Unexpected Delight!

Rating: Null/10 (19 April 2003)

This film is, first and foremost, funny. Hilarious, in fact. Hedwig, the lead character, spews some fabulous one-liners ("One day in the late mid-80's, I was in my early late-20's;" "How did some slip of a girly-boy from communist East Berlin become the internationally-ignored song-stylist barely standing in front of you?"). And watching Midwesterners react to Hedwig had me laughing out loud. The movie's second and equally important feature is the music -- clever, tuneful songs ranging across the spectrum from hard-rock to country ballads. The best is "Origins of Love", a song spun from a writing by Plato (true!) and illustrated with apt animation. Finally, this film has a message, urging acceptance of our inner selves. You can't ask for more than this! "Hedwig..." delivers in poignancy, entertainment and punch.