reviews_and_ramblings | The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert (1994) by Stephan Elliott

Director: Stephan Elliott

Writer: Stephan Elliott (written by)

Release Date: 10 August 1994 ((San Francisco Film Festival, USA)

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music

Tagline: It's the Australian film that blitzed overseas box offices. It caused a near riot at the Cannes Film Festival. It won an Academy Award. It's fun, daring, over-the-top and unforgettable. It's a road movie with attitude and the occasional frock.
She's back... Looking as gorgeous and outrageous as ever in a brand new frock.
Finally, a comedy that will change the way you think, the way you feel, and most importantly... the way you dress.

Plot: They came. They conquered. They looked fabulous. This wonderfully inventive, visually stunning and incomparably funny Australian import about three drag performers braving the vast, rugged outback won the 1994 Academy Award(r) for Costume Design. Veteran actor Terence Stamp (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace), Hugo Weaving (The Matrix), Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) all give hilarious ? and heartfelt ? performances in a three-fishes-outta-water story that's "one of the wildest movies ever made" (Rex Reed, New York Observer)! With a contract to perform a drag show way out in the Australian desert, Tick (Weaving), Adam (Pearce) and Ralph (Stamp) each has his own reason for wanting to leave the safety of Sydney. Christening their battered pink tour bus "Priscilla," this wickedly funny and high-drama trio head for the Outback...and into crazy adventures in even crazier outfits. You go, girls!

Awards: 1995 Oscar as Best Costume Design to Lizzy Gardiner & Tim Chappel, Academy Awards, USA
1994 Australian Film Institute Award as Best Achievement in Costume Design to Lizzy Gardiner & Tim Chappel and as Best Achievement in Production Design to Owen Paterson
AFI Award Nomination as Best Achievement in Cinematography to Brian J. Breheny, as Best Actor in a Lead Role to Terence Stamp, as Best Actor in a Lead Role to Hugo Weaving, as Best Director to Stephan Elliott, as Best Film to Al Clark, Michael Hamlyn & Rebel Penfold-Russell, as Best Original Music Score to Guy Gross, as Best Screenplay, Original to Stephan Elliott
1995 BAFTA Film Award as Best Costume Design to Lizzy Gardiner & Tim Chappel, as Best Make Up/Hair to Cassie Hanlon, Angela Conte & Strykermeyer
Anthony Asquith Award Nomination for Film Music to Guy Gross
BAFTA Film Award Nomination as Best Actor to Terence Stamp, as Best Cinematography to Brian J. Breheny, as Best Production Design to Owen Paterson & Colin Gibson, as Best Screenplay - Original to Stephan Elliott
1995 Chlotrudis Award as Best Movie, Chlotrudis Award Nomination as Best Supporting Actor to Terence Stamp
1995 GLAAD Media Award as Outstanding Film
1995 Golden Globe Nomination as Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical to Al Clark & Michael Hamlyn, as Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical to Terence Stamp
1994 Golden Space Needle Award as Best Actor to Terence Stamp, and as Best Film, Seattle International Film Festival
1995 Writers Guild of America Award (Screen) as Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen tp Stephan Elliott

@IMDb
@Amazon: The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Extra Frills Edition)
@Netflix
@Wolfe Video

Cast (in credits order)
Hugo Weaving ... Tick / Mitzi
Guy Pearce ... Adam / Felicia
Terence Stamp ... Bernadette
Rebel Penfold-Russell ... Logowoman (as Rebel Russell)
John Casey ... Bartender
June Marie Bennett ... Shirley
Murray Davies ... Miner
Frank Cornelius ... Piano Player
Bob Boyce ... Petrol Station Attendant
Leighton Picken ... Young Adam
Maria Kmet ... Ma
Joseph Kmet ... Pa
Alan Dargin ... Aboriginal Man
Bill Hunter ... Bob
Julia Cortez ... Cynthia
Daniel Kellie ... Young Ralph
Hannah Corbett ... Ralph's Sister
Trevor Barrie ... Ralph's Father
Ken Radley ... Frank
Sarah Chadwick ... Marion
Mark Holmes ... Benjamin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tim Chappel ... Drag-Queen in Barber's Chair (uncredited)
Al Clark ... Priest (uncredited)
Stephan Elliott ... Doorman (uncredited)
Lizzy Gardiner ... Naughty Maid at Hotel (uncredited)
Margaret Pomeranz ... Adam's Mum (uncredited)
Christian Stead ... Featured Extra (uncredited)
Nikki Webster ... Featured Extra (uncredited)