“I myself was once a gay”: 20 fascinating facts about colorful cult classic ‘But I’m A Cheerleader’
But I’m A Cheerleader, Megan (Natasha Lyonne) is an all-American girl whose parents are concerned she may be a lesbian. After sending Megan to a conversion camp run by the unhinged Mary (Cathy Moriarty), Megan finds unexpected love with fellow camper/prisoner Graham (Clea DuVall).
While the movie wasn’t a mainstream hit when it released, it’s gone on to become a beloved indie darling, thanks to a clever script and an incredible lead performance by Lyonne.
Today, its influence can be felt everywhere from stage musicals to the music video for Muna’s “Silk Chiffon,” which lovingly references the queer comedy touchstone.Ahead of the film’s 25th anniversary this fall, scroll through got 20 fascinating facts about But I’m A Cheerleader…Babbit previously directed two short films, and secured financing for her feature debut by sharing her script with the then-VP of Prudential Insurance while at the Sundance Film Festival.Babbit looked to inspirations like Barbie, Edward Scissorhands, and the works of queer icons like John Waters and David La Chapelle and others to craft the film’s distinct pink and blue visual style.Babbit’s mother ran a halfway house for young people with drug and alcohol problems called New Directions, inspiring her to write a comedy about rehab and the 12-step program.
She decided to write about conversion camp after reading an article about a man who went through the process and came out of it hating himself.Babbit told Nitrate Online, “We found this random guy [Brian Wayne Peterson], who just graduated from USC Film School in the Writing Program and had written a script about a gay cowboy, which I liked, and I presented him a ten-page treatment, plus a stack of research on conversion camps, and he said sure.”Babbit had worked with DuVall on her short film, Sleeping Beauties, about a young girl who works at a funeral home.Try to breathe.
