But I'm a Cheerleader
But I'm a Cheerleader is a 1999 American satirical teen romantic comedy film directed by Jamie Babbit in her feature directorial debut and written by Brian Wayne Peterson. Natasha Lyonne stars as Megan Bloomfield, a high school cheerleader whose parents send her to a residential in-patient conversion therapy camp to "cure" her lesbianism. At camp, Megan realizes that she is indeed a lesbian and, despite the "therapy", comes to embrace her sexuality. The supporting cast includes Clea DuVall, RuPaul, and Cathy Moriarty.
Plot
Seventeen-year-old high school senior Megan Bloomfield loves cheerleading and is dating Jared, a football player, but does not enjoy kissing him, instead preferring to look at her fellow cheerleaders. This, combined with her interests in vegetarianism and Melissa Etheridge, leads her parents, Peter and Nancy, and friends to suspect that she is a lesbian. Aided by ex-gay Mike, they surprise her with an intervention. She is then sent to True Directions, a two-month-long conversion therapy camp intended to convert attendees to heterosexuality via a five-step program in which they admit their homosexuality, rediscover their gender identity by performing stereotypically gender-associated tasks, find the root of their homosexuality, demystify the opposite sex, and simulate heterosexual intercourse. Upon arrival, she meets strict disciplinarian Mary J. Brown, the program's director. Mary's son Rock is seen throughout the film making multiple sexual overtures towards Mike and the other male campers.
More details
author | Brian Wayne Peterson Jamie Babbit |
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contentLocation | United States of America |
director | Jamie Babbit |
editor | Cecily Rhett |
events | authenticity conversion therapy female bonding gender role heteronormativity homophobia homosexuality self-acceptance self-discovery |
genre | comedy romance |
keywords | cheerlead college student date discover disown doghouse ex-ex-gay ex-gay ex-gay movement force gay bar gender identity kiss make out meet melissa etheridge one night pflag picket shock shout upbringing vegetarianism win young adult |
musicBy | Pat Irwin |
producer | Andrea Sperling Leanna Creel |
publisher | Lionsgate Films |
theme | high school independent romantic comedy satirical teen romance |