Kinky Boots (film)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Kinky Boots
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Release dates
  • October 7, 2005 (2005-10-07) (United Kingdom)
  • April 14, 2006 (2006-04-14) (United States)
Running time
106 minutes[1]
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Box office$9,950,133[2]

Kinky Boots is a 2005 British

Geoff Deane and Tim Firth. Nominated at the 64th Golden Globe Awards
, it is based on a true story. The film tells of struggling shoe factory owner Charlie, who forms an unlikely partnership with Lola, a drag queen, to save the business. Charlie develops a plan to produce custom footwear for drag queens, rather than the men's dress shoes that his firm is known for, alienating many in the process.

Plot

In

high heels
snap easily, and wishes to create high heels that can support a greater range of foot sizes and body types. Back in Northampton, while in the process of laying off workers, one employee, Lauren, gives Charlie the idea of looking for a niche market product to save the business. Charlie then recruits Lauren to assist him in designing a high-heeled boot for drag performers.

When their initial designs are met with scorn by Lola, Charlie and Lauren bring her on as a consultant. The road is initially bumpy: many of the male employees are uncomfortable with Lola's presence and the new direction, and Charlie's relationship with his fiancée, Nicola, begins to deteriorate as she encourages him to sell the factory building to a developer. Although things improve when Lola tones down her personality and starts making friends, matters take a turn for the worse when Charlie is invited to showcase the new boots in Milan; the strain he puts on his employees causes most of them, including Lola, to walk out.

Charlie's fiancée arrives at the factory, furious that he took out a second mortgage on their house to save the company. Nicola insists that he sell the company, but Charlie is determined to save it and the jobs of his employees. The argument (which ends with Nicola leaving Charlie) is broadcast on the factory's PA system, which is overheard by Lauren and Lola's bitterest opponent at the factory, Don, a chauvinistic male worker. Don turns over a new leaf after Lola had graciously allowed him to win an arm wrestling match, and rallies the factory workers to make the boots in time for Charlie and Lauren to get to Milan. When Charlie catches Nicola with another man, he angrily takes out his frustrations on Lola, causing Lola to quit. After arriving in Milan with no one to model the boots, Charlie is forced to go onstage and model the boots himself. After he trips and ultimately falls flat on his face, Lola and her posse of drag queens arrive, put on a spectacular runway show, and save the day.

In the film's denouement, Lola headlines her own show and sings a song in honour of the "kinky boots factory" of Northampton. Most of the key workers are in attendance and enjoying themselves, including Charlie and Lauren, who have become a couple.

Cast

Background

An episode of

BBC2 documentary series Trouble at the Top, broadcast on 24 February 1999, inspired the film.[3] It featured Steve Pateman who was struggling with possible closure of W.J. Brooks Ltd, a family-controlled Earls Barton, Northamptonshire shoe factory, that soon catered to the market of men wearing traditionally women's shoes, such as black patent boots, under the "Divine" brand.[3] Many of the film's scenes were filmed in the factory used by Tricker's in Northampton.[4]

It is mentioned in management as an example of agility and customer centricity.[5]

Soundtrack

The Kinky Boots: Original Soundtrack was released on April 11, 2006, by Hollywood Records.[6]

  1. "Whatever Lola Wants" – Chiwetel Ejiofor (2:12)
  2. "In These Shoes" – Kirsty MacColl (3:39)
  3. "I Want to Be Evil" – Chiwetel Ejiofor (2:34)
  4. "Mr. Big Stuff" – Lyn Collins (4:00)
  5. "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" – James Brown (3:17)
  6. "I Put a Spell on You" – Nina Simone (2:36)
  7. "The Prettiest Star" – David Bowie (3:09)
  8. "Together We Are Beautiful" – Chiwetel Ejiofor (4:10)
  9. "
    Yes Sir I Can Boogie
    " – Chiwetel Ejiofor (4:20)
  10. "Wild Is the Wind" – Nina Simone (6:59)
  11. "The Red Shoes" – Adrian Johnston (4:26)
  12. "Steel Shank" – Adrian Johnston (3:39)
  13. "Free to Walk" – Adrian Johnston (3:39)

The following songs are included in the film but are not on the Original Soundtrack:

Release

Critical response

The film received mixed reviews on release, with critics[

weighted average score of 5.8/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Kinky Boots relies heavily on the Full Monty formula of Britcoms, while playing it too safe in a desperate attempt not to offend. Ejiofor's performance is its redeeming virtue."[7]

Box office

The film earned a total of $9,941,428 internationally.[2]

Awards

Ejiofor was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.[8][9]

Musical adaptation

Main article: Kinky Boots (musical)

A

Billy Porter and Stark Sands.[12] At the 67th Tony Awards (2013), the Broadway production won six Tony Awards, including Best Original Score (Lauper, first sole female winner), Best Actor (Porter) and Best Musical.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ "KINKY BOOTS (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. 23 August 2005. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  2. ^ a b Kinky Boots (2006) at Box Office Mojo
  3. ^ a b Dowd, Vincent (18 June 2013). "BBC News - Kinky Boots inspiration comes out of the shadows". Bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 March 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  4. ^ "Getting to the roots of Kinky Boots". Northampton Borough Council. 4 September 2018. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  5. ^ "The Kinky Boots of SCM "How far would you go to save your supply chain?"". Archived from the original on 9 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  6. ^ "Kinky Boots: Original Soundtrack". iTunes. January 2005. Archived from the original on 11 February 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  7. Fandango. Archived
    from the original on 10 March 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  8. ^ Holland, Patrick. "The Old Guard's Chiwetel Ejiofor says dancing in 6-inch Kinky Boots memorably scared him". CNET. Archived from the original on 3 September 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Kinky Boots". www.goldenglobes.com. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  10. ^ Jones, Kenneth. "Kinky Boots Musical Will Kick It Up in Chicago in October, Prior to Broadway". Archived 2013-11-03 at the Wayback Machine Playbill.com, February 22, 2012
  11. ^ Jones, Kenneth (8 July 2008). "Kinky Boots, the Musical, Walking Toward Broadway". Playbill. Archived from the original on 13 July 2008. Retrieved 10 July 2008.
  12. ^ Jones, Chris. "'Kinky Boots' announces full cast". Archived 9 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine ChicagoTribune.com, June 28, 2012
  13. ^ Purcell, Carey (9 June 2013). "Kinky Boots, Vanya and Sonia, Pippin and Virginia Woolf? Are Big Winners at 67th Annual Tony Awards". Playbill. Archived from the original on 11 June 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kinky_Boots_(film)&oldid=1219542404"