Synopsis
'Pleasantly plump' teenager Tracy Turnblad achieves her dream of becoming a regular on the Corny Collins Dance Show. Now a teen hero, she starts using her fame to speak out for the causes she believes in, most of all integration. In doing so, she earns the wrath of the show's former star, Amber Von Tussle, as well as Amber's manipulative, pro-segregation parents. The rivalry comes to a head as Amber and Tracy vie for the title of Miss Auto Show 1963.
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Cast
- Ricki LakeTracy Turnblad
- DivineEdna Turnblad / Arvin Hodgepile
- Leslie Ann PowersPenny Pingleton
- Debbie HarryVelma Von Tussle
- Sonny BonoFranklin von Tussle
- Ruth BrownMotormouth Maybelle
- Jerry StillerWilbur Turnblad
- Vitamin CAmber von Tussle
- Michael St. GerardLink Larkin
- Clayton PrinceSeaweed
Recommendations
- 90
Chicago Reader
Not only Waters's best movie, but a crossover gesture that expands his appeal without compromising his vision one iota; Ricki Lake as the hefty young heroine is especially delightful. - 90
Los Angeles Times
Hairspray is a deliriously fast and funny satire of the '60s that marks John Waters' best shot yet at mainstream audiences. [25 Feb 1988, p.1] - 88
TV Guide Magazine
Controversial filmmaker John Waters finally hits his commercial stride in this film, parlaying his keen social observation and great compassion for society's outsiders into a colorful and engaging comedy full of dancing, music and heartfelt nostalgia. - 80
Washington Post
It seems inappropriate to call ick noir auteur Waters a breath of fresh air. But, amid the stale odor of our man-made, musty, Muzaked lives, he's a welcome gust of Renuzit. - 80
Empire
Thoroughly charming, and thoroughly deserving of its cult status. - 80
The New York Times
The actors are best when they avoid exaggeration and remain weirdly sincere. That way, they do nothing to break the vibrant, even hallucinogenic spell of Mr. Waters's nostalgia. - 75
Chicago Sun-Times
Basically the movie is a bubble-headed series of teenage crises and crushes, alternating with historically accurate choreography of such forgotten dances as the Madison and the Roach. - 75
Chicago Tribune
From its opening shot-of little girls with huge hairdos-Hairspray is a relentlessly silly, crude and hilarious lampoon of modes and mores in teenage America, 1962. But it's also more than that. By closing credits, it has made some provocative observations about the influence of rock music on race relations in America, about how the '50s became the '60s and about the volatility of fashion and politics. [26b Feb 1988, p.F]
