Review of Pageant (2008) by Jennifer S — 28 Mar 2010

I always love documentaries that show a niche of the world that I'd never bothered to explore before. Being a drag queen, it turns out (and why should I be surprised) is a very, very expensive hobby. Several of these contestants have spent up to twenty thousand on their dresses, makeup, tickets, travel, etc. It's what they love to do, and it makes me happy to see these people go out there and do their thing to the best of their ability. The support that many of these people received from family and friends - especially the mother and brother who came to watch their loved one compete - was wonderful.

My favorite particular contestant was Victor Bowling. I was totally captivated when, at the end of his explanation that Miss Gay America is the contest that's all about quality and not quantity, he says in such a flirtatious confident voice "call me Pork chop. All my friends do." All of them were great to watch in all segments of the competition. My only complaint about this movie is that, again, this is a real competition - and the person who was not one of the main characters won. I didn't see anything about this winner that made him more glamorous than the other contestants, and so I felt a little let down. It was good to have somewhat of a series of epilogues to give some kind of closure to the whole thing, though. I wonder how it must feel for these people to put so much into a contest they do not win. Maybe it's to be expected? Either way, what a splendid journey. I'd watch this again for sure.