Everybody's Talking About Jamie ★★

Jonathan Butterell

Starring Max Harwood, Sarah Lancashire, Lauren Patel, Sharon Horgan, Richard E. Grant

Everybody's Talking About Jamie tells the real life story of student Jamie New (Max Harwood) who wants to go to his end of year prom in a dress. The battles he must face would be challenging for most students, but not for Jamie...and that is where this film lacks grit.

Jamie seems so sure of himself as a character that there seems no reason for him to fail. The obstacles he faces are worldwide bigoted problems for certain, but here is no doubt in an audiences mind that he will succeed. This makes for a difficult relationship between protagonist and audience.

Jamie's relationship with Mum Margaret (played by the brilliant Sarah Lancashire) is one of the film's biggest qualities. You feel a real love between them and some really strong performances come from Lancashire throughout.

Richard E. Grant also brings a fresh and in this instance exuberant energy to the film, and gives everything he can into his drag queen character Loco Chanelle. But even then the drag elements aren't given the fabulous energy that that world is so famous for bringing.

Other areas aren't explored enough either with the main focus being Jamie's neglect from his father, but even then the changes to plot try to make him a redeeming character instead of keeping him as the villain role he rightfully deserves. Bigoted teachers, school bullies and social anxieties are only slightly touched upon, and perhaps exploration into these aspects would have made for a more supportive structure.

I've heard great things about the stage show, so my suggestion would be to source that out. The music is fun, the story is uplifting but chances in this film adaptation have left it feeling a little thin and lacking of substance.

Everybody's Talking About Jamie available now on Amazon Prime