Plot
Two drag queens and a transsexual get a cabaret gig in the middle of the desert.

Release Year: 1994

Rating: 7.3/10 (20,783 voted)

Critic's Score: 68/100

Director: Stephan Elliott

Stars: Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce, Terence Stamp

Storyline
Two drag-queens (Anthony/Mitzi and Adam/Felicia) and a transexual (Bernadette) contract to perform a drag show at a resort in Alice Springs, a resort town in the remote Australian desert. They head west from Sydney aboard their lavender bus, Priscilla. En route, it is discovered that the woman they've contracted with is Anthony's wife. Their bus breaks down, and is repaired by Bob, who travels on with them.

Cast:
Hugo Weaving - Anthony 'Tick' Belrose / Mitzi Del Bra
Guy Pearce - Adam Whitely / Felicia Jollygoodfellow
Terence Stamp - Ralph Waite / Bernadette Bassenger
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 - Robert 'Bob' Spart
Julia Cortez - Cynthia Campos

Taglines: 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 (Registeration Symbol). It's fun, daring, over-the-top and unforgettable. It's a road movie with attitude and the occasional frock.

Release Date: 10 August 1994

Filming Locations: Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia

Gross: $11,059,700 (USA)

Runtime: 104 min

Trivia:
Julia Cortez (Bob's mail-order bride, Cynthia) provided her own cat suit costume complete with the strategically placed zipper for the scene in the bar after the Shake Your Groove Thing number.

Goofs:
Continuity: When they are in the bar in Broken Hill, Old Shirl comes over and slaps her right hand down on Bernadette's. Then, in the next camera shot, it's her left hand.

Quotes:
[First Lines]
[Tick is hit in back of head with beer can, falls]
Felicia: Are you Okay?...
[Felicia grabs mic]
Felicia: Oh that was fucking charming, you gutless pack of dickheads.

A Weaving Pearce Stamp For Collectors

Rating: 8/10

What unlikely trio to fall in love with, just as unlikely as the landscape. When a movie fits so well without a tag that links it to anything else in its historic film context, it can only be described as a happy accident. Premeditated for sure, but accident nonetheless. Terence Stamp, is an actor with a spectacular career. Varied and surprising. It defies description, but let me try. Peter Ustinov's "Billy Budd" William Wyler's "The Collector" Federico Fellini's "Spirit of the Dead" John Schlesinger's "Far From The Madding Crowd" Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Teorema" Joseph Losey's "Modesty Blaise" Oliver Stone's "Wall Street" Stephen Frear's "The Hit" Richard Donner's "Superman" "Steven Sodebergh's "The Limey" Am I making my point? He is an actor for all seasons, beautiful beyond belief to boot. In "The Adventures of Pricilla Queen of The Desert" he unveils another unexpected side to his considerable talents. A Woman. And what a woman, a Meryl Streep with a past and, thanks to director Stephan Elliot, with a future. Dressed by geniuses. More human than ever. He is flanked by two spectacular Aussies. Hugo Weaving (The Matrix) giving a performance of such tenderness that even my brother in law, a homophobic macho man of the first order,loved him. And Guy Pearce (L A Confidential) He is such a beautiful,sexy, funny girl that made me long for a her/he all to myself. Some other monstrously cloned movies were rushed into production trying to capitalize on the success of Pricilla. They all failed miserably and rightly so. Frank Capra, accepting his AFI Lifetime Achievement Award sent a profound and heartfelt advise to young filmmakers. "Don't follow trends, start new ones" Well done Mr Elliot. Well done.

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