But I’m a Cheerleader Turns Twenty: Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall Reminisce on Their Cult Classic
When Jamie Babbit’s But I’m a Cheerleader made its theatrical premiere in July 2000, it was entering a queer political landscape vastly different from the one we live in today. Over the last two decades, we’ve witnessed the rise of LGBTQ representation in mainstream film and television, the legalization of same-sex marriage in the U.S., and—just this week—the long-overdue prohibition of workplace discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual identity. Yet, as queer communities continue to fight for their human rights, Babbitt’s inclusive tale of love and self-discovery continues to feel transgressive and ahead of its time.
Based on both Babbit’s own experiences and ones she had read about, But I’m a Cheerleader playfully confronts the homophobic practice of conversion therapy. Natasha Lyonne stars as Megan, an effervescent, all-American cheerleader whose parents (played by cult icons Bud Cort and Mink Stole) begin to fear that she’s a lesbian and send her off to a reparative therapy center called True Directions. Under the leadership of Mary Brown (Cathy Moriarty), the young attendees are made to deconstruct their identities and adopt behaviors that reinforce stereotypical gender roles. A hot-pants-clad RuPaul teaches the men how to chop wood and repair the undercarriage of a car, while the women paint each other’s toenails, try on wedding dresses, and learn how to scrub a kitchen floor. But when Megan meets the lovable rebel Graham—played by Clea DuVall with a charming mix of vulnerability and sensuality—she awakens to her own desire. Employing kitschy, midcentury production and costume design, Babbit bathes the film in an atmosphere of high camp, highlighting the artificiality of the world True Directions seeks to create.
In celebration of But I’m a Cheerleader playing on the Criterion Channel this month, I called up Lyonne and DuVall, who remain best friends and collaborators. The two actors talked with me about how they first connected in Hollywood, their on-screen chemistry, and the devoted following the film has amassed in the twenty years since its release.
