The Rectangular View

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Dessert is a road film about three drag queens travelling across the Australian outback. It stars Hugo Weaving as the middle-aged Mitzi Del Bra, Guy Pearce as the young and obnoxious Felicia Jollygoodfellow, and Terence Stamp as Bernadette Bassenger, a retired and transgender woman.

After a show, Mitzi gets a call backstage from his wife asking to perform his drag show at the hotel and casino she manages in Alice Springs, a remote town in central Australia. Mitzi calls Bernadette, whose boyfriend recently passed away, and convinces her that time away will help her deal with the loss. He then calls Felicia to join them. Felicia buys a tour bus, christens it Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and the three of them pack up and go.

Once on the road, they take a detour through the desert, where the bus breaks down and the antics begin. Like most road trip movies, these queens meet a wide cast of characters, friendly Australian aboriginals, an Asian stripper with a ping pong ball trick, and some angry homophobes. And to their shock, Bernadette and Felicia learn that Mitzi is married to a woman and has a son.

Stamp shines as the aging transgender drag queen who is tired of performing. He plays Bernadette with the world weariness and aged wisdom of a woman who has seen the best and worst the world has to offer. As Mitzi, Weaving shows a man who seems stuck in a profession he’s bored with and can’t escape. The joy has gone, but it’s all he knows. And Pearce as Felicia is the opposite of them both. Young, fearless, handsomely beautiful, and willing to do anything, Felicia is trouble waiting to happen. Watching the three of them travel across Australia is sheer delight.  

Director and writer Stephan Elliott knows how to keep the story rolling. The colors are bright, the outfits outrageous, and the story has the right mix of humor and seriousness. It’s easy to root for these three drag queens as they open up to each other and take their act on the road.