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It’s not hard to see the film’s appeal; riffing on musicals as diverse as “West Side Story,” the series “Glee” and John Cameron Mitchell’s seminal “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” it draws on the story of Scott Townsend, an extraordinary boy who grew up to be a gifted Cher impersonator.
Thirsty is an utterly unique hybrid of West Side Story, A Star is Born and Outrageous!, with a healthy dash of Tennessee Williams, following the life of Scott Townsend and his creation of Thirsty Burlington, a character who performs a stunningly accurate Cher. It is by all measure a stunning debut for first time narrative feature director, Pelletier, and a celebration and vindication for Townsend.
With a kitsch spirit reminiscent of a John Waters film and musical numbers that recall everything from West Side Story and Hedwig and The Angry Inch to the retro charm of Grease and Little Shop of Horrors, Thirsty is a biopic with energy to burn... Scott himself is a force to be reckoned with and when it comes to his impersonation of Cher - and his vocal work as Burlington - he's a five-star talent.
The time jumping non-linear style smashes down walls and creates a work of art that is something unique, much like Thirsty herself.
If anything the film Thirsty is about loving yourself, because when you do, you’ll allow others to do the same.
This compelling and sometimes heartbreaking story brought to the screen by Margo Pelletier is a story of triumph over adversity.
