Polyester

Polyester is a 1981 American comedy film directed, produced, and written by the ‘Pope of Trash’ himself, the legendary John Waters. The film exhibits Waters' signature style, brilliantly blurring the line between the absurd and the overpoweringly real with his surrealistic narration, satirical storytelling, and idiosyncratic characters.

Polyester stars the iconic Divine (born Harris Glenn Milstead), breakthrough drag queen and Johns Waters' muse, who is known for her stage theatrics, oversized persona, and the bold subtlety she delivers to her roles. In Polyester, she plays Francine Fishpaw, a suburban housewife tackling the absurd caricature that is her life with sardonic flair.

The film begins by introducing us to Francine's life, which is enough to put any soap opera to shame. She is married to Elmer Fishpaw, a slimy, deceitful owner of an adult movie theater who openly cheats on her. Her two children, Lu-Lu and Dexter, aren't any better. Her daughter, Lu-Lu, is a rebellious teenager who's pregnant by a delinquent, while her son, Dexter, is a troublemaking foot fetishist. As if that wasn't enough, Francine also has to deal with the constant insults and public humiliation from her mother, La Rue, who abuses Francine’s generosity at every opportunity. In other words, as the tagline of the movie generously offers, Francine Fishpaw’s life literally “stinks”.

As her family life spirals out of control amidst a series of outrageous events featuring alcoholism and infidelity, Francine finds solace, compassion, and possibly even love in the form of Todd Tomorrow. Played by Tab Hunter, Todd is a suave owner of a drive-in theater who serves as Francine's beacon of hope, making her believe in the possibility of a better life.

Polyester cleverly parodies societal norms and conventions. It takes a satirical jab at the cloying melodrama of 1950s suburban life, ensuing an exaggerated parody of the conservative, middle-class American family. Its depiction of family dysfunctionality is laced with irony, presenting an uncanny likeness to the patterns of conventional 'serious' cinema.

Polyester is also known for its ingenious use of ‘Odorama’, which was a technique used by Waters to hand out scratch-and-sniff cards to the audience, filled with various scents that one could smell at the same time as the characters on the film. This unique blending of various sensory experiences makes Polyester a transformative film that pushes the boundaries of cinematic conventions.

The wildly over-the-top and scandalous performances by the cast, especially Divine’s tragi-comedic turn as Francine, add layers of complexity to the film, making it a symbol of cult cinema. The film is often noted for its departure from Waters' earlier, grittier works, as the director decided to play up the absurdities of suburban life within a more conventional narrative structure.

Polyester is a gleefully perverse celebration of the bizarre, encapsulated within Waters' unique vision of the world. The film serves as a multi-faceted social commentary while simultaneously offering an uproarious comedy filled with darker undertones. With its blend of the surreal and the mundane, Polyester manages to balance its melodrama with surprising moments of genuine emotion, making it a must-watch for fans of John Waters and lovers of offbeat cinema.

In conclusion, Polyester is a blend of satire, parody, dark comedy, and melodrama, all wrapped up in John Waters's distinctive, audacious style. It offers an unforgettable front-row seat to the unraveling of a suburban housewife's life, making for a cinematic experience that is just as entertaining as it is thought-provoking and revolutionary. It's an essential piece in Waters' filmography, marking a turning point in his career and setting the stage for the mainstream success that would follow.