Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Synopsis: Hedwig, born male as Hansel in East Berlin, fell in love with an American G.I. and underwent a Gender Confirmation Surgery in order to marry him and flee to the West. Unfortunately, nothing worked out quite as it was supposed to - years later, Hedwig is leading her rock band on a tour of the U.S., telling her life story through a series of concerts at Bilgewater Inn seafood restaurants. Her tour dates coincide with those of arena-rock star Tommy Gnosis, a wide-eyed boy who once loved Hedwig - but then left with all her songs.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
Production: New Line Cinema
  Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 28 wins & 32 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.8
Metacritic:
85
Rotten Tomatoes:
93%
R
Year:
2001
95 min
$1,547,128
Website
1,747 Views


f

Don't you know me,

Kansas City?

I'm the new

Berlin Wall.

Try and tear me down!

I was born

on the other side

Of a town

ripped in two

I made it over

the Great Divide

Now I'm coming

for you

Enemies

and adversaries

They try

and tear me down

You want me, baby,

I dare you

Try and tear me down

I rose from off

of the doctor's slab

Like Lazarus

from the pit

Now everyone wants

to take a stab

And decorate me

Blood, graffiti,

and spit

Enemies

and adversaries

They try

and tear me down

You want me, baby,

I dare you

Try and tear me down.

On August 13,

1961,

a wall

was erected

down the middle

of the city of Berlin.

The world was divided

by a cold war,

and the Berlin Wall was the most

hated symbol of that divide.

Reviled, graffiti'd,

spit upon.

We thought the wall

would stand forever.

And now

that it's gone, we don't know

who we are anymore.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Hedwig is like that wall,

standing before you in a divide

between East

and West.

Slavery

and freedom.

Man and woman.

Top and bottom.

And you can try

and tear her down,

but before you do...

you must remember

one thing!

d

Ain't much

of a difference

Between a bridge

and a wall

Without me right

in the middle, babe

You would be

nothing at all

Enemies

and adversaries

They try

and tear me down

You want me, baby,

I dare you

Try and tear

me down

Enemies

and adversaries

They try

and tear me down

You me want me, baby,

I dare you

Try and

tear me down.

From East Berlin

to Junction City.

Hello, New York;

Hello, Missouri.

What? You wanna try

and tear me down?

Come on and tear-rrr--

Me down!

x

Hello...?

Where is everybody?

Out.

"Out"? Why are you

in such a mood?

I have been having

the most wonderful time with--

do you remember

that 45-year-old divorcee

with the hair

and the mean look?

She came up to me

after the show, and I thought,

"This lady wants

a piece of me."

So I didn't know

what to do.

I was alone,

I had nothing in my hand,

I was gonna go

for the eyes.

She came at me

from both sides, somehow,

and she just gave me

a f***ing hug.

She gave me

a f***ing hug.

Can you figure?

Can you f***ing beat that?

She gave me--

I also got a few drinks

out of it as well,

which was not

a bad...

I was born

on the other side

Of a town

ripped in two

Made it over

the Great Divide

Now I'm coming

for you

Enemies

and adversaries...

What the f***

is wrong with you?

Why can't we...

why don't you write

a new song?

You want me, baby,

I dare you

Try and tear me down...

Thank you,

my name is Hedwig.

Please welcome those ambassadors of Eastern bloc rock,

The Angry Inch.

Here they are.

And my man Friday,

through Thursday,

Yitzhak, ladiesand gentlemen.

There's no need, there's none.

Also very talented and so lucky

to be here, right, boys? - Yeah.

- Yes, Miss Hedwig.

Look out, guys,

lmmigration!

I've got their passports

right here.

f

Ladies and gentlemen,

do you like the pelt?

I want you to be honest,

because some b*tch

stopped me on the way in--

"What poor, unfortunate

creature had to die

for you to wear that?"

"My Aunt Trudy,"

I replied.

Just walked away. Just walked away ladies and--

- Hedwig, can we eat dessert?

- What is it? Yes, you can.

I am thrilled,

you can join me for

the fabulous first night

of the St. Louis leg

of my world tour.

And when it comes

to huge openings,

a lot of people

think of me.

Many more of you,

though,

have only recently

become aware of me.

It took a character

assassination piece like this

to make you finally

pay attention.

But now you're

interested, huh?

Intrigued, even?

How did some...

slip of a girly-boy

from Communist East Berlin

become the internationally

ignored song stylist

barely standing

before you?

That's what I want to talk about

tonight, ladies and gentlemen.

I don't wanna talk

about sudden, undeserved

commercial success.

I don't wanna talk

about betrayal,

I don't wanna talk

about my lawsuit

against a certain

rock and roll "icon,"

Tommy Gnosis,

who, by some freak

coincidence, is performing

right next door

at Busch Stadium.

And to whom I taught

everything he knows,

and has apparently

forgotten,

about rock & roll!

Yes, this is

Phyllis Stein,

manager of Hedwig

and the Angry Inch.

I've been ho--

"Inch"! Not "Itch."

Let me speak

to Brad, please.

You know I've been holding

for 24 minutes?

Yes, hi, Brad,

this is Phyllis.

So what's going on

with Bilgewater's?

I heard the entire

chain's going under.

Hold on,

hold on a second.

- Hedwig! - We can have a gig

in any Bilgewater's nationwide

with a 24-hour notice?

And they know what kind

of music we play?

Okay, ciao.

People, people,

people.

Tomorrow is

a travel day.

It's a travel day

for Tommy,

so it's a travel day

for us.

Friday, Chicago.

Tommy's

at Soldier Field,

and we're

at Bilgewater's in the mall

down the street.

And the next day,

looks like he's...

basically, he's back

on the bus.

Phyllis--

"basically"?

He's doing a record signing.

Why do you feel

the need to lie to me?

Hedwig, please.

Come.

I don't think it's going

to help our lawsuit

if you continue to--

if you present

the appearance of stalking.

You know I don't

like that word.

Please listen to me.

How about you don't talk to him,

and I get someone to steal a photo

- of you two together?

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John Cameron Mitchell

John Cameron Mitchell (born April 21, 1963) is an American actor, writer, and director, best known for originating the title role in the musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and reprising it in the 2001 film adaptation directed by him, as well as for directing the films Shortbus (2006) and Rabbit Hole (2010). more…

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