In Sheffield, England, Jamie New, a gay boy, lives with his single mother Margaret, and attends Mayfield school on his 16th birthday. At school, his teacher rebukes the pupils for their unrealistic career plans. Jamie pretends to agree with her, but secretly he dreams of being a drag queen onstage (“And You Don’t Even Know It”).
Margaret goes to see her friend Ray to help her prepare for Jamie’s birthday party. Jamie’s estranged father, Wayne, who has lived with his girlfriend Cheryl for some time, is expected to arrive at the party, but at the last minute he messages Margaret to cancel his appearance. Jamie arrives and Margaret lies about his absence, pretending he gave him a card. Margaret presents Jamie a pair of expensive red high heels that he has been saving up money for. Jamie is disappointed about his father’s absence and reminisces about their strained relationship and an unspecified hurtful small comment made in his childhood that he is still struggling to overcome (“Wall in My Head”).
At school, Jamie shows the heels to his best friend Pritti Pasha – a girl constantly harassed for her religion – and confesses his desire to be a drag queen. After class bully Dean Paxton insults Jamie and Pritti for their differences and Jamie sticks up for Pritti, Pritti returns the favor by encouraging Jamie to wear the shoes to the school prom and be the drag queen he wants to be (“Spotlight”).
Margaret goes to see Wayne at his girlfriend Cheryl’s house, and admonishes him for not showing up for Jamie at all on his sixteenth birthday and for his lack of parental efforts. Wayne replies that Cheryl is pregnant with their son and urges Margaret to tell Jamie the truth – that he is bitterly disappointed that Jamie is not a stereotype male, and that he wants nothing at all to do with him, especially as Jamie is now no longer a minor.
Jamie goes to a drag shop, House of Loco, where he intends to find his first dress. Hugo Battersby, the drag shop owner, briefly discusses Jamie’s dreams of being a drag queen with him, and reveals that he was himself once a drag superstar, Miss Loco Chanelle, and that his past was filled with a loving drag family that was destroyed when the AIDS epidemic ravaged the community and claimed the life of his male lover (“This Was Me”).
After school, Dean calls out Jamie, intending to go to the show and humiliate him. Jamie goes to the club but gets cold feet and attempts to back out, but is stopped by Hugo dressed up as Loco Chanelle, who encouraged him to perform and dresses him up along with the other drag queens (“Over the Top”).
On prom night, Year 11 prepare for the event. Pritti arrives in makeup and fends off Dean’s bullying with an inspiring speech, reminding Dean that after school ends tomorrow, he will no longer be a big man in a small social world. Jamie arrives, not in drag or as Mimi Me, but as himself, Jamie, dressed in a traditional girls’ prom dress with no makeup.
After sharing a moment together, Pritti goes into prom while Jamie implores Dean to let bygones be bygones and dance with him before prom ends. The class celebrate together and support each other (“Out of the Darkness (A Place Where We Belong)”).
Experience the heartwarming journey of Jamie as he embraces his true self in “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.” Watch the full movie for free and be inspired by the courage and resilience of its characters. Don’t miss out on this empowering story!