Drag Brunch and the Virgin Suicides

Or, just another Sunday in LA

Drag Brunches occur all over the country. Perhaps there’s even one in Tulsa—I’ve never checked. But the sentence “Last Sunday I went to a drag brunch and then to an anniversary screening of my cousin’s movie at the Academy Museum” seems like a uniquely Los Angeles utterance.

So it was that I found myself at the restaurant attached to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures a few days back with my cousin Jesse’s wife and their daughter, seated for a quick bite before going to watch a movie. At first I thought we might have maybe missed the drag brunch, which would’ve been okay with me. I have nothing against drag, don’t get me wrong! But loud music and a lot of sparkly shimmying (some of it very up close) is a little much for my nervous system while trying to digest food. Yes I am old, yes, I am too sensitive.

But as I enjoyed my overpriced garden salad with three giant slabs of barely-seasoned tofu, we were treated to the above-mentioned sparkly shimmying, as well as an array of Broadway tunes and some very interesting makeup configurations. Ranging from “Chicago” to “Legally Blonde,” the music was camp and the costumes campier.

Many audience members came equipped with dollar bills and gave out money as the queens (I think it is okay to say that? If you are a drag performer, please weigh in in the comments and apologies if I’ve got it wrong) danced through the restaurant. The rest of us - ie those who coincidentally just came for lunch on Drag Brunch Day - stared at our tofu. I am sorry, drag queens of Los Angeles, but this poor writer did not budget for tipping AND salad. But now I can say I’ve been to a drag brunch.

Then we headed over to the theater and found seats for the 25^th Anniversary showing of “The Virgin Suicides.” It was interesting to watch people filing in; it was a diverse crowd. There were some older folks, plenty of us GenXers, and lots of youngsters, which was cool. I love how Sofia’s movies and aesthetic are appealing to so many different kinds of people. Maybe she’s not super mersh, but she’s got broad appeal.

I hadn’t seen the movie since it came out and was pleasantly surprised by how well it’s stood the test of time. The cinematography is beautiful and there were some truly funny moments, which was nice in a film that deals with a heavy topic. Even with the humor, some moments were dark and difficult.

The movie, written and directed by Sofia Coppola, is based on the book by Jeffrey Eugenides. I read it when it came out, as I was working for BDalton at the time (mall predecessor to Barnes & Noble) and read voraciously. I could also afford new releases, since everything was Cheaper Back Then and yay, employee discount. In 1999 Sofia released the film with her own unique take on it.

If you’ve never seen it, you should check it out. If you have seen it but it was a while ago, you might revisit it. To watch something through an extra twenty-five years of life experience adds a few more layers to its interpretation.

After the movie, there was a Q&A with Sofia and Kirsten Dunst. My cousin’s daughter, who is twelve or thirteen (sorry I can’t remember!), commented later that it was fun to see Sofia in “her natural habitat,” outside of family gatherings. I think that’s great for a young girl to see! It was a good experience for her. Strong female role models for young women during an impressionable time of life is important.

We made it “backstage” after the Q&A and got to meet Kirsten Dunst as well as say hi to Sofia. I often take a quieter role in situations like that; I’ll observe more than I speak. Sometimes it makes me feel a lot like a wallflower, but ultimately it’s fine. I did chat with Kirsten a bit, as I haltingly told her how I’d met Peyton Reed, the director of Kirsten’s film “Bring it On,” maaaaannnnny years ago when he was a film student at UCLA and hosted a party for his friends from North Carolina. She was a very nice person. Not that I’d expect anything different, I guess.

And Sofia was, as always, sweet and grounded and lovely.

When we finally left, we climbed into my cousin’s wife’s EV and headed back to the Best Buy in West LA where I’d left my car. I’d met them there, of course, so she wouldn’t have to battle an extra five miles (one way, 20 minutes) crawling down the 405 Freeway to pick me up from where I was staying.

All in all, a nice SoCal Sunday.

I fly home today but have more to say about my 7-week trip soon.

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