But I'm a Cheerleader Release Date: July 7, 2000 Starring: Natasha Lyonne, Clea Duvall, Michelle Williams Directed by:
The title of Jamie Babbit's debut feature comes from the plaintive protest delivered by Megan (Natasha Lyonne) at an "intervention" staged by her parents and pals, at which she is accused of being a lesbian and subsequently packed off to a rehabilitation camp for teens called "True Directions." Of course, the fact that her lesbianism will emerge triumphant from her unjust ordeal is never in doubt, but one initially figures that getting there will be half the fun — Lyonne is quite appealing, and rolls her eyes in an utterly irresistible fashion. But Babbit's cartoonish farce is a little too Hanna-Barbera and not enough Tex Avery — it's obvious, labored, and not particularly clever. It's also kind of confused; the movie's "positive" adult gay couple is portrayed in such prissy terms as to give aid and comfort to homophobes. The movie's most effective bit is a love scene between Megan and the tomboyish Graham (Clea DuVall); frank, emotional, and quiet, it suggests that Babbit's real talents lie far outside the territory she's currently staking.