Hedwig is born Hansel in communist East Germany to a German woman and an American GI who molested him as a boy. Hansel he remains until he meets Luther, a US soldier who proposes marriage and promises a new life in Kansas, USA. To marry and evade immigration Hansel has a sex operation and therein lies the premise upon which the movie is built. The operation goes wrong and the newly created Hedwig is left with a one inch mound of flesh. Deserted by her sugar daddy upon their arrival to Kansas, she formsa band with Korean wives. Hedwig and the Angry Inch is born. Captivated by the band's performance teen fan Tommy Gnosis, a naive young boy who until meeting Hedwig had only Jesus as an influence in his life, becomes Hedwig's lover/protege until he steals her songs and is propelled to megastardom. With a newly formed pan Slavonic band, an even more bitter Hedwig shadows Tommy's US tour, performing glam rock numbers in garish costumes to bemused diners in virtually empty restaurants bookedby their enthusiastic manager. Through the collage of songs, animation and flashbacks, Hedwig's anguish, dreams and life story evolve as she continues in her quest to substitute being internationally ignored with becoming internationally recognised as the creative force behind Gnosis.
東ベルリンで生まれた男の子、ヘドウィグは、米兵と結婚し、アメリカに渡るため性転換手術を受ける。だが手術失敗で、彼の股間には“怒りの1インチ(アングリーインチ)”が残る。アメリカへ行ったヘドウィグだが、夫は逃げ出してしまう。失意の中、ロックバンドを結成。次に恋した17歳のトミーにも裏切られ、さらに曲を盗まれてしまう。トミーはその曲でロックスターとなり、ヘドウィグは自分のバンドを引き連れ、彼を追いかけ始める。果たして自分の歌を取り戻し、探し求めていた愛にたどり着けるのか・・・。
