Jamie (Max Harwood) has always known he was different. Instead of wanting to pursue a traditional career, he knows he is destined for greatness. Jamie wants to become a drag queen. Lucky for him, he’s got a supportive mother (Sarah Lancashire), former drag queen mentor Hugo Battersby (Richard E. Grant) and an amazing best friend Pritti (Lauren Patel) who are beside him every step of the way. Not everyone may understand Jamie’s path in life, but he knows that he is meant to be a star.

I have never seen the original musical so I cannot compare this adaption to the stage production. I remember it was playing back when I lived in the UK and unfortunately never had the opportunity to check it out for myself. This seemed to be the next best thing. I live for musicals and I miss going to the theatre so badly. There were quite a few things to like about this film and I thought it was a good time overall.

The storyline was interesting and heartbreaking all at the same time. It was inspiring to see the lengths to which Jamie would go to to achieve his dreams, no matter the obstacles that were standing in his way. He was relentless and even if he got knocked back a few times, he would brush himself off and try again. The relationship he had with his mother and Pritti in particular were a joy to watch. It was refreshing to see how much they rooted for him, especially when Jamie’s dad was absent from his life.

Another strong point for me were the colourful costumes and sets. They were vibrant and exciting and fit well into the movie. If anything, there could have been even more glitter and sparkle!

To my knowledge, this was Max Harwood’s first feature film and I think he did a great job. He really embodied the role of Jamie and brought him to life. I wish we had had more backstory to Pritti who, while she was supportive, seemed a bit one dimensional and only added to the strengthening of Jamie’s arc. And who can forget Richard E. Grant in drag?

My biggest problem with the movie was that there wasn’t enough musical numbers! When there was singing and dancing, they were executed perfectly, however there were moments scattered throughout where it was lacking. When this happened, I felt like the story would fall flat and I would lose interest.

Overall, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie was as close to a musical as I have gotten in about a year and a half and so I enjoyed it for that reason. I think I expected more from it though and was therefore left feeling underwhelmed with certain aspects. At least there were some positives that came out of it too.

Rating: ♥♥.5