Directed by: Jonathan Butterell
Written by: Tom MacRae
Starring: Max Harwood, Lauren Patel, Sharon Horgan, Sarah Lancashire, and Richard E. Grant
Runtime: 109 minutes
“Everybody’s Talking About Jamie”: We’re keenly watching and listening too
When director Jonathan Butterell’s movie begins, everyone’s not talking about Jamie (Max Harwood), but his mom, Margaret (Sarah Lancashire), and his best friend, Pritti (Lauren Patel), love conversing with him! Jamie’s in Grade 11 at Mayfield School, and he and Pritti aren’t terribly popular, but they generally get along fine with everybody, save Dean Paxton (Samuel Bottomley), a relentless bully with a hefty backpack full of verbal insults.
Other than attempting to navigate through present-day teenage mazes and hazes, their primary strife is preparing for their future, as Miss Hedge (Sharon Horgan) – their only schoolteacher, it seems – frequently requests her students to think about careers. Pritti, as studious as the English winters are grey, is singularly focused on becoming a doctor, while Jamie secretly covets an altogether different path. He, at 16, wants to become a drag queen, and this cinematic musical – based on the theatrical play and a 2011 television documentary “Jamie: Drag Queen at 16” – is a positive film about finding the courage to be yourself.
Our young lead character, openly gay, certainly has valid struggles – such as coping with the aforementioned bully and finding his father’s (Ralph Ineson) acceptance – and the movie certainly delves into those troubling spaces. Still, the narrative doesn’t deeply dwell in horribly dark places for very long stretches. The film projects more supportive tones, and the playful, lively numbers – like “Don’t Even Know It” and the title track – help lift Jamie and our spirits through a majority of the 109-minute runtime.
Visually, cinematographer Christopher Ross captures lush, green rolling hills and blue-collar brick housing in Sheffield, England, located east of Manchester and south of Leeds. Even though Margaret (who, by the way, is the BEST mom) and Jamie live on a tight budget, they and most others are usually smiling. Also, Butterell caught some weather breaks during his shoot, because the sun usually shines brightly (except for some exceptional rain in the opening scene). In other words, this film might give a boost to the Sheffield tourist industry. The Airbnb locals should be pleased! Inside Jamie’s school, art directors Liz Simpson and Adam Tomlinson offer warm color palettes of purple and neon blue when Jamie and his classmates break into catchy songs.
Even though Jamie wrestles with the idea of slapping on his red, sparkling high-heels, finding a dress, applying makeup, and embracing the mettle to perform, the movie’s overall engaging direction barely lends any doubt that he will reach his goals. Jamie certainly recognizes his on-stage anxieties, but the film’s light ambiances regularly reassure us that life will turn out alright.
Look, “Everyone’s Talking About Jamie” does feel like a Disney Channel feature, where the rough edges are smoothed out with chocolate bars and comfy blankets. That’s not a compliment, but Harwood is exceedingly charismatic. The camera loves him, and we love him back. He gives Jamie an authentic on-screen voice while also offering empathy to anyone who emotionally labored in high school. Certainly, 99.9 percent of adults faced internal churn and doubts from ages 13 through 18, but Jamie and this movie specifically speak to LGBTQ audiences.
Looking back, however, Jamie’s drag queen mentor, Hugo Battersby (Richard E. Grant), might carry the most gravitas in the picture. Hugo reveals his 1980s story, his heydays and crippling hours, as a VHS cassette presentation entitled “Adventures of a Warrior Queen – 1987” presents both tender and tragic nostalgia.
Hey, can Richard E. Grant star in everything, and can we get a Hugo prequel?
Well, for now, we’re all talking about Jamie, and we’re keenly watching and listening too.
Jeff’s ranking
2.5/4 stars
