JUMP DARLING

Phil Connell | Canada | 2020 | 89 min |  ENGLISH

​​The über-talented Thomas Duplessie plays Russell, a “tempestuous” Pisces with a family history of giving up and an enduring love of drag performing, opposite the legendary Cloris Leachman as his ailing grandmother, who might be more lucid than her senility implies. Grandma, and an LGBTQ+-friendly townie bar, could end up redeeming Russell when he needs it most.

Filmed on location in Toronto and picturesque Prince Edward County, Jump, Darling is an endlessly entertaining showcase for top talent, including Leachman in her final starring role, Canada’s Drag Race’s Tynomi Banks, and Montreal-born Linda Kash, (a.k.a. the Philly Cream Cheese Angel), not to mention Duplessie burning down the house with tip-worthy lip syncs to a sizzling string of hits from Scissor Sisters, Robyn, and Rough Trade, to name a few. Naturalistic acting and moving plotlines focusing on self-worth, ambition, and end-of-life care perfectly balance out the performance pyrotechnics. The heart of the film underscoring how family – and drag – can save your life, even as it seems to be ending.