Comedy,Music,Drama
United States of America
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a musical film released in 2001, directed by and starring John Cameron Mitchell. The film is based on the off-Broadway musical of the same name.
Hedwig, born as Hansel Schmidt, is a boy raised by his mother in East Berlin. In order to marry an American soldier and escape to the West, Hansel undergoes sex reassignment surgery that goes wrong, leaving him with an "angry inch." Hedwig moves to the United States with her husband, but they soon separate, and he abandons her.
Hedwig forms a band called The Angry Inch and begins performing in small bars and clubs, recounting her life story through music and monologues. She meets a young man named Tommy Gnosis, and they fall in love. Hedwig becomes his mentor and writes all of his songs, but he becomes more successful than her and leaves her for another woman.
Hedwig continues to perform with The Angry Inch, and her shows become more elaborate and theatrical. She eventually meets Yitzhak, a former drag queen who becomes her assistant and backup singer. As Hedwig reflects on her past and struggles with her identity, she realizes that she was always meant to be a performer and that her gender is irrelevant.
The film features original songs by Stephen Trask, including "Wig in a Box," "The Origin of Love," and "Sugar Daddy." The cast also includes Michael Pitt as Tommy Gnosis and Miriam Shor as Yitzhak. Hedwig and the Angry Inch was a critical and commercial success, receiving numerous awards and nominations, and gaining a cult following.
