Much better than you think it will be... one of the (only) summer's best.

Rating: Null/10 (12 August 2001)

When I first heard of "Hedwig," I thought nothing of it, discounting it as yet another flash-in-the-pan way-too-politically-correct flick that would be so neo-liberalist-fascist that afterwards I would feel dirty for being a heterosexual.
Then I saw the trailers, and realized (at the time) the movie was merely a joke, a parody, if you will, of the likes of a Millenial "Rocky Horror Picture Show." Then, I really just gave up and began renting movies like I've been doing for the past few months.
A pal of mine saw the film, thankfully, and informed me that in fact the movie was terrific and nothing like what the previews would make you think. So, I gave it a try, and it was AMAZING. Definitely one of the best movies of the year (which isn't saying much these days, but it really was something special).
Mitchell's performance was humorous, depressing, saddening, frightening, and simply marvelous. He played the entire spectrum, and to think he did all that whilst directing and writing? Wow. And I was incredibly impressed how well the cinematic tendencies in the film worked out, seeing as it was based on a simple Off-Broadway show. Every scene was precise and effecient with some of the most clever bridges between scenes I've witnessed in some time.
It's abundantly clear that Mitchell and his ragtag band of crew members are sure to be forerunners in the revolution to bringing cinema and art in America back to the experimental and innovative stylings of the Golden Era in film (the late 1960's-early 1970's, of course).
The rest of the cast was terrific, especially newcomer Michael Pitt who I also thought was fantastic in Larry Clark's "Bully."
As said by some of the other commenters, I don't even particullarly enjoy musicals, but this was just... well, nothing really could describe it.

See it.