind if she doesn't. Megan turns out to be the one who's not ashamed of who she is - and the question is whether Graham will follow her or not... the answer to which can be found in the movie, so let me take this moment to highly recommend that you buy it. The soundtrack's fabulous, as well. Not available on CD, but try to get your hands on the mp3s, because there are some truly amazing songs featured in the movie.All in all - great movie, with some funny moments, some touching, some silly, some beautiful. 10/10."
Total Hilarity
W. Carol | 06/18/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Think teenaged angst in hot pink, and you have a slight idea of what this movie is about. A social satire, it mocks the theory of "curing" homosexuals by presenting us with a "camp" for doing just that. And when I say camp, I mean camp! From the Nazi-like owner/instructor, a Cruella deVille wannabee played to the hilt by Cathy Moriarty, to the uniforms forced on the male and female campers (pink for girls, blue for boys--but of course!), to the hilarious anti-gay "exercises," there is not a dull moment in this truly funny but also touching film.The story surrounds an innocent cheerleader (played by Natasha Lyonne), who is hit with a surprise "intervention" (side-splitting) from her parents and friends, who accuse her of being a lesbian, something that had never entered her mind. Nevertheless, she is sent to the reprogramming camp. There, due to the relentless "exercises," she does indeed get in touch with her lesbian self, and falls in love with a tough-talking but vulnerable girl named Graham.Along the way, every cliche ever implied about gays and lesbians is lampooned in a way that not only makes the viewer laugh out loud, but also lays bare the ridiculous nature of such stereotypes. The end, which borrows liberally from "The Graduate," is a masterpiece in itself.This is one of the great comedies. The acting is superb (look for a cameo by RuPaul Charles), and the script works. This film is a keeper!"