The following contains minor spoilers for Everybody's talking About Jamie.
Why is it that the term "feel good movie" always seems to be about a film that makes people cry? It's one of the strange mysteries of life, I guess. And yet that seems to be how a lot of people feel about Everybody's Talking About Jamie. The new movie, based on the stage musical, that was produced by 20th Century Fox prior to being bought by Disney, and that ultimately ended up on Amazon Prime Video, has finally completed its long road to the screen. And based on fan reaction, it seems to be a movie that a lot of people love, even if it's making them weep openly.
Just what is everybody talking about when it comes to Everybody's Talking About Jamie? Let's take a look at what the fans are saying
Everybody's Talking About Jamie May Be Better On Screen Than On Stage
The story of Everybody's Talking About Jamie actually began life as a documentary about a real teenager who wanted to be a drag queen, but the story really gained life when it became a stage musical. The new Amazon film is the adaptation of that musical, and that means that this story already has a lot of fans, with a lot of potentially high expectations for what this movie would be. By and large, these fans are quite satisfied.
With any sort of adaptation, whether it's from a play, a book, or just a remake of a previous film, there are going to be fans of the original work who can potentially be the hardest to please when it comes to a new production. There's always the possibility that some key element will be lost in the transition of adaptation. However, there seems to be a feeling from many of those that know the original musical well that the movie captured everything that made that version great. And the additions that the film version made, only improve upon it all.
Of course, unlike something like Hamilton, which was truly just a filmed production of the stage musical, Everybody's Talking About Jamie is a full film adaptation, and as such, there are things that this version can do that were unavailable to the original. The film version, according to many, takes proper advantage of being a movie to take the musical in slightly different directions. It can do things with the musical numbers that couldn't happen in another medium, making the film version, possibly better that the original, and at the very least, different enough that fans can appreciate each for their own merits.
So that's why everybody's talking about Everybody's Talking About Jamie, but Jamie isn't the only one people are talking about.
Everybody's Talking About Jamie's Mum
The title of the movie may be claiming that everybody is, in fact, talking about Jamie, but in reality, that's not quite the case. The performance that everybody is talking about is that of Sarah Lancashire, who plays Jamie's mother in the film. It's her performance that seems to have a lot of people getting emotional. The difficulty that comes with coming out to ones family is something that many stories on the big and small screen deal with. There isn't always familial support, but one certainly wishes that every mom was like Jamie's mom.
Jamie certainly has to deal with problems of acceptance within his own family as well as outside it, but that's what makes his mother's support of him all the more important to the movie, and all the more important to the people watching it. Of course, because Everybody's Talking About Jamie is a musical, that support isn't simply done in words but in powerful song.
Sarah Lancashire clearly hit some people right in the feels with her performance here. In a movie that's about following one's dreams, and also about finding one's people, sometimes those people can still come from within your blood family. Maybe the performance means so much because for many they did not have a figure like this in their life when they needed it, or maybe this reminds them of the support they did get when they needed it. Either way, people are touched.
But Sarah Lancashire certainly isn't the only performance that people are reacting too strongly.
Richard E. Grant And '"This Was Me"
While the movie version of Everybody's Talking About Jamie is, for the most part, a faithful recreation of the stage show, there is one significant addition to the film in the form of "This is Me," a new song written specifically for the film adaptation. It's sung by Holly Johnson but focuses on the younger days of Richard E. Grant's character, who plays a former drag queen and the mentor to Jamie. Grant, who is known for playing characters who have been dialed up to 11, continues to be a favorite of movie fans whatever he does.
The song is a tribute to the AIDS generation, it's a powerful look back and a very complicated time, and the song is leaving a lot of people an emotional wreck. But it's not just the song itself, but Richard E. Grant's performance surrounding the song that has people responding to it.
This makes two high profile roles for Richard E. Grant in only a few months, but it simply reinforces how great he is. He brings his own style to every role, while also giving himself over to it He's one of those actors that everybody loves and that's certainly no different here. Though it's possible he hasn't made people cry quite as much in other roles. Although, perhaps people did cry the other time they saw him on the screen this year.
While not everybody is actually talking about Jamie, those that are, are talking about how good it is. It works as an adaptation of the popular stage musical while also bringing something fresh and new to the table. It makes you feel good and will probably be the source of a good cry.
