Freak Show (2017)

Follows the story of teenager Billy Bloom who, despite attending an ultra conservative high school, makes the decision to run for homecoming queen.

Director:

Trudie Styler

Writers:

Patrick J. Clifton (screenplay by), Beth Rigazio (screenplay by)

Stars:

Alex Lawther, Ian Nelson, AnnaSophia Robb

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alex Lawther	...	Billy Bloom
Ian Nelson	...	Flip Kelly
AnnaSophia Robb	...	Blah Blah Blah
Celia Weston	...	Florence
Walden Hudson	...	Bib Oberman (as Walden Bryan Hudson)
Abigail Breslin	...	Lynette
Daniel Bellomy	...	Bo Bo
Bette Midler	...	Muv
Larry Pine	...	William
Christopher Dylan White	...	Bernard
Willa Fitzgerald	...	Tiffany
Michael Park	...	Principal Onnigan
John McEnroe	...	Coach Carter
Mickey Sumner	...	Dr. Vickers
Wally Dunn	...	Mr. Reamer

Storyline

In the vein of CLUELESS and NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, FREAK SHOW tells the moving, heartwarming, and hilarious story of Billy Bloom, a boldly confident, wildly eccentric teenager, who faces intolerance and persecution at his ultra conservative high school, and decides to fight back on behalf of all the misunderstood freaks of the world by running for the title of homecoming queen.

---

Plot Keywords:

title directed by female | indie movie | two word title | high school | high school drama | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 January 2018 (USA)

Also Known As:

Freak Show

Filming Locations:

Mill Neck Manor, Mill Neck, Long Island, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,809, 14 January 2018

Gross USA:

$19,696

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$20,657

Company Credits

Production Co:

Maven Pictures, Flower Films (II)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bette Midler's first motion picture in nearly four years after 'Parental Guidance' in 2012.

---

Quotes

Dr. Vickers: Your son has multiple abrasions , contusions, concussions , organ trauma and hemorrhaging that we need to keep an eye on.
Billy Bloom: Well, I guess they didn't like the dress.

---

Crazy Credits

AnnaSophia Robb is credited as Blah Blah Blah instead of Mary Jane.

---

Connections

References Glee (2009)

---

Soundtracks

You Better Run
Written by CeCe Frey (as Cece Frey), Addison Scott
Performed by CeCe Frey (as Cece Frey)

User Reviews

"The nail that sticks out gets hammered down"

Freak Show (2017) was directed by Trudie Styler. It stars Alex Lawther as Billy Bloom, who arrives on his first day at a new high school dressed as Boy George. (We are to understand that this conservative school is in the South. Why would it be called Ulysses S. Grant High School?)

In any case, what happens to Billy in fiction is all too similar to what really happens to students who are different from the norm-- they get bullied, they get hurt, and they become isolated.

However, Billy won't give in. The plot really starts when Billy decides to run for Homecoming Queen.

This is an interesting movie with solid acting, including that by superstar Bette Midler as Billy's mother.

However, you need to be aware that the movie has Young Adult Novel written all over it. And, indeed, it's based on a YA novel by James St. James.

Just because a movie is based on a YA novel doesn't mean that it doesn't have interest or value. I enjoyed the film, which had great costumes and some clever plot twists. It isn't the most subtle film in the series, but it's worth seeing. (It will work almost as well on the small screen.)

We saw this movie in the excellent Dryden Theatre at Rochester's George Eastman Museum. It was shown as the Closing Night Feature of ImageOut, the great LGBT Film Festival. (This was the NYS Premiere screening. How does ImageOut carry that off?)