Underplayed Gems

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)

Hedwig and the Angry Inch poster
Directed by
John Cameron Mitchell
Genre
drama film, musical film, LGBTQ-related film, romantic comedy film
Country
United States
Runtime
1h 35m
Rated
R
Rating
7.4 of 10 from 433 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More films like thisWatch the trailer

or watch the trailer on YouTube

How it feels

A queer East German rock singer named Hedwig tells her life story through a series of concerts. She recounts her past, her botched sex reassignment surgery, and how a younger man stole her songs to become famous.

poignantrawbittersweetdefiantirreverentenergeticmelancholicunflinching

What happens

Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a 2001 American musical comedy-drama film written for the screen and directed by John Cameron Mitchell. Based on Mitchell's and Stephen Trask's 1998 stage musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, it accompanies Hedwig Robinson, a gay East German rock singer. Hedwig subsequently develops a relationship with a younger man, Tommy, becoming his mentor and musical collaborator, only to have Tommy steal her music and become a rock star. The film follows Hedwig and her backing band, the Angry Inch, as they shadow Tommy's tour, while exploring Hedwig's past and her forced sex reassignment surgery. Mitchell reprises his role as Hedwig from the original production. Despite largely positive reviews from critics and audiences, the film's limited release only grossed $3.6 million from an estimated $6 million budget. The musical has since developed a devoted cult following. In 2001, the film won the Best Director and Audience Awards at the Sundance Film Festival as well as Best Directorial Debut from the National Board of Review, the Gotham Awards, and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Mitchell received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and the Premiere magazine Performance of the Year Award. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems. Not quite it? You can browse by genre, country and year, or take this one into the 3D catalogue and ask the Catbot for something closer.