Starring: Udo Keir, Jennifer Coolidge, Linda Evans, Michael Urie, Ira Hawkins
Distributor: Icon Films
Runtime: 106 mins. Reviewed in Dec 2021
Reviewer: Fr Peter Malone msc
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Small town Sandusky Ohio. A flamboyant hairdresser lives in a retirement home but, reluctantly, is called out to prepare an old client for her funeral – which means he relives his past.
This is a true story of an encounter by the writer-director, Todd Stephens, with an elderly man, Patrick Pitsenbarger, in Sandusky, Ohio and Patrick’s reminiscences.
Patrick is played by German and international character actor, Udo Kier, prominent in films since the 1960s, acting in Paul Morrisey/Andy Warhol Frankenstein and Dracula films, working for Rainer Werner Fassbender as well as Lars von Trier. In fact, he has appeared in more than 250 films. But, it is no swan song for him, as he has appeared in four films in two television series since completing this film.
There is an indication of Patrick’s vision of himself in the prologue, an empty theatre, the curtain pulled back, the lights coming on, emerging to sing. However, in reality he has been for many years in a home for the elderly, smoking forbidden cigarillos, incessantly folding napkins neatly and storing them, going to the dining room, a touch aloof. Who is he? What has he been?
The answer comes fairly quickly – he has been the hairdresser in Sandusky, popular in the 1990s, but, in his memory, betrayed by his major client, the affluent Rita (a welcome cameo by Linda Evans of Dynasty fame, appearing in photos and then in a final ghostly sequence) and his major assistant, Dee Dee (played by Jennifer Coolidge in what must be one of her most laid-back performances). We discover that he is gay, has fond memories of his partner, David, and an old friend, Eunice. But the main action here is that the administrator of Rita’s will tells him that she has asked for him to prepare her for her funeral. There is a bequest of $25,000, which he refuses in a huff.
But, huffs do not necessarily last long. Patrick escapes from the home, takes to the road into town, having changed his mind about the funeral. What happens then is a series of entertaining episodes, a friendly mechanic showing the way, a visit to his old house to discover that it has been demolished but a friendly chat with the new owners who prepare him lunch – skipping with children, visiting shops, shoplifting lotions and alcohol, a visit to a clothes shop and the storekeeper remembering him on her only visit to the hairdresser, age 19, then he remembering her and all her family details, her giving him a pale lime suit and hat and he goes on his flamboyant way.
But, with pathos, he visits David’s grave, seeing his own name on the tombstone. He visits the club where he sang every Saturday night, a haunt for closeted gay men in the 1990s. It is to close that night and he returns, reminiscing, helping one of the Drag Queens with his hair, finding the old chandelier in storage and putting it on his head, dancing before he collapses.
Which means that Swan Song has an appeal to a camp sensibility.
Patrick does go to work on Rita’s funeral preparation, has an imaginary confrontation/discussion with Rita, revealing how strong their friendship was and how he had a sense of betrayal when she did not attend David’s funeral, after he died from AIDS. But, Patrick decides to forgive her, lovingly tends her hair and make-up. And he receives some unexpected moral support from Rita’s grandson, Dustin (Michael Urie) who reveals how his grandmother listened to his declaration of his sexual orientation, quoting Patrick and David to her grandson.
Todd Phillips clearly wants us to experience something of the Patrick Pitsenbarger whom he met all those years ago in Sandusky.
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