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John Waters' Pink Flamingos is a tale centering on the ambitions of two groups of slightly warped individuals. The plot is simple, one family of degenerates have gained the title "The Filthiest People Alive." This infamous position is trying to be stolen by a posh married couple who are jealous of not owning such a title themselves and who decide that they will stop at nothing to get the name of "The Filthiest People Alive" for themselves.

As the film opens, Mr. Waters' gives us a peek at the ongoings surrounding the inhabitants of "This lovely mobile home you see before you." Over on an empty lot in Phoenix Maryland, in a ratty trailer, painted in hues of baby blue and pink, resides the notorious Babs Johnson (Divine). Babs is in hiding from the law for various indecent acts of depravity. Living with her is her delinquent son Crackers (Danny Mills) her mentally challenged mother Edie (Edith Massey) and her voyeuristic yet glamorous traveling companion Cotton (Mary Vivian Pearce).

Over on the cosmopolitan side of town, live the Marbles. Connie and Raymond Marble (Mink Stole, David Lochary). The marbles live comfortably in a nice home supported by a baby selling ring they have started. At night, the Marbles pick up unsuspecting young women in their car, drug them and imprison them in their own basement where they employ a butler named Channing (Channing Wilroy) to impregnate the women and sell the newborn babies to lesbian couples.

However, for the Marbles, all this filthy behavior is just not enough. They must have that title! For over a year, they have been devising a plan to gain an upper hand on Babs Johnson. They send a spy named Cookie (Cookie Mueller) to pose as a new girlfriend for Crackers and it's here she discovers the secrets of the inhabitants of the trailer. Cookie meets Edie, the crazed 'Egg Lady.' Day and night Mamma Edie obsesses over eggs. She images all the different ways that she can eat them. She can fry them, poach them and scramble them! Each and every day, the trailer is visited by the friendly Egg Man (Paul Swift). He delivers only the freshest eggs in town and makes a happy woman out of Edie, who lives most her life in a play pen wearing only her underwear.

Crackers, (Babs' scruffy son), is definitely digging Cookie and promises Cotton, the traveling companion, that "He'll put on the best show for her." Crackers takes Cookie out to his little shed where he keeps his pet chickens and where he likes to have wild chicken sex with his girlfriends. (This scene has to be seen to be believed!) Needless to say, poor Cookie is a bit turned off after this encounter. But she has all the information she needs for the Marbles. She informs them of the family and the Marbles make their move.

They send a little package of excrement to Babs for her birthday which sends Babs' into a rage. "How dare they think that they are filthier then I am!" She screams. "I didn't get my reputation for nothing you know!" Now.. It's war...

Babs and Crackers attack the Marbles with their filth. But the Marbles attack right back and this goes on and on in a relentlessly filthy fashion until finally Babs and family get the upper hand by breaking into the Marbles' home and discover a few filthy secrets for themselves. They use this to their advantage and when the Marbles return home, they receive the surprise of their life when they discover that their baby selling ring has been 'dismantled.' Connie and Raymond's bid to 'out-filth' Babs and her family has failed and they soon learn that Babs has a different way for the Marbles to make headlines in the papers....

Pink Flamingos is John Waters first color film and it's great to see all the tacky clothes and sets in thier gaudyglory. Not to mention the brightly red and blue hair adorned by Connie and Raymond. The actors have a lot of fun with thier roles and the movie moves along with a crappy-filmed, comical brilliance. Divine is a standout as Babs. Again, playing a ranting a raving loon who will do anything to be on top. But here, you get the impression that Babs is a caring and strong woman, who is always trying to keep her family protected from the outside world. It's almost like a Lifetime Movie gone horrendously wrong. (Or horrendously right.) Mary Vivian Pearce is beautiful as Cotton and Crackers is played to the hilt by Danny Mills (who didn't show up in another Waters film.) Edith Massey is really great as the slightly retarded Mamma Edie. She adds a warm little touch to the otherwise crazed and hostile environment. Mink Stole is wonderously bitchy as the uptight Connie and David Lochary holds his own (literally), as the sleezy Raymond.

So...Is this a good reason for Pink Flamingos to become branded by some as a classic? I think so...

Every event that unfolds before that shit-filled ending is classically disgusting, classically shocking, classically filled with twisted humor and classically all John Waters.

Anybody who can dress up in a red fish tail gown and brandish a gun with force has got a real film presence. Divine is really something else. "Pink Flamingos" Love It or Hate It, is nevertheless is an unforgettable experience. That is...If you wanna look into that kind of experience ***** 5 Stars

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originally posted: 05/17/02 09:20:48
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