Channel Hop: The film was first released by Universal on DVD.The film helped get her started as a director and producer. Breakthrough Hit: Jamie Babbit said her career was "nowhere", and she was doing shorts or "other people's movies".Awesome, Dear Boy: Natasha Lyonne pushed to be cast because she was a bit fan of Jamie Babbit's short film Sleeping Beauties.Actor-Inspired Element: Clea DuVall was the first actor to come on board, and was able to recommend several other cast members for their roles - including Natasha Lyonne and Melanie Lynskey.Day 3: Video: The Problem with Heteronormativity (Watch in class on Day 3).Day 3: Video: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression (Watch in class on Day 3).Excerpt included: Introduction and Appendix B) Romantic Comedy: Boy Meets Girl Meets Genre. Day 2: Video: CBS - Conversion Therapy(Homework: Watch before Day 2 Class Content warning: contains descriptions of suicide attempts and abuse).Day 1: Film studies vocabulary handout.Day 1: Student-led scene analysis description and model.Students should watch this video prior to Day 2’s class. For example, the CBS Video on Conversion Therapy is listed as Day 2 because it is intended to be discussed that day. Throughout the course, secondary texts are listed alongside the day they are discussed in class.
If you plan to rearrange the sequence of this course, you may want to move some of these introductory materials to whatever you choose to be the first week.
Because this is the first week of the course, Day 1 includes the introduction of some course systems and materials we will use throughout this course (student-led scene analysis model, film studies vocabulary, film screening notes). In the closing credits, Megan’s parents are shown attending a PFLAG meeting, suggesting their step towards acceptance of Megan’s sexuality.īut I’m A Cheerleader contains two non-explicit sex scenes, brief underage drinking, and humor about sexuality throughout. Ultimately, Megan performs a cheer declaring her love for Graham in front of the group, and Graham relents. Dolph immediately succeeds at convincing Clayton to leave however, when Megan confronts Graham, Graham is initially afraid to leave with her. They hatch a plan to try to get Graham and Clayton back at the True Directions graduation ceremony. Megan joins Dolph, who is staying at Lloyd and Larry’s house, and the two find more acceptance. Megan stays at True Directions, fearful of her father’s rejection. Megan refuses to apologize for her actions and is expelled from the camp. One night, Graham and Megan sneak out of bed to have sex, and Mary discovers what they have done. Mary finds out about the trip, and requires the True Directions members to picket Lloyd and Larry’s house. While at the bar, Megan and Graham kiss, admitting their feelings for one another. One night, several members of the True Directions program sneak out to a gay bar, led by former True Directions members Lloyd (Wesley Mann) and Larry (Richard Moll). Dolph is expelled from the camp and Clayton is punished. Soon after her arrival, she discovers two male members of the program, Dolph (Dante Basco) and Clayton (Kip Pardue) making out and screams, leading to Mary waking up to discover them. Megan completes step 1 – admitting that she is a lesbian. Megan meets several other teens in the program, including Graham (Clea DuVall), who she befriends. The program is run by Mary (Cathy Moriarty) and Mike (RuPaul). She is sent to True Directions, a conversion therapy camp for teenagers, who are expected to complete a 5-step recovery program in order to rid themselves of homosexuality and reintegrate into society. Plot summaryĪs the film opens, 17-year old cheerleader Megan (Natasha Lyonne) is subjected to an intervention by her parents and friends, who are concerned that she may be a lesbian. Babbit was interviewed in Kirby Dick’s documentary This Film is Not Yet Rated (2000) and critiques the decision-making and demands of the MPAA, noting the sexism and homophobia implicit in much of their commentary. Initially, the film received an NC-17 rating Babbit removed some content to earn it a commercially viable “R” rating. LGBTQ media outlets such as AfterEllen and Autostraddle have consistently ranked it one of the best queer films of all time. 
More recent critical appraisals have considered it more positively, noting its use of satire and camp to critique heteronormativity. The film largely received a poor critical reception from most mainstream media outlets, often because it was perceived as engaging only stereotypes. But I’m A Cheerleader was Jamie Babbit’s first feature film.
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