Film Review - Everybody's Talking About Jamie (2021)

There’s something about Sheffield. The ability to pull itself up by its bootstraps, to turn a negative into a surprising positive. At least that’s how film makers see it. Cast your mind back to the six unemployed steelworkers of The Full Monty nearly 25 years ago. They found an unexpected – and very public – way to restore their self-respect and earn some much-needed money into the bargain. The story of teenager Jamie New, which inspired the hit stage musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and now the new film version, has its roots in the same place. And the same attitude.

Based on true events, it follows 16 year old Jamie who, as the end of the school year approaches, watches his classmates deciding on their future careers, while he can only dream of what he really wants to be. A drag queen. His loving mum, Margaret (Sarah Lancashire) and his best friend Pritti (Lauren Patel), do all they can to encourage him, but he still has to contend with bullying students who target him because of his flamboyant style and the heartbreak of a father who is ashamed of him. But his biggest inspiration is Hugo, aka local drag legend Loco Chanelle (Richard E Grant), whose full throttle support is his secret weapon when the school won’t allow him to wear a dress to the end-of-year prom.

While The Full Monty had sadness built into its DNA, this is a feel good film from start to finish. Even at its most agonising moments – Jamie’s rejection by his father will bring a lump to your throat – you keep hoping that their relationship will improve and you know there’s another high spirited song right around the corner. There are plenty of them, not many of them memorable, but with enough colour and pizazz to lift the heart and get those toes tapping. Which doesn’t go amiss as we continue to emerge from our respective four walls.

In fact, its heart is so big that it’s easy to quietly push its limitations to one side and simply go with the flow and enjoy it. OK, so its messages have all the subtlety of a flying mallet and, yes, the characterisation is broad, but its spirit is irresistible. The stage cast hasn’t made the move to the film, but this new ensemble acquits itself very nicely, even if there are times when it’s hard to believe that, as played by Max Harwood, Jamie is just 16. If there’s one performance that everybody’s talking about, it belongs to Richard E Grant, on his best scene stealing form as a joyously over the top drag queen. A word, too, for the delightful Lauren Patel in her screen debut as Pritti, the sort of best friend everybody would want. You just want to hug her.

Like many other titles this year, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie had a bumpy ride getting to our screens. The unfortunate thing is that it’ll be seen on smaller ones, as it’s been picked up by Amazon Prime and, while that may mean it reaches a bigger audience, it’s another instance of a film that truly belongs in the cinema. Those musical numbers, the colour and the dancing needs to be seen on a larger scale. Thank goodness, then, that the vibrant warmth and positivity of the original stage show remains intact in this new version. It almost makes up for missing a shared, communal experience. Almost.