John Leguizamo, who played the scrappy Chi-Chi, once said, "We weren't making a comedy about drag queens. We were making a movie about warriors." Twenty-nine years later, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar remains a glittering time capsule. It is a film that insists kindness is revolutionary and that the most masculine thing a man can do is be confident enough to wear a gown.
In the current climate of anti-drag legislation and culture wars, To Wong Foo stands as a warm, defiant hug. The film argues that drag is a force for good. These three queens don't come to the town of Snydersville to corrupt it; they come to heal it. They fix up a broken house, reconcile a father with his son, and teach women their own strength. To Wong Foo -1995- Wesley Snipes Patrick Swayze...
Vida is the queen who lives by the rules of "feminine grace." She teaches the town’s abused wife (beautifully played by Stockard Channing) how to stand up for herself. She teaches a young boy that it is okay to be soft. John Leguizamo, who played the scrappy Chi-Chi, once
Yes. And they are magnificent. To Wong Foo paved the way for mainstream queer acceptance in cinema. Before RuPaul’s Drag Race dominated television, this film showed Middle America a portrait of drag queens as heroes. It wasn't perfect—critics note the film is a "whitewashed" version of ballroom culture, and some argue it sanitizes drag for straight audiences. But its heart is in the right place. It is a film that insists kindness is