Hedwig and the Angry Inch

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Adapted from the hit off-Broadway musical of the same name, Hedwig and the Angry Inch is the tale of an "internationally ignored" rock & roll singer who hails from Communist Berlin and who dreams of becoming an American sensation. Hedwig (John Cameron Mitchell), born a boy named Hansel, is raised by a single mother (Alberta Watson) who wishes to see her son do better than his poverty-stricken family. Some years later, Hansel is attracted to a good-looking American G.I., who promises a better life overseas for young Hansel, under one condition: that he undergo a sex-change operation to become a fully functional female whom he can then marry. The operation is seriously botched, leaving the now-renamed Hedwig with an "angry inch" only to be stranded in a dingy Kansas trailer park on the day the Berlin Wall comes tumbling down. Hedwig then supports herself through a series of ill-fated lounge gigs and side jobs, meeting up with 16-year-old Tommy Gnosis (Michael Pitt), a religious type who befriends her and later steals her songs and becomes the rock star Hedwig always dreamed of being. Undeterred, Hedwig continues to perform in the shadow of Tommy's sold-out stadium tour, attempting to make herself whole in spirit, if not physically. The film features several songs by composer Stephen Trask, who also appears as a member of Hedwig's disinterested rock band; Miriam Shor portrays Hedwig's newfound love and backup singer. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen)
• Audio: PCM Stereo, 5.1
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Subtitle: English
• Features:
  • Widescreen version of the film
  • 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS Surround Sound
  • Filmmaker commentary
  • Deleted scenes with filmmaker commentary
  • Original feature-length documentary: "Whether You Like It or Not: The Story of Hedwig"
  • Select-a-song: song-by-song access to the film
  • Cast and crew filmographies
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Interactive menus
  • DVD-ROM content: original theatrical website

AWARDS

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Nominated Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comed - 2001 (John Cameron Mitchell)

• Independent Spirit Awards

•     Nominated Best Actor - 2001 (John Cameron Mitchell)
•     Nominated Best Cinematography - 2001 (Frank G. de Marco)
•     Nominated Best Director - 2001 (John Cameron Mitchell)
•     Nominated Best First Screenplay - 2001 (John Cameron Mitchell)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2001

• Los Angeles Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Music Score (Runner-up) - 2001 (Stephen Trask)
•     Won New Generation Award - 2001 (John Cameron Mitchell)

• National Board of Review

•     Won Best Directorial Debut - 2001 (John Cameron Mitchell)

• Sundance Film Festival

•     Won Dramatic Audience Award - 2000
•     Won Dramatic Directing Award - 2000 (John Cameron Mitchell)

• Toronto Film Critics Association

•     Won Best Actor - Runner-up - 2001 (John Cameron Mitchell)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  John Cameron Mitchell

• Producer:

  Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon, Katie Roumel

• Screenwriter:

  John Cameron Mitchell

• Cinematographer:

  Frank G. de Marco

• Editor:

  Andrew Marcus

• Production Designer:

  Therese DePrez

• Art Director:

  Nancy Pankiw

• Executive Producer:

  Michael De Luca, Amy Henkels

• Costume Designer:

  Arianne Phillips

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Paul Urmson

• First Assistant Director:

  Patrick Tidy

• Animator:

  Emily Hubley

• Choreography:

  Jerry Mitchell

• Casting:

  Susan Shopmaker

• Line Producer:

  Colin Brunton

• Supervising Sound Editor:

  Lewis Goldstein

• Executive Music Producer:

  Alex Steyermark

• Gaffer:

  Bob Davidson

REVIEW:

• A mixed-bag effort to translate John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask's ambitious rock musical to the screen, this remains a worthwhile movie experience on any account, successfully opening up its heartfelt, often sad account of an "internationally ignored" rock singer suffering from a botched sex change operation. Mitchell's fierce, hypnotic performance is as indelible on film as it was on-stage -- fearful, hilarious, and moving. His direction is a bit less remarkable, as the movie offers much to look at, but little of it comes through in quite the same way as the music. The filmmakers too often literalize what should be expressed musically, which robs the viewer of some of the discoveries that might have made the film more successful. A few stretches sag as well, but the movie springs to life the most in its final reel -- when the title character takes on a young protégé (a quietly effective Michael Pitt) -- even if it fails to fully reach its emotional mark. Audiences at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival clearly found Hedwig refreshing: it won the Audience Award as well as a Grand Jury directing prize for Mitchell. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi