Sordid Lives (2000) on Netflix
A Texas family prepares for the matriarch's funeral after she dies in a motel room with a much younger married neighbor. Ty is in West Hollywood; Brother Boy dresses as Tammy Wynette.
- Netflix2.6/5
- IMDb6.7/103,958 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes37%
Plot summary
In a small Texas town, three generations of a family get ready for the funeral of the matriarch, who died by accident in a motel room during a clandestine meeting with her much younger married neighbor. Her relatives have their own troubles to face while getting ready for a service the town may find embarrassing. Ty, a grandson, is in West Hollywood working out who he is, and Brother Boy, a son, has spent twenty-three years dressed as Tammy Wynette. A sister and her best friend live in homes full of kitsch, and there are two daughters, one strait-laced and the other looser.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Sordid Lives (2000)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- The film is based on Del Shores's stage play Sordid Lives, inspired by his own coming out to his parents. The play began in Los Angeles on May 11, 1996 and ran for 13 months, receiving 14 Drama-Logue Awards and 13 Critic's Choice honors.
- The gay character of Ty Williamson, which Geiger had originated in the play, was offered in the film to Noah Wyle and Chris O'Donnell, who both turned it down. Shores, a fan of Geiger, showed the producers a tape of his stage performance and agreed to cast him.
- A second season of the spin-off series was not ordered because of legalities with producers not paying out residuals to the artists. The crew would later be awarded $2.5 million in unpaid residuals and penalties.
- Two roles changed hands for the film: Olivia Newton-John replaced Margot Rose as Bitsy Mae, and Delta Burke took over as Noleta from Patrika Darbo because of Darbo's commitment to Days of Our Lives.
- To keep costs down, Shores shot the film on digital video and had it transferred to 35 mm, which he said "saved a lot of money on this production".
