Friday, a time to relax! I have some funny movies for you, two of which are still available on Netflix, and two that are so classic that I am sure you can find them somewhere.
People dressing as members of the opposite sex has been a theme in the theater at least since Shakespeare. There are many reasons for this, ranging from gender identity to a need for disguise - but all speak to the complexity of being human and to the need for tolerance for people's differences. After all, differences enrich us as a society. So tonight's movies pay homage to that theme. And one of them is based on a true story!
Sex is not simple
Movies below the fold...
Kinky Boots
I cannot recommend this movie highly enough -- it is funny, heart warming, and a wonderful tale about tolerance for those who are different. This is the true story of a young man who inherits an old fashioned men's shoe factory in the stodgy, stuffy, town of Northampton, England, only to find the business is about bankrupt. By chance, he meets in a London alley a drag queen defending herself from some thugs. He tries to help but gets beaned when she brandishes her broken boot at her attackers. He learns that there are men wearing women's shoes, that, although in larger sizes, are simply not engineered to take a man's weight. A niche market presents itself, high heeled boots and shoes for men dressing as women -- but can it save the factory and its jobs in conservative Northampton? Will a thirty minute opportunity on the catwalk at Fashion Week in Milan, bought by mortgaging everything our factory owner has, save the business? Watch this movie! You will thank me...
The Birdcage
The late Robin Williams stars in one of his best films, an American re-make of a French comedy that is even better than the French original - which is really saying something! The straight son of two gay men, owners of a night club in Miami, seeks to marry the daughter of an ultra conservative politician. He asks his dads to put up a pretense so that he will be accepted by people who have no tolerance for those who are different from them. Of course, a farce ensues...and in the end, the intolerant get to walk in the shoes of those they scorn. If you have never seen this, you must. If you have, it only gets better with re-viewing.
Victor Victoria
Here is a classic Blake Edwards comedy that has, sadly, disappeared from the Netflix streaming catalogue -- but I am sure you can find it somewhere. Starving in Paris is no fun, especially for a talented, trained soprano whose high notes can shatter glass... yet she cannot find work. When she meets with a gay show man, an idea is born. She will pretend to be a man pretending to be a woman...and suddenly, bingo, the world is her oyster. Everything is going swimmingly until she meets a straight man who falls for her - while she is dressed like a man. Treat yourself! This is a movie with a great cast and too many hysterically funny moments to iterate...
Some Like It Hot
This Billy Wilder comedy may just have loosened some of the strict Hays code... It is the story of two straight men who disguise themselves as women in an all female orchestra in order to hide from some mob guys who are trying to kill them. And who should be in that all girl band but Sugar, played by the ever alluring Marilyn Monroe. And oh, our heros long for her even while pretending to be women, themselves! Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis play the cross dressers. This isn't on Netflix for streaming anymore but I am sure you can find it somewhere, it is such a classic. I tell you, if you have not seen this, your cultural education is not complete! One of the funniest movies ever...
Come in, be comfortable, share your day and your plans for the weekend! Any movie picks, on this theme or others, are most welcome!
Prior Streaming Movies on a Friday Night subjects:
At the Table
Ghosts
Resilient People
Love
Food and Our Health
Cozy Mysteries
Playing Shakespeare
For Children
Romantic Comedy
Pirates and Thieves
Fantasy Adventures
Spies
Funny with a touch of religion/spirit
Cheaters Never Prosper
Hotels
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Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share part of the evening around a virtual kitchen table with kossacks who are caring and supportive of one another. So bring your stories, jokes, photos, funny pics, music, and interesting videos, as well as links—including quotations—to diaries, news stories, and books that you think this community would appreciate. Readers may notice that most who post diaries and comments in this series already know one another to some degree, but newcomers should not feel excluded. We welcome guests at our kitchen table, and hope to make some new friends as well.
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