Everybody’s Talking About Jamie Parent Guide

An adaptation of a stage musical, which is itself an adaptation of a true story, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie tells the story of 16-year-old Jamie New (Max Harwood), whose one and only dream is to be a drag queen. With the unflagging support of his mother (Sarah Lancashire) and best friend, Pritti (Lauren Patel), Jamie works to figure out who he is, both in and out of drag, while also dealing with bullies and a disapproving father. One thing is clear to everyone, though: Jamie New was not meant to fit in.

We can all relate to being 16 and trying to figure out who we are. Heck, I’m 27 going through my quarter life crisis still trying to figure that out. But I think that’s why teen coming of age movies never seem to go out of style: we’ve all been there, and in many cases we’re still there to some degree. Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is, in many ways, a formulaic coming-of-age story where the hero triumphs, the bully learns a lesson, and everyone comes away a better person. However, the film never feels stale, and in fact breathes new life into the genre, thanks to its focus on underrepresented people and life experiences, as well as some great music.

As mentioned above, this movie is an adaptation of a stage musical, which can sometimes be tricky to get right. Luckily, this version manages to capture the spectacle and fun of a live show with stunning visuals and exciting choreography. The film adeptly shifts between colorful and joyful to somber and gloomy, which keeps the story’s emotional beats authentic and powerful. Max Harwood as Jamie, in his big screen debut, shines as our protagonist, delivering on both the fun and the emotion. The supporting cast are all excellent as well.

The main message of the story is acceptance and individuality, which is always welcome. Even for people who are not part of the LGBTQ+ community, learning to be unashamedly yourself, and to accept others doing the same, is a lesson we all can learn. Importantly, however, while celebrating the art form of drag, the story also takes a moment to pause and reflect on the sacrifices the drag performers of the past have made so that young performers today have the platforms and acceptance that they do.

I love a well done musical, and I often enjoy a coming-of-age story, so I greatly enjoyed my viewing of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. I laughed, I cried, I danced, and that’s all I can ask for. That said, I would place this production on the higher end of the PG-13 rating scale, and therefore I wouldn’t recommend it for young audiences, as important as I think the overall message is. There’s a fair amount of profanity as well as sexual innuendo, and our underage hero gets drunk on stolen alcohol, though he faces serious consequences for it. For older audiences with a love of drag, musicals, and feeling inspired, this movie is a great bit of fun with a lot of heart.