But I'm a Cheerleader

Critics Consensus

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.

39%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 83

74%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 40,896

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Movie Info

Confident and opinionated, 17-year-old Megan is far too strong-willed for her unsuppportive parents, who begin to worry she is a lesbian. Their solution is to send Megan to 'True Directions,' a "rehabilitation camp" run by homophobic counselor Mary Brown. Soon Megan meets the equally defiant Graham, and the two form a fast friendship. Ironically, the more time Megan spends at the camp, the more she begins to question just how fixed her sexuality really is.
  • Rating:
    R (for strong language and sexual content involving teens)
  • Genre:
    Comedy
  • Directed By:
    Jamie Babbit
  • Written By:
    Brian Wayne Peterson, Jamie Babbit
  • In Theaters:
     wide
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Box Office:
    $175,182
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    Lions Gate Films

Cast

Natasha Lyonne
as Megan
Clea DuVall
as Graham
Cathy Moriarty
as Mary
Bud Cort
as Peter
Eddie Cibrian
as Rock
RuPaul
as Mike
Melanie Lynskey
as Hilary
Mink Stole
as Megan's Mom
Douglas Spain
as Andre
Kip Pardue
as Clayton
Dante Basco
as Dolph
Katrina Phillips
as Jan
Michelle Williams
as Kimberly
Brandt Wille
as Jared
Katie Donahue
as Cheerleader No. 1
Danielle Reneau
as Cheerleader No. 2
Katharine Towne
as Sinead
Joel Michaely
as Joel
Kyle Thatcher
as Joel's Father
Robert Pine
as Mr. Eaton
Rachelle Carson
as Graham's Stepmom
Wesley Mann
as Lloyd
Richard Moll
as Larry
Julie Delpy
as Lipstick Lesbian
Charles Braden
as Bruce
Robert P. Farrior
J. Eddie Peck
Ione Skye
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Critic Reviews for But I'm a Cheerleader

All Critics (83) | Top Critics (28) | Fresh (32) | Rotten (51)

View All Critic Reviews (83)

Audience Reviews for But I'm a Cheerleader

  • Aug 22, 2015
    funny satire that has grown into a very cult movie thanks to a very topical subject. great messages and characters are quirky and fun, nice twist to the normal romantic comedies
    Brendan N Super Reviewer
  • Jul 26, 2015
    Even as an exaggeration, with its overuse of pink/green and showing the rehab camp people as caricatures, this smart satire is actually sadder than funny when you realize it is not so far from reality, especially when you see that idiots like that really exist trying to cure gays.
    Carlos M Super Reviewer
  • Dec 07, 2011
    A lesbian cheerleader goes to a faith-based camp to "reform" homosexuality. When Ted Haggard claimed that he could essentially "pray the gay away," I thought that not only was it one of the most ridiculous things I had ever heard but that it would also work as fantastic fodder for satire. <i>But I'm a Cheerleader</i> should be that satire. It isn't. It ultimately fails because it reduces its homosexual characters to stereotypes that we've seen many times before, and the "villains," the evangelists who attempt to guide the main characters away from their tendencies, are reduced to hypocrites rather than earnest people committed to a social/cultural mission. Thus, every character becomes a type rather than a person, and the situations are so contrived and over-the-top that it becomes difficult to understand if the film takes its own subject matter seriously. Overall, I like the idea for this film, but the execution was sorely lacking.
    Jim H Super Reviewer
  • Nov 01, 2011
    This movie had potential, but stereotypical characters and a flat storyline stifle its development.
    Matt P Super Reviewer
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