To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available in Australia on Paramount+ Amazon Channel, and in the UK on MUBI. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. 809 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Patrick Swayze is the obvious draw, but the whole ensemble earns its laughs. Put it on tonight on Paramount+ Amazon Channel and see for yourself.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar is worth clearing space for. To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. Manhattan drag queens Vida Boheme and Noxeema Jackson impress regional judges in competition, securing berths in the Nationals in Los Angeles. When the two meet pathetic drag novice Chi-Chi Rodriguez — one of the losers that evening — the charmed Vida and Noxeema agree to take the hopeless youngster under their joined wing. Soon the three set off on a madcap road trip across America and struggle to make it to Los Angeles in time. Patrick Swayze and Wesley Snipes lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1995. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-off curiosities. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

If you need a comedy that actually makes you laugh, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar is a strong candidate. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Patrick Swayze's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.