Editing But I'm a Cheerleader

{{short description|1999 film by Jamie Babbit}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = But I'm a Cheerleader
| image          = ButI'mACheerleader.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| alt            = A half-length portrait of a young woman with long hair, wearing a bright pink formal dress and satin gloves. At a distance over her head five cheerleaders in orange outfits perform, flying through the sky. Across the portrait reads, "But I'm a Cheerleader", and below, in smaller letters, "A Comedy of Sexual Disorientation".
| director       = [[Jamie Babbit]]
| screenplay     = [[Brian Wayne Peterson]]
| story          = Jamie Babbit
| producer       = {{plainlist|
* [[Andrea Sperling]]
* [[Leanna Creel]]
}}
| starring       = {{plainlist|<!--per billing block-->
* [[Natasha Lyonne]]
* [[Clea DuVall]]
* [[Melanie Lynskey]]
* [[RuPaul|RuPaul Charles]]
* [[Eddie Cibrian]]
* [[Wesley Mann]]
* [[Richard Moll]]
* [[Douglas Spain]]
* Katharine Towne
* [[Cathy Moriarty]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Jules Labarthe]]
| editing        = [[Cecily Rhett]]
| music          = [[Pat Irwin]]
| production_companies = {{plainlist|
* [[Ignite Entertainment]]
* [[The Kushner-Locke Company]]
}}
| distributor    = [[Lionsgate Films|Lions Gate Films]]
| released       = {{Film date|1999|9|12|[[1999 Toronto International Film Festival|TIFF]]|2000|7|7|United States}}
| runtime        = {{plainlist|
* 85 minutes (US)
* 92 minutes (UK)
}}
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $1 million
| gross          = $2.6 million<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0179116/|title=But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=17 December 2022|archive-date=December 17, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217191704/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0179116/|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
'''''But I'm a Cheerleader''''' is a 1999 American [[Satire (film and television)|satirical]] [[Teen film|teen]] [[romantic comedy]] film directed by [[Jamie Babbit]] in her feature directorial debut and written by [[Brian Wayne Peterson]].{{Not verified in body|date=April 2025}} [[Natasha Lyonne]] stars as Megan Bloomfield, a high school [[cheerleader]] whose parents send her to a residential in-patient [[conversion therapy]] camp to "cure" her [[lesbian]]ism. At camp, Megan realizes that she is indeed a lesbian and, despite the "therapy", comes to embrace her sexuality. The supporting cast includes [[Clea DuVall]], [[RuPaul]], and [[Cathy Moriarty]].

Inspired by an article about conversion therapy and her childhood familiarity with [[Drug rehabilitation|rehabilitation]] programs, Babbitt used the story of a young woman finding her sexual identity to explore the [[social construction]] of [[gender roles]] and [[heteronormativity]]. The costume and set design of the film highlighted these themes by using artificial textures in intense blues and pinks.

When it was initially rated as NC-17 by the [[Motion Picture Association of America|MPAA]], Babbit made cuts to allow it to be re-rated as R. When interviewed in the documentary film ''[[This Film Is Not Yet Rated]]'', she criticized the MPAA for [[Homophobia|discriminating against films with homosexual content]]. While the film has developed a [[cult following]] since its release, it was not well received by conservative critics of the time, who compared it unfavorably to the films of [[John Waters (filmmaker)|John Waters]] and criticized the colorful production design. The lead actors were praised for their performances, but some of the characters were described as [[stereotype|stereotypical]].

==Plot==
Seventeen-year-old high school senior Megan Bloomfield loves cheerleading and is dating Jared, a football player, but does not enjoy kissing him, instead preferring to look at her fellow cheerleaders. This, combined with her interests in [[vegetarianism]] and [[Melissa Etheridge]], leads her parents, Peter and Nancy, and friends to suspect that she is a lesbian. Aided by [[ex-gay movement|ex-gay]] Mike, they surprise her with an intervention. She is then sent to True Directions, a two-month-long [[conversion therapy]] camp intended to convert attendees to heterosexuality via a five-step program in which they admit their homosexuality, rediscover their gender identity by performing stereotypically gender-associated tasks, find the root of their homosexuality, demystify the opposite sex, and simulate heterosexual intercourse. Upon arrival, she meets strict disciplinarian Mary J. Brown, the program's director. Mary's son Rock is seen throughout the film making multiple sexual overtures towards Mike and the other male campers.

During the program, Megan befriends college student Graham Eaton. Although Graham is more comfortable in her sexuality, she was forced to attend the camp or risk being disowned by her family after her stepmother caught her having sex with a female friend. Megan meets several other adolescents and young adults trying to cure themselves of their homosexuality. The group's prompting forces her to reluctantly admit her lesbianism, which contradicts her traditional religious upbringing and distresses her, so she puts every effort into becoming heterosexual. Early on in her stay, she shockingly discovers retail worker Clayton Dunn and varsity wrestler Dolph [[making out]]. After Mike catches them in the act, Dolph is dismissed from the premises, while Clayton is punished with isolation in a [[doghouse]] for a week.

Two of Mary's former students, [[ex-ex-gay]]s Larry and Lloyd Morgan-Gordon, encourage the campers to rebel against her by taking them to a local [[gay bar]] called Cocksucker, where Graham and Megan's relationship becomes romantic. Upon discovering what they did, Mary forces all of them to [[Picketing (protest)|picket]] the couple's house, carrying placards and shouting homophobic abuse. Megan and Graham sneak away one night to have sex and begin to fall in love. When Mary discovers their escapade, Megan, now unapologetically comfortable with her sexuality, is dismissed from the premises. Graham, afraid that her continued defiance will result in her father potentially disinheriting her permanently, stays behind.

Disowned by her parents and homeless, Megan goes to stay with Larry and Lloyd, discovering that Dolph now also lives with them. The pair plan to rescue Graham and Clayton by infiltrating the graduation ceremony. While Dolph successfully coaxes Clayton away, Graham initially declines Megan's invitation to join them. Megan then performs a cheer she composed for Graham declaring her love for her, finally winning her over, and they drive off with Dolph and Clayton. The final scene shows Peter and Nancy uncomfortably attending a [[PFLAG]] meeting to come to terms with their daughter's homosexuality.

==Cast==
{{Cast listing|
*[[Natasha Lyonne]] as Megan Bloomfield
*[[Clea DuVall]] as Graham Eaton
*[[Cathy Moriarty]] as Mary Brown
*[[RuPaul|RuPaul Charles]] as Mike
*[[Mink Stole]] as Nancy Bloomfield
*[[Bud Cort]] as Peter Bloomfield
*[[Eddie Cibrian]] as Rock Brown
*[[Melanie Lynskey]] as Hilary Vandermueller
*[[Wesley Mann]] as Lloyd Morgan-Gordon
*[[Richard Moll]] as Larry Morgan-Gordon
*[[Joel Michaely]] as Joel Goldberg
*[[Kip Pardue]] as Clayton Dunn
*[[Dante Basco]] as Dolph
*[[Douglas Spain]] as Andre
*[[Katrina Phillips]] as Jan
*Katharine Towne as Sinead Lauren
*Brandt Wille as Jared
*[[Michelle Williams (actress)|Michelle Williams]] as Kimberly
*[[Julie Delpy]] as Lipstick Lesbian
}}

==Production==
===Background===
''But I'm a Cheerleader'' was Babbit's first feature film,<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2012-02-07 |title= Interview with Jamie Babbit |url=http://www.afterellen.com/archive/ellen/People/interviews/62004/jamiebabbit.html |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=[[AfterEllen]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207185256/http://www.afterellen.com/archive/ellen/People/interviews/62004/jamiebabbit.html |archive-date=7 February 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> following two [[short subject|short films]], ''Frog Crossing'' (1996) and ''[[Sleeping Beauties (film)|Sleeping Beauties]]'' (1999). Babbit and producer Andrea Sperling secured financing from Michael Burns, vice president of [[Prudential Financial|Prudential Insurance]], after showing him the script at Sundance festival.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Dixon |first=Wheeler Winston |title=Film Voices: Interviews from Post Script |publisher=SUNY Press |year=2004 |isbn=0-7914-6156-4 |editor-last=Duchovnay |editor-first=Gerald |pages=153–165 |chapter=Jamie Babbit}}</ref> Their one-sentence [[Pitch (filmmaking)|pitch]] was "Two high-school girls fall in love at a reparative therapy camp."<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Gideonse |first=Ted |date=2000 |title=The New Girls Of Summer |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oWIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PP1 |journal=Out |pages=54–61}}</ref> Burns gave an initial budget of [[US$]]500,000 which was increased to US$1 million when the film went into production.<ref name=":2" />

===Conception===
Babbit, whose mother runs a [[halfway house]] called New Directions for young people with drug and alcohol problems, had wanted to make a comedy about rehabilitation and the [[Twelve-step program|12-step program]].<ref name=":3" /> After reading an article about a man who had returned from a reparative therapy camp hating himself, she decided to combine the two ideas.<ref name=":2" /> With girlfriend Sperling, she came up with the idea for a feature film about a cheerleader who attends reparative therapy.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=So Many Battles to Fight Interview with Jamie Babbit |url=https://nitrateonline.com/2000/fcheerleader.html |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=nitrateonline.com |archive-date=September 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929210807/http://www.nitrateonline.com/2000/fcheerleader.html |url-status=live }}</ref> They wanted the main character to be a cheerleader because it is ...&nbsp;"the pinnacle of the American dream, and the American dream of femininity."<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Grady |first=Pam |date=2005-03-06 |title=Rah Rah Rah: Director Jamie Babbit and Company Root for But I'm a Cheerleader |url=http://www.reel.com/reel.asp?node=features/interviews/cheerleader |access-date=2022-04-02 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050306182317/http://www.reel.com/reel.asp?node=features/interviews/cheerleader |archive-date=6 March 2005 |url-status=dead}}</ref> She wanted the film to represent the lesbian experience from the [[Butch and femme|femme]] perspective, contrasting with several films of the time that represented the butch perspective (''[[Go Fish (film)|Go Fish]]'' and ''[[The Watermelon Woman]]'').<ref name=":2" /> She also wanted to satirize both the [[Christian right|religious right]] and the [[gay community]].<ref name=":4" /> Not feeling qualified to write the script herself, Babbit brought in screenwriter and recent graduate of [[USC School of Cinematic Arts]] [[Brian Wayne Peterson]].<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" /> Peterson had experience with reparative therapy while working at a prison clinic for [[sex offender]]s.<ref name=":3" /> He has said that he wanted to make a film that would not only entertain people, but also anger them and encourage them to talk about the issues it raised.<ref name=":3" />

===Casting===
Babbit recruited Clea DuVall, who had starred in her short film ''Sleeping Beauties'', to play the role of Graham Eaton. She met much of the cast through DuVall, including Natasha Lyonne and [[Melanie Lynskey]].<ref name=":1" /> Lyonne first saw the script in the back of DuVall's car and contacted her agent about it;<ref name=":3" /> having seen and enjoyed ''Sleeping Beauties'', she was eager to work with her.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Judd |first=Daniel |date=2007-09-27 |title=Jamie Babbit |url=http://www.rainbownetwork.com/Film/detail.asp?iData=9110&iChannel=14&nChannel=Film |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=Rainbow Network |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927223954/http://www.rainbownetwork.com/Film/detail.asp?iData=9110&iChannel=14&nChannel=Film |archive-date=27 September 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Lyonne was not the first choice for the role of Megan. Another actress had wanted to play the part but eventually turned it down due to her religious beliefs and not wanting her family to see her on the poster.<ref name=":1" /> [[Rosario Dawson]] was also considered for Megan, but her executive producer persuaded her that Dawson, who is [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]], would not be right for the All-American character.<ref name=":4" />

A conscious effort was made to cast [[Person of color|people of color]] in supporting roles to combat what Babbit described as "racism at every level of making movies."<ref name=":4" /> From the beginning, she intended the characters of Mike (played by [[RuPaul]]), Dolph ([[Dante Basco]]) and Andre ([[Douglas Spain]]) to be [[African American]], [[Asian people|Asian]] and Hispanic, respectively. She initially considered [[Arsenio Hall]] for the character of Mike but Hall was uncomfortable playing a gay role.<ref name=":5" /> As Mike, RuPaul made a rare appearance out of [[Drag (clothing)|drag]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-10-17 |title=Ladies' Man: An Interview with Superdiva RuPaul |url=http://www.drdrew.com/DrewLive/article.asp?id=908 |access-date=2022-04-02 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017180115/http://www.drdrew.com/DrewLive/article.asp?id=908 |archive-date=17 October 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:Cheerleader-pickets.jpg|thumb|alt=Three young women and three young men stand in a line, with an older woman and man. The women wear vivid pink skirts and tops and the men wear vivid blue shorts and shirts. They hold placards, also in bright blue and pink, including "Silly Faggots; Dicks are for Chicks" and "Procreate". One young woman, without a placard, throws a rock in front of her.|The True Directions campers picket the ex-ex-gays. Intense colors were used to represent the artificiality of heteronormativity.]]

===Set and costume design===
Babbit says that her influences for the look and feel of the film included John Waters, [[David LaChapelle]], ''[[Edward Scissorhands]]'' and [[Barbie]].<ref name=":4" /> She wanted the production and costume design to reflect the themes of the story. The progression from the ordinary world of Megan's home life, where the dominant colors are muted oranges and browns, to the contrived world of True Directions with intense blues and pinks, is intended to represent the artificiality of [[heteronormativity]].<ref name=":4" /> The [[Mysophobia|germaphobic]] character of Mary Brown represents [[AIDS]] paranoia; her clean, ordered world is filled with plastic flowers, fake sky and [[Polyvinyl chloride|PVC]] outfits.<ref name=":4" /> The external shots of the colorful house complete with bright pink [[agricultural fencing]] were filmed in [[Palmdale, California]].<ref name=":3" />

==Themes==
[[File:Grahammeg.jpg|alt=Two young women face forwards, standing over a pink wooden cradle. Both are wearing pink outfits and the background is a pink room. The woman on the left has chin-length dark hair and holds in her right hand a plastic lifelike baby doll. With her left hand she pushes the other woman, who has long, light brown hair and also leans over the doll.|thumb|Graham and Megan attempt to reinforce their gender roles through performing traditional female tasks.]]

''But I'm a Cheerleader'' contains themes of [[Human sexuality|sexuality]], [[gender role]]s and [[Conformity|social conformity]]. Chris Holmlund in ''Contemporary American Independent Film'' notes this feature of the film and calls the costumes "gender-tuned".<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Holmlund |first=Chris |title=Contemporary American Independent Film: From the Margins to the Mainstream |publisher=Routledge |year=2004 |isbn=0-415-25486-8 |editor-last=Holmlund |editor-first=Chris |chapter=Generation Q's ABCs: Queer Kids and 1990s' Independent Films |editor-last2=Wyatt |editor-first2=Justin}}</ref> Ted Gideonse in ''[[Out (magazine)|Out]]'' magazine wrote "the costumes and colors of the film show how false the goals of True Directions are".<ref name=":3" /> The film provides a positive representation of LGBTQ community by casting a diverse range of characters who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender. This film has become a classic within the LGBTQ community as it helps raise awareness of the harms of conversion therapy.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Martin |first=Syd |date=April 24, 2018 |title=But I'm a Cheerleader: Queer in Content and Production |url=https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cine/vol8/iss1/1/ |journal=Cinesthesia |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=Article 1 |no-pp=y}}</ref>

==Rating and distribution==
When originally submitted to the [[Motion Picture Association of America]] rating board, ''But I'm a Cheerleader'' received an [[NC-17]] rating. In order to get a commercially viable R rating, Babbit removed a two-second shot of Graham's hand sweeping Megan's clothed body, a [[Panning (camera)|camera pan]] of Megan's body when she is masturbating, and a comment that Megan "[[Cunnilingus|ate Graham out]]".<ref>{{cite news  | last = Taubin  | first = A.  | title = Erasure Police  | newspaper = [[The Village Voice]]  | page = 57 | date = August 3, 1999}}</ref>

Babbit was interviewed by [[Kirby Dick]] for his 2006 documentary film ''[[This Film Is Not Yet Rated]]''. The film argues that films with homosexual content are treated more stringently than those with only heterosexual content, and that scenes of female sexuality draw harsher criticism from the board than those of male sexuality. Babbit stated that she felt discriminated against for making a gay film.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-10-17 |title= 'This Film is Not Yet Rated' Explores Anti-Gay Bias of MPAA Ratings System |url=http://gaywired.com/article.cfm?section=9&id=10452 |access-date=2022-04-02 |website= GayWired.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017191223/http://gaywired.com/article.cfm?section=9&id=10452 |archive-date=17 October 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The film was rated as M (for mature audiences 15 and older) in Australia and in New Zealand, 14A in Canada, 12 in Germany and 15 in the United Kingdom.

The film premiered on September 12, 1999, at the [[1999 Toronto International Film Festival|Toronto International Film Festival]] and was screened in January 2000 at the [[Sundance Film Festival]]. It was shown at other international film festivals including the [[Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras]] festival and the [[London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival]].<ref name=":0" />

Following its Toronto premiere, [[Fine Line Features]] acquired North American distribution rights to the film for "low six figures", committing $500,000 to prints and advertisement and promising its filmmakers gross participation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fine Line cheering pix at Toronto|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Oliver|last=Jones|date=17 September 1999|access-date=23 November 2024|url=https://variety.com/1999/film/news/fine-line-cheering-pix-at-toronto-film-festival-1117755777/}}</ref> However, the deal fell through in February 2000 over doubts regarding home video rights, with [[Lionsgate Films|Lions Gate Films]] acquiring North American rights the following month and releasing it theatrically in the United States on July 7, 2000.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lions Gate pacts for 'Cheerleader'|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Dana|last=Harris|date=6 March 2000|access-date=23 November 2024|url=https://variety.com/2000/film/news/lions-gate-pacts-for-cheerleader-1117779116/}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=But I'm a Cheerleader |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3695805953/weekend/ |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=Box Office Mojo |archive-date=April 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220402011757/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3695805953/weekend/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The film was first released to home video by Universal Studios on October 3, 2000, and by Lions Gate on July 22, 2002.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-09-25 |title=But I'm a Cheerleader DVD|url=http://www.movieweb.com/dvd/DVdX0eilBNtogj |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=[[MovieWeb]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120925200011/http://www.movieweb.com/dvd/DVdX0eilBNtogj |archive-date=25 September 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In honor of the film's 20th anniversary, the [[director's cut]] of ''But I'm a Cheerleader'' was released via [[video on demand]] on December 8, 2020,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Rubin |first=Rebecca |date=2020-12-04 |title='But I'm a Cheerleader' Director Jamie Babbit on the Queer Classic 20 Years Later: 'I Wanted to Make a Gay 'Clueless |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/features/but-im-a-cheerleader-director-jamie-babbit-20th-anniversary-1234842163/ |access-date=2022-04-02 |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |archive-date=December 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212215404/https://variety.com/2020/film/features/but-im-a-cheerleader-director-jamie-babbit-20th-anniversary-1234842163/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and on Blu-ray on June 1, 2021.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/But-Im-a-Cheerleader-Blu-ray/131346/ |title=But I'm a Cheerleader Blu-ray (Director's Cut) |website=Blu-ray.com |access-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424042802/https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/But-Im-a-Cheerleader-Blu-ray/131346/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Reception==
===Box office and audience reaction===
''But I'm a Cheerleader'' grossed $2,595,216 worldwide. In its opening weekend, showing at four theaters, it earned $60,410 which was 2.7% of its total gross.<ref name=":0" /> According to [[Box Office Mojo]], it ranked at 174 for all films released in the US in 2000 and 74 for R-rated films released that year.<ref name=":0" /> The film was a hit with festival audiences and received [[standing ovation]]s at the [[San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-03-25 |title=New York Lesbian And Gay Film Festival |url=http://www.filmfestivals.com/int/overviews/2000/NYgay_00.htm |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=Filmfestivals.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325044703/http://www.filmfestivals.com/int/overviews/2000/NYgay_00.htm |archive-date=25 March 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> It has been described as a favorite with gay audiences and on the [[art film|art house]] circuit.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Benshoff |first1=Harry |title=America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies |last2=Griffin |first2=Sean |publisher=Blackwell Publishing |year=2004 |isbn=0-631-22583-8}}</ref>

===Critical response===
At the time of its initial release ''But I'm a Cheerleader'' polarized critics. On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], it has an approval rating of 43% from 91 reviews, with the site's critical consensus stating, "Too broad to make any real statements, ''But I'm a Cheerleader'' isn't as sharp as it should be, but a charming cast and surprisingly emotional center may bring enough pep for viewers looking for a light social satire."<ref>{{Cite web |title=But I'm a Cheerleader |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/but_im_a_cheerleader |access-date=2025-02-28|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |archive-date=February 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240219162307/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/but_im_a_cheerleader |url-status=live }}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], it has a [[Weighted arithmetic mean|weighted average]] score of 39 out of 100 based on 30 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/but-im-a-cheerleader|title=But I'm a Cheerleader Reviews|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=July 17, 2019|archive-date=September 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200908055531/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/but-im-a-cheerleader|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Elvis Mitchell]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' praised Lyonne and DuVall for their performances.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mitchell |first=Elvis |author-link=Elvis Mitchell |date=2000-07-07 |title=Don't Worry. Pink Outfits Will Straighten Her Out. |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/film/070700cheer-film-review.html |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=[[The New York Times]] |archive-date=April 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421205255/https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/film/070700cheer-film-review.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Kevin Thomas (film critic)|Kevin Thomas]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' described the movie as having "jaunty, superficial humor" that "tends more to confirm homosexual stereotypes for easy laughter than to skewer the horror of [conversion therapy]".<ref>{{cite news |last=Thomas |first=Kevin |author-link=Kevin Thomas (film critic) |date=2000-07-21 |title='But I'm a Cheerleader' Works Against Its Goals |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jul-21-ca-56534-story.html |access-date=2022-08-31 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> [[Emanuel Levy]] of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' described it as a "shallow, only mildly entertaining satire".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Levy |first=Emanuel |author-link=Emanuel Levy |date=1999-09-23 |title=But I'm a Cheerleader |url=https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/but-i-m-a-cheerleader-1117752174/ |access-date=2022-08-31 |magazine=Variety |archive-date=August 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220831124339/https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/but-i-m-a-cheerleader-1117752174/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Roger Ebert said "It feels like an amateur night version of itself, awkward, heartfelt and sweet".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |title=But I'm A Cheerleader movie review (2000) {{!}} Roger Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/but-im-a-cheerleader-2000 |access-date=2023-09-24 |website= |language=en |archive-date=May 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503153357/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/but-im-a-cheerleader-2000 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Reviews from [[List of LGBT periodicals|gay media]] were positive, and the film has undergone a critical reassessment over time. ''[[AfterEllen|AfterEllen.com]]'' named it "one of the five best lesbian movies ever made";<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.afterellen.com/movies/454739-sapphic-cinema-im-cheerleader|title=Sapphic Cinema: "But I'm a Cheerleader" |date=September 25, 2015|website=AfterEllen|access-date=June 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180111052700/http://www.afterellen.com/movies/454739-sapphic-cinema-im-cheerleader|archive-date=January 11, 2018|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> the site had considered the movie's story "predictable" and characters "stereotypical" in its initial 2006 review.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-01-18 |title=Review of "But I'm a Cheerleader" |url=http://www.afterellen.com/Movies/2006/9/cheerleader.html |website=AfterEllen |access-date=2022-04-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118101848/http://www.afterellen.com/Movies/2006/9/cheerleader.html |archive-date=January 18, 2012}}</ref> ''[[Curve (magazine)|Curve]]'' called the film an "incredible comedy" that "redefined lesbian film."<ref>"Women to Watch in Film". ''[[Curve (magazine)|Curve]]''. November 2003. p. 22.</ref>

===Awards===
The film won the Audience Award and the Graine de Cinéphage Award at the 2000 [[Créteil International Women's Film Festival]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sullivan |first=Moira |title=MMI Movie Review: But I'm a Cheerleader-- Jamie Babbit Wins Créteil Films de Femmes 'Prix du Public' |url=https://www.shoestring.org/mmi_revs/but-im-a-cheerleader.html |access-date=2022-04-02 |work=[[Shoestring Radio Theatre|Movie Magazine International]] |archive-date=March 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314051401/https://www.shoestring.org/mmi_revs/but-im-a-cheerleader.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It was nominated by the Political Film Society of America for the PFS Award in the categories of [[Political Film Society Award for Human Rights|Human Rights]] and [[Political Film Society Award for Exposé|Exposé]] the same year.

==Music==
[[Pat Irwin]] composed the score for ''But I'm a Cheerleader''. The soundtrack has never been released on CD. Artists featured include [[Saint Etienne (band)|Saint Etienne]], [[Dressy Bessy]], [[April March]] and RuPaul.

<!-- see [[Template:Track listing]] to improve this section -->
'''Track listing'''
# "Chick Habit ([[Laisse tomber les filles]])" ([[Elinor Blake]], [[Serge Gainsbourg]]) performed by [[April March]]
# "Just Like Henry" ([[Tammy Ealom]], [[John Hill (musician)|John Hill]], Rob Greene, Darren Albert) performed by [[Dressy Bessy]]
# "If You Should Try and Kiss Her" (Ealom, Hill, Greene, Albert) performed by Dressy Bessy
# "Trailer Song" (Courtney Holt, Joy Ray) performed by [[Sissy Bar]]
# "All or Nothing" (Cris Owen, [[Miisa]]) performed by [[Miisa]]
# "We're in the City" ([[Sarah Cracknell]], [[Bob Stanley (Saint Etienne)|Bob Stanley]], [[Pete Wiggs]]) performed by [[Saint Etienne (band)|Saint Etienne]]
# "The Swisher" (Dave Moss, Ian Rich) performed by Summer's Eve
# "Funnel of Love" (Kent Westbury, [[Charlie McCoy]]) performed by [[Wanda Jackson]]
# "Ray of Sunshine" ([[Go Sailor]]) performed by [[Go Sailor]]
# "Glass Vase Cello Case" ([[Madigan Shive]], [[Jen Wood]]) performed by [[Tattle Tale]]
# "Party Train" ([[RuPaul]]) performed by RuPaul
# "Evening in Paris" ([[Lois Maffeo]]) performed by Lois Maffeo
# "Together Forever in Love" (Go Sailor) performed by [[Go Sailor]]

== Legacy ==
The music video for the 2021 song "Silk Chiffon" by musical group [[Muna (band)|Muna]] with [[Phoebe Bridgers]] pays homage to ''But I'm a Cheerleader'' and features much of the film's iconography. Guitarist Naomi McPherson said they wanted "a song for kids to have their first gay kiss to."<ref>{{cite web|last=Curto|first=Justin|url=https://www.vulture.com/2021/09/muna-phoebe-bridgers-silk-chiffon-video.html|title=Let's Go, Lesbians! The Muna and Phoebe Bridgers Collab Is Here.|date=September 7, 2021|website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]|access-date=October 9, 2021|url-access=limited|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210908121421/https://www.vulture.com/2021/09/muna-phoebe-bridgers-silk-chiffon-video.html|archive-date=September 8, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Musical===
In 2005, the [[New York Musical Theatre Festival]] featured a [[musical theatre|musical]] stage adaptation of ''But I'm a Cheerleader'' written by lyricist Bill Augustin and composer Andrew Abrams. With 18 original songs, it was directed by Daniel Goldstein and starred [[Chandra Lee Schwartz]] as Megan. It played during September 2005 at New York's Theatre at St. Clement's. The musical was also performed as part of MT Fest UK from February 18 to 20, 2019 at [[The Other Palace]] in London, with a cast featuring Bronté Barbé as Megan, [[Carrie Hope Fletcher]] as Graham, [[Jamie Muscato]] as Jared, [[Matt Henry (singer)|Matt Henry]] as Mike, [[Ben Forster (actor)|Ben Forster]] as Larry, [[Stephen Hogan]] as Lloyd and [[Luke Bayer]] as Clayton.

A production of the musical played at the [[Turbine Theatre]] in London, beginning previews February 18, 2022. It opened on February 23 and ran until April 16. It was directed by Tania Azevedo, choreographed by Alexzandra Sarmiento, and produced by Paul Taylor-Mills and [[Bill Kenwright]] in association with Adam Bialow, with lighting by Martha Godfrey.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Meyer|first=Dan|date=November 30, 2021|title=''But I'm A Cheerleader: The Musical'' Will Get London Premiere in 2022|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/but-im-a-cheerleader-the-musical-will-get-london-premiere-in-2022|access-date=2021-12-13|magazine=[[Playbill]]|archive-date=April 2, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402051248/https://www.playbill.com/article/but-im-a-cheerleader-the-musical-will-get-london-premiere-in-2022|url-status=live}}</ref> The musical returned to the Turbine Theatre later that year, running from October 7 to November 27.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Putnam|first=Leah|url=https://playbill.com/article/but-im-a-cheerleader-the-musical-will-return-to-londons-turbine-theatre|title=''But I'm a Cheerleader: The Musical'' Will Return to London's Turbine Theatre|magazine=Playbill|date=September 14, 2022|access-date=September 23, 2022|archive-date=September 23, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923054047/https://playbill.com/article/but-im-a-cheerleader-the-musical-will-return-to-londons-turbine-theatre|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of LGBT films directed by women]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title}}

{{Jamie Babbit}}

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