It's hard to not get caught up in the sense of exuberance and or to ignore the amount of energy and creativity that went into it.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:92
Fresh:86
Rotten:6
Average Rating:7.8/10
Consensus: Hedwig and the Angry Inch may very well be the next Rocky Horror midnight movie. It not only knows how to rock, but Hedwig's story has an emotional poignancy.
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Genre: Musical & Performing Arts
Synopsis: John Cameron Mitchell is the creator of the off-Broadway hit HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, which he and composer-lyricist Stephen Trask have transformed into a funny, dramatic, and curiously poignant... John Cameron Mitchell is the creator of the off-Broadway hit HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, which he and composer-lyricist Stephen Trask have transformed into a funny, dramatic, and curiously poignant self-described "post-punk neo-glam musical" film, with extra songs and a new instrumental score. Hedwig (played by Mitchell) was born as Hansel in East Berlin. In his twenties, Hansel agrees to undergo a sex change in order to marry a U.S. soldier (Maurice Dean Wint) and escape to America. Unfortunately, the procedure fails, and Hedwig is left with nothing but a sexless "angry inch" between her legs. After being abandoned in a Kansas trailer park by her husband, Hedwig decides to make the most of her situation: She develops a taste for outrageous wigs and costumes, forms a band, and becomes a singer. Hedwig soon meets and falls in love with 17-year-old Tommy (Michael Pitt), who also harbors rock star aspirations, and makes him her musical protégé. But Tommy is the one who ends up stealing the superstardom that Hedwig worked for, after stealing Hedwig's songs and claiming them as his own. In order to expose him as a fraud, she embarks on a tour of strip mall restaurants, telling her story to the audience while trailing Tommy on his own tour across America. [More]
Starring: John Cameron Mitchell, Miriam Shor, Stephen Trask, Theodore Liscinski
Starring: John Cameron Mitchell, Miriam Shor, Stephen Trask, Theodore Liscinski, Rob Campbell, Michael Aronov, Andrea Martin, Alberta Watson, Michael Pitt, Star, Maurice Dean Wint, Ben Mayer-Goodman
Director: John Cameron Mitchell
Director: John Cameron Mitchell
Screenwriter: John Cameron Mitchell
Producer: Christine Vachon, Pamela Koffler, Katie Roumel
Composer: Stephen Trask
Studio: Fine Line Features
Reviews for Hedwig and the Angry Inch
A funny and strangely affecting gender-bender saga that gives rock and roll movies a much-needed jolt.
Surrounds a weird, funny and touching story with a knockout series of songs performed by an exceptional cast.
Hedwig's songs stuck with me for days, and somebody will literally have to cause me bodily harm to harvest the soundtrack from my CD player.
"Doesn't really come together as a whole, with over-the-top symbolism, incoherence and too much pretension to retain my interest all the whole way through."
The songs and Mitchell's 'Rock 'n' Roll Animal' performance of them are a true walk on the wild side.
What in any other hands than Mitchell's might have been a sexual sight gag becomes a symbol of personal freedom and expression.
As she struts her stuff onstage, Hedwig blossoms into one of the most outrageously compassionate, big-hearted movies of the year.
Writer/director/star John Cameron Mitchell pulls off a stunning cinematic hat trick that's all too rare for a first-time filmmaker.
The rock musical is created anew with John Cameron Mitchell's dynamic, fearlessly individual vision and Stephen Trask's perfectly evocative music and lyrics.
It's not a lark or a kitschy goof or a parody; it just is what it is and you can't tear your eyes away from it.
Mitchell's textured acting and singing make Hedwig a mercurial creature, not just a transvestite harpy.
[Mitchell's] biting wit is offset by the tender insights he brings to Hedwig.
Feels as if it could keep the genre alive and singing all on its own.
Hedwig makes for an unforgettable heroine, the perfect center to this wonderfully odd, vivid and dynamic movie.
Operates successfully on enough levels one needs an elevator to fully appreciate it.
Latest News for Hedwig and the Angry Inch
June 15, 2006:
"Puccini For Beginners" Opens 30th Frameline Film Fest
Maria Maggenti's "Puccini For Beginners" will open the 30th annual Frameline Film Festival this week in San Francisco, headlining one of the largest and... More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Rotten Tomatoes
- Hedwig and the Angry Inch at IGN
- Hedwig and the Angry Inch at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.





