What a Drag

Editorial

Jack and Jill: Family man Jack Sadelstein (Adam Sandler) must deal with his identical twin sister Jill (also Adam Sandler), when she visits for Thanksgiving and then will not leave. Katie Holmes plays Erin, Jacks wife.

I literally shuddered at the thought of Sandler playing with himself, in a frock and wig, especially after watching the trailer. I don’t think I’m alone. The trailer has had over 177,000 views; 859 likes, and over 4,300 dislikes.

I’ve voiced my thoughts about Sandler previously, so I won’t bore you with that again, but I will ask this: why?

Why would Sandler make a film where he plays a woman; a bona fide woman, not a man dressing up as a woman? It can only end badly. Famous last words perhaps, but let’s look at a few other films that involve men frocking up.

Just as an historical note, it was the practice, especially back in Shakespeare’s day, for men to play female characters; the 2004 film Stage Beauty explores this. These days, it usually occurs in comedies because sometimes there is nothing funnier than a man in a dress. Take Tootsie for example. It may be nearly 30 years old now, but Dustin Hoffman’s Dorothy Michaels is one of cinemas true enduring characters.

Take a look too at Robin Williams’ Mrs. Doubtfire from 1993; another great film and another memorable character. Or Nathan Lane in drag in 1996’s The Birdcage. That of course is based on the superior French film La cage aux folles (1978). And how can you forget Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis in 1959’s Some Like it Hot?

But have you noticed that all these films have one thing in common? Apart from being intelligent, clever films that play with gender, they’re all about men dressing up as women to get jobs, or as a disguise. Even the less intelligent Big Momma’s House films and Sorority Girls are about men dressing as women. The actors aren’t playing women; they’re playing men.

There are also the films about drag queens and transsexuals, such as The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the dire To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar (1995) and the not-so-comic Flawless, with Philip Seymour Hoffman playing a drag queen teaching Robert De Niro’s policeman character how to sing.

But it looks like Sandler will actually be playing a woman.

Really? Is this a good idea? Is anyone else having horrible unbidden mental images of what Sandler will actually do with this role? Images of misogynistic bad jokes and gags about women as Sandler gets to explore his ‘female side’. And the thought of him performing both roles; it sounds like it’s going to be one self-indulgent vanity project. Then again, some might say that’s a fair description of all his movies.

Look, I might be completely wrong here; it may end up being a wonderful exploration of twin siblings that exposes gender inequality and makes a strong comment on the role of women in society. It may be a tour de force performance from Sandler guaranteed to get him an Oscar nomination. But somehow I doubt it.

Tim Hunter, Citysearch