Last year I shared five Queer Comedy Films – all FIVE of which are incredible comedies! But it’s time I make a confession… I had quite a difficult time paring down a rather long list of amazing queer comedy films to just five. I simply couldn’t!
Somehow I managed to select just ten films. I listed them by IMDb’s rating, and only shared the first five in last year’s post. And now it’s time to share the rest of these queer comedy films with you!
But before we dive into this next batch of queer comedies, here’s a quick reminder of how IMDb defines a Comedy.
Comedy: a film where a majority of the scenes contain characters participating in humorous or comedic experiences. The comedy can be exclusively for the viewer, at the expense of the characters in the title, or be shared with them. Comedy includes many sub-genres such as spoof, parody, irony, slapstick, farce, and many more.
These five more queer comedy films certainly abide by those standards and in a variety of ways & means. I’ve got drag queens, transvestites, lesbians, conversion therapy, RuPaul, and SO MUCH MORE! At least four of these queer comedies are iconic cult classics. (not too sure about the fifth, but wouldn’t be surprised…) The comedy ranges from slapstick to camp, yet woven amid every film on this month’s list are important queer topics that include homophobia, acceptance, censorship, and even the pangs of love.
So grab a drink, perhaps some popcorn, and pick any of these five more queer comedy films to watch. I’m sure you’ll enjoy ALL of them!
5 More Queer Comedy Films
Three New York drag queens on their way to Hollywood for a beauty pageant get stranded in a small Midwestern town for the entire weekend when their car breaks down. While waiting for parts for their Cadillac convertible, the flamboyant trio of Vida Boheme (Patrick Swayze), Noxeema Jackson (Wesley Snipes), and Chi Chi Rodriguez (John Leguizamo) shows the local homophobic rednecks that appearing different doesn’t mean they don’t have humanity in common.
How do I jot down “quick thoughts” about “To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar” – it’s literally an iconic queer film! Starring an incredibly talented cast, this queer comedy is simple a delight to watch. It’s a film that at quick glance seems light & frivolous, campy even, as three typically macho stars don drag and bring their diva stories to life. Yet underneath the fabulous wigs & makeup are heartfelt & honest messages about tolerance & acceptance, both of others and of oneself. Is it perfect? Not quite, especially when viewed through modern eyes and in comparison to recent films. However, we also mustn’t forget that we wouldn’t have the depth of queer cinema today if it weren’t for the amazing queer classics such as this. If you haven’t seen “To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar” yet – what are you waiting for??? And for the rest of us who have seen it – go watch it again!
Watch “To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar” on Amazon or Prime Video.
Not long after moving into her own place, Maggie (Karyn Dwyer) finds herself with two unsolicited roommates: her recently divorced mother, Lila (Wendy Crewson), and her young brother (Kevin Mundy). The timing is especially bad, considering Maggie has fallen hard for an attractive woman, Kim (Christina Cox), only hours before they move in. What could be a nonissue becomes increasingly complicated — since Maggie’s family is unaware of her sexual orientation, and Maggie is not open to sharing that information.
For years, “Better Than Chocolate” was one of the few lesbian films that I had watched early on and made it into my collection. Perhaps it was my collegiate group of friends regularly watching and talking about the film. Or perhaps that’s because was a queer comedy that made waves when it came out in 1999. But there’s no question that this is quite a cute and romantic lesbian film! Is it perfect? Not exactly. There is a LOT to this story, with multiple side-stories intertwining – it’s easy to get lost a bit and as such, some characters may come across as superficial. However, amid the cliche’s (which are a tad dated twenty years later) is a rather broad and inclusive spectrum of difficulties that LGBTQ folks face: transphobia, homophobia, government censorship of “obscene” material, and more. All of this is woven into a slightly fantastical & idealistic film that nails some great comedy and is simply a fun queer comedy film to watch. If you have not yet seen “Better Than Chocolate”, I highly recommend it!
Watch “Better Than Chocolate” on Amazon or Prime Video.
An old woman’s death in a small Texas town sets off a firestorm within the family. Her sister Sissy Hickey (Beth Grant) tries to calm down Peggy’s children–uptight Latrelle (Bonnie Bedelia) and sassy Lavonda (Ann Walker). Also Latrelle wants her gay son Ty (Kirk Geiger) to come to Texas for the funeral…but he’s out in LA and never told anyone he’s gay and is sick of keeping it a secret. Then there’s Peggy’s son Brother Boy (Leslie Jordan) was has been institutionalized because he’s gay. THEN there’s G.W. (Beau Bridges) who was cheating on his wife Noleta (Delta Burke) with Peggy and feels guilty about her death. As three generations of a family in a small Texas town gather for the funeral, we learn the hilarious, sad, trashy truth of their “Sordid Lives.”
“Sordid Lives” is best described by its own tagline: “A black comedy about white trash!” This film adaptation of Del Shores’s play by the same name is a cult classic. Starring an all-star ensemble cast including Delta Burke, Bonnie Bedelia, Beau Bridges, Leslie Jordan, and of course, Olivia Newton-John, they do an incredible job bringing their respective Southern “bible-belt” caricatures to life – and evoke plenty of laughs! Unfortunately, this film adaptation has a couple of flaws. Rather than the individual scenes of the stage play, Shore has cut & edited it all together in a way that both works at keeping the timeline consistent yet equally hinders the flow of the film. Paired with awkward camera angles and over-lit scenes, the end result falls rather flat. I actually wonder whether the stage play would be more enjoyable to watch. However the film’s issues aside, this queer comedy film is a hoot that’s best watched with friends!
Watch “Sordid Lives” on Amazon or Prime Video.
Megan (Natasha Lyonne) is a normal American girl who’s one of the best cheerleaders on the team, along with having the captain of the football team as the perfect boyfriend, but there are some very unnormal things about her, including the fact that she doesn’t like kissing her boyfriend, has posters of girls in her locker and at home, and likes listening to Melissa Ethridge. Does this mean that the normal Megan may, in fact, be… a lesbian?!?! Concerned parents and friends send her to True Directions, a gay-gone-straight camp led by the well-meaning yet totally insane Mary (Cathy Moriarty) and the “ex-gay” counselor Mike (RuPaul).
Frankly, I’m not sure there could ever be a campier & more satirical queer comedy film than “But I’m A Cheerleader”! Despite being Writer/Director Jamie Babbit‘s directorial debut, this film is quite a gem and is queer in every way possible. The plot mocks heteronormativity from the conversion therapy camp, to the “lessons” taught on how to be straight, and even down to the gender-based colour scheme of the dreamlike set. And we cannot ignore the amazingly talented (and very queer!) cast that bring these characters to life. Don’t get me wrong, this queer comedy has some issue – especially with the pacing. But if you’re after an iconic queer & lesbian film that makes you laugh at the absurdity of conversion therapy, check out “But I’m A Cheerleader”!
Watch “But I’m A Cheerleader” on Amazon, Prime Video, or Plex.
Billy (Sean Hayes), a struggling young gay photographer (who likes Polaroids), tired of being the “other man”, falls in love with Gabriel (Brad Rowe), a waiter and aspiring musician who is probably straight but possibly gay – or at least curious. Billy tries to get Gabriel to model for his latest project, a series of remakes of famous Hollywood screen kisses, featuring male couples, while also trying to win his affections.
“Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss” is now over twenty years old, yet there’s a special charm about this queer comedy film. We all have been attracted to someone who we thought (and secretly hoped) could be gay – and interested in ourselves. After his success on “Will & Grace” for chasing after all kinds of men – straight or not, it’s easy to see Sean Hayes in such a role. However, Hayes true acting talent shines because Billy is the exact opposite! It’s actually the innocent and almost naiveness to Billy’s character that makes the rest of this queer comedy so enjoyable. The story is a tad dated, made more obvious because of Billy’s fondness for the even older Polaroid photography and fondness for 60’s & other classic Hollywood films. But my favorite element is when Billy opens up about how it was for him growing up in rural America; it gives a true insight into what many queer folks faced back then – and even still today. I strongly recommend watching “Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss” if you’re after a cute & romantic queer comedy film.
Watch “Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss” on Amazon or Prime Video.
So what did you think – do you agree with these five more queer comedy films? Have you seen all of them yet? If so, let me know which one was your favourite. And if you haven’t watched them all yet, I highly encourage you to add these queer comedy films to your watch list ASAP!
