Incredibly hilarious, uplifting film

Rating: 10/10 (2 August 2001)

Hedwig is without a doubt one of the funniest movies I have seen in the last few years, as well as one of the most touching. Therein lies it's greatest strength - writer/director/star John Cameron Mitchell manages to mix humor and pathos in a strong and unique way, not diluting the power of either in the mixture. It had me laughing all the time, but I still cared about the characters, and about what happened to them.
Add to this the fact that the musical score is truly inspired, and is performed with incredible panache by Mitchell and his compadres, and you've got a truly amazing film. The supporting actors also gave some really good performances - particularly Miriam Shor in her role as Hedwig's boyfriend (yes, she's playing a man, and she does a pretty good job, too).
Never before have I been to a movie in which the audience was asked, and obliged themselves, to sing along. It made for a great night at the movie theater. I recommended this movie to anyone who's willing to stretch their personal opinions of gender and of what makes a great movie.