Men tap into their feminine sides in some classic films

You have to admire a man with the guts (and gams) to wear a skirt. The hazards are manifest - uncomfortable chills, untoward gusts of wind and (depending on company and social standing) the threat of ridicule. But some men pull it off. John Belushi's take on the toga in Animal House was nice, as was tough guy Terence Stamp's take on cross-dressing in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. In fact, the history of cinema is filled with men in togas, tunics, kilts and ball gowns, each of whom rocked the look with their own sense of style and aplomb. Here are some classic examples:

FLAWLESS (1999): Marketed as a Robert De Niro vehicle, this story of an embittered ex-cop stroke victim who takes music lessons as rehabilitation shines when character actor Philip Seymour Hoffman turns up. Mr. Hoffman's drag-queen music teacher could easily have veered into parody, but instead he finds the quiet moments and small asides that lend the character real depth and humanity.

BRAVEHEART (1995): Proving, once and for all, that men in kilts are not sissies, Mel Gibson's rebel leader William Wallace kicks a little English tail, all while maintaining a certain sense of skirt decorum. A bold, visceral movie that did wonders for the tartan industry.

SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959): One of cinema's great comedies, this movie features Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis as musicians on the run - in heels - from the mob. While much is made of screen icon Marilyn Monroe's supporting role, the movie really rests on the broad shoulders and short skirts of its leads.

SPARTACUS (1960): As if facing death in the arena isn't hard enough, the gladiators in Spartacus are asked to endure battle after bloody battle in micro-mini tunics. Although director Stanley Kubrick chose to ignore the risks inherent in the skirt-clad rumble, rest assured that more than a few warriors, perhaps Spartacus himself, were subjected to the occasional indecent exposure.

TOOTSIE (1982): One of the great comedies of the 1980s, Tootsie stars Dustin Hoffman as an actor who resorts to adopting a feminine persona in order to land a role on a soap opera. A brilliant script and a career performance by Mr. Hoffman elevate this film beyond its premise.

Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.