What it’s about
Invited to perform at a casino in the Australian outback, aging transsexual Bernadette (Stamp) still grieving for a recently deceased lover reluctantly hops aboard a lavender school bus (dubbed “Priscilla”) with drag artists Mitzi (Weaving) and Adam/Felicia (Pearce). As they make the long trip to tiny, remote Alice Springs, the unusual, cross-dressing trio encounters a variety of bizarre characters, as well as open hostility.
Why we love it
This campy, madcap road trip through the Aussie frontier was a huge hit in the U.S., loved for its cheeky humor and hilariously absurd scenarios — many of them involving awestruck locals encountering the gaudily clad men. In a remarkable change of pace, the normally hard-nosed Stamp delivers an aching, funny performance as a weathered transsexual who has begun to question his life's path. Weaving (Agent Smith from “The Matrix”) and Pearce (of “Memento” fame) are equally watchable as flamboyant drag queens with a gift for lip-synching show tunes. For a quirky, comic drama about lovable fringe types, hop aboard “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.”