REVIEW ROUNDUP: What Do Critics Think of EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE?

Everybody's Talking About Jamie, the much anticipated film adaptation of the award-winning West End hit musical, will launch exclusively on Prime Video on September 17, 2021 in over 240 countries and territories.

Find out what critics are saying about the new film below!

The film, from New Regency, Film4 and Warp Films, stars the breakout discovery Max Harwood as Jamie New, alongside Sarah Lancashire, Lauren Patel, Shobna Gulati, Ralph Ineson, Adeel Akhtar, Samuel Bottomley, with Sharon Horgan and Richard E. Grant.

Inspired by true events, Everybody's Talking About Jamie follows Jamie New (Harwood), a teenager from Sheffield, who dreams of life on stage. While his classmates plan their livelihoods after they leave school, Jamie contemplates revealing his secret career ambition to become a fierce and proud drag queen. His best friend Pritti (Patel) and his loving mum (Lancashire) shower him with endless support, while local drag legend Miss Loco Chanelle (Grant) mentors him toward his debut stage performance.

But Jamie also has to contend with an unsupportive father (Ineson), an uninspired careers advisor (Horgan), and some ignorant school kids who attempt to rain on his sensational parade. In rousing and colourful musical numbers, Jamie and his community inspire one another to overcome prejudice, be more accepting, and to step out of the darkness into the spotlight.

The reviews are in...

Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post: "Too bad the crying is also the movie's downfall. Onstage it's so joyous and funny. On-screen, everyone is miserable for most of it. Harwood is talented, but only hits the teary parts out of the park, such as the early song "The Wall in My Head," which describes a traumatic early childhood experience."

Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian: "The broad characterisation, dialogue and scene transitions probably worked better on stage, but they give a bounce to this feelgood Britfilm version, which has newcomer Max Harwood as Jamie, Sarah Lancashire as his tenderly understanding mum Margaret, and Lauren Patel as his best mate Priti; Sharon Horgan has the thankless task of playing the uptight teacher who won't let Jamie turn up to the school prom in drag, while Richard E Grant has a scene-stealer as Hugo Battersby, AKA 'Loco Chanel'."

Kimber Myers, Los Angeles Times: "Joy radiates from the screen with a glow usually only obtained through expensive bronzer in "Everybody's Talking About Jamie." Boosted by a radiant performance from Max Harwood in his big-screen debut, this spring-loaded glitter bomb celebrates drag culture and individuality. It loses a bit of its sparkle in its final act, but this coming-of-age story will still resonate for teenage (and grownup) outsiders while offering a helpful primer in drag for anyone who doesn't know Trixie Mattel from Trinity the Tuck."

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: "Still, it's impossible not to be cheered by Jamie's indomitability in "Everybody's Talking About Jamie," just as is it impossible not to be moved by the film's closing credits sequence, where the audience gets to meet the real character and his mother. In the tradition of such bracing musicals as "Kinky Boots," "Billy Elliot" and "Prom," "Everybody's Talking About Jamie" has exuberance to burn, high spirits galore and a brand of message-driven escapism that's as insistent as it is worthy. Resistance, in other words, is futile."

Randy Myers, Mercury News: "It's sassy, filled with toe-tappin' tunes and features a show-stopper of a lead performance from Max Harwood as Jamie."

Pete Hammond, Deadline: "The terrific cast, including newcomer Max Harwood as the title character and a scene-stealing Richard E. Grant, is perfectly chosen to make this indie charmer something to see."

Carlos Aguilar, The Wrap: "Conceived in sets that resemble a school cafeteria or classroom, Butterell's musical numbers are decidedly economical in scale but find modest grandeur. His vision is executed with a precise, small group of dancers and a lot of embellishments achieved with intentional lighting, bright costumes, and auspicious transitions into more fantastical terrain. (The janitorial staff turns into fashionable backup singers, and a hallway becomes a runway.)"

Juan A. Ramirez, Theatrely: "First-time film director Jonathan Butterell, who helped develop the stage show, is more eager to escape into glossy fantasy numbers than lean into the sweat and tears that highlights the yearning behind these songs. Musical numbers go from zero to one-hundred quickly, summoning up dancers and flashes of light instead of telling a story through the poignant schism between Jamie's glittery visions and his bleak surroundings."

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter: "What distinguishes the material from many similar gay coming-of-age stories is that coming out isn't a factor. Jamie has been out and proud for some time, and he responds to the taunts of obnoxious class smartass Dean (Samuel Bottomley) at school by basically saying, 'Yeah, I'm gay, what of it?'"

James Kleinmann, The Queer Review: "The staging of the musical numbers is delightfully imaginative and continually inventive, taking elements from the real world over into the musical fantasies, like school cleaning ladies mopping the canteen floor transforming into glamorous nightclub backing singer divas. While the tunes range from the toe-tappingly upbeat and catchy dancefloor fillers, to touching ballads, composed by the original show's co-creator, The Feeling frontman, Dan Gillespie Sells, with funny, heartwarming, and uplifting lyrics that avoid musical theatre cliches and make the film feel modern and original."

Tim Grierson, Screen Daily: "Based on the hit West End show, the film radiates such positivity that the fate of the titular young man's quest hardly seems in question - it's merely a matter of how long it will take for the school bully and the uptight teacher to get with the program. Max Harwood's big-screen debut coasts on charm and touching vulnerability, turning Jamie into an endearing stand-in for no doubt countless adolescents who just want to be accepted for who they are."

Watch the trailer here:

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