6 The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert
1994, Stephan Elliott
This film is the one most likely to be known by ALL readers. It was a hit for Guy Pearce and is full of flamboyant “fabulous” costumes and acting. Here we get a behind the scenes view of the Australian world of drag – and what a world it is! Coupled with the color and pizazz are the lonely lives of the main characters who struggle to find themselves, and their families, and a place in society. This is, undoubtedly, one of the best drag films ever – so much so that I rate it higher than the Birdcage (which is not included in this list).
Synopsis: Two drag-queens (Anthony/Mitzi and Adam/Felicia) and a tran***ual (Bernadette) contract to perform a drag show at a resort in Alice Springs, a resort town in the remote Australian desert. They head west from Sydney aboard their lavender bus, Priscilla. En route, it is discovered that the woman they’ve contracted with is Anthony’s wife. Their bus breaks down, and is repaired by Bob, who travels on with them.