Main Cast: Mark Borchardt, Mike Schank, Robert Stephens, Shannon Walker Williams, Frank Potter
Release Year: 2002
Country: US
Run Time: 83 minutes
Plot
Singing transsexuals, car crash mayhem, dancing truck drivers, and a certain midriff-baring teen pop idol are all part of the campy fun in Dutch director Ludi Boeken's fairy tale/road movie/drag extravaganza. Mark Borschardt and Mike Schank, previously seen in American Movie, star as independent filmmakers Dude and Mike. Hired by a Milwaukee TV station to interview none other than Britney Spears, they dream of using their pay for the gig to finance their dream project. Unfortunately, the interview does not go well, with the Dude asking Brit a very inappropriate question that gets the interview terminated before it even begins. Despondent, the intrepid -- and incompetent -- pair repair to a restaurant, where they have the good fortune of running into none other than a Britney look-a-like who just happens to be a drag queen (played by Robert Stephens, aka Angel Benton, whose experiences the movie was based on). Before you can say 'not a girl, not yet a woman,' the Dude decides that all of his problems can be solved by having Stephens pose as a the real singer, and to film the drag diva on a road trip whose footage will reap in big bucks. Britney, Baby, One More Time was screened at the 2002 Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
Review
If there were any doubts about the veracity of cult documentary American Movie, then this weak road comedy should put them all to rest. Wisconsin filmmaker Mark Borchardt proves here that he's no actor, even when playing a thinly disguised version of himself; as a result, the seriocomic antics captured in American Movie must have been real. Britney Baby, One More Time! is based on a true story, but Robert Thompson's tale of mistaken identity and pop idol worship makes for a cute anecdote and little more. As a drag queen, he's a reasonably convincing female (even if his jaw is a bit too square), but it's hard to accept that everyone he comes across is gullible enough to mistake him for Britney Spears. Thompson's talent for dancing and lip-synching is undeniable, but his high-pitched "femme" voice gets grating quickly, and he's no better than Borchardt in portraying himself on-camera. An assortment of familiar road-trip tropes are weaved into the story, there are plenty of unlikely dance partners for Thompson, and the plucky cross-dresser even helps a tomboy camera operator unleash the femininity she has hidden inside. The budget apparently wasn't big enough to license the original recordings of Spears' hits, so the audience is treated to a Britney impersonator on the soundtrack as well. Borchardt's friend and American Movie cohort Mike Schank is the best thing here, if only because he's the only one who isn't acting. He's simply being his own sweet, damaged self and provides the film's few genuinely funny moments, particularly a non sequitur rumination over a tankful of fish. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide
Cast
Mark Borchardt - Dude Schmitz
Mike Schank - Mike Schmitz
Robert Stephens - Robert
Shannon Walker Williams - Diane
Frank Potter - JJ
Karl Makinen - Andy Robbins; Gina Torrecilla - Penny McAllister; Zumi Rosow - Emily; Julia Christmas - Renee Le Beat
Credit
Arturo Wilinski - Art Director, Carol Rathe - Casting, Lily Scott - Costume Designer, Bettina Godi - First Assistant Director, Ludi Boeken - Director, Sonja Schenk - Editor, Michael Dains - Line Producer, Alexander Van Bubenheim - Composer (Music Score), Brooke Wentz - Musical Direction/Supervision, Michael Dains - Musical Direction/Supervision, David Brown - Cinematographer, Eric Dussart - Producer, Eugene Rosow - Producer, Richard Glandstein - Producer, Alan Howarth - Sound/Sound Designer, Jill Silverthorne - Unit Production Manager, Jonathan Bourne - Screenwriter, Anne Lieske - Production Executive
