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Review

A star rating of 3 out of 5.

Jacki Weaver's southern Baptist choir leader discovers San Francisco's vibrant drag scene in this well-meaning but dramatically underpowered pseudo-musical. When her estranged son Rickey dies, Maybelline (Weaver) travels to the city for the funeral, only to discover that Rickey has left his gay club, Pandora's Box, to her. Confronted with Rickey's grieving boyfriend (Adrian Grenier) and single-mother BFF (Lucy Liu, fantastic), Maybelline sets out to right past wrongs by rescuing both the club and Rickey's foundering friends. Warmly directed by Thom Fitzgerald with a commendably diverse cast of support performers, Stage Mother is so queer-positive it feels a shame to point out its shortcomings. Sadly, though, the film echoes rather than equals the likes of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and The Birdcage. Weaver is eminently watchable, though, even if her interactions with Rickey's friends are critically lacking in depth, and the musical drag-show moments are a joy, making this a likeable if frustratingly forgettable entry in the LGBTQ+ canon.

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6.6/10

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Credits

Cast

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Maybelline MetcalfJacki Weaver
SiennaLucy Liu
NathanAdrian Grenier
CherryMya Taylor
JoanAllister MacDonald
TequilaOscar Moreno
DustyJackie Beat
JebHugh Thompson
BevetteLenore Zann
AugustAnthony Skordi
RickeyEldon Thiele

Crew

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DirectorThom Fitzgerald

Details

Theatrical distributor
Altitude Film Distribution
Released on
2020-07-24
Languages
English
Guidance
Violence, swearing, sexual references, drug abuse
Available on
DVD
Formats
Colour
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