Movie Review:

Hairspray

by Lynn B

Great music, top stars, great heart and issues you should care about. Hairspray has it all! It’s retro-rific!

In 1962, pleasingly plump Baltimore teen Tracy Turnblad (a perfectly-cast Nikki Blonsky) has big hair and an even bigger dream; to get to dance on TV’s “The Corny Collins Show”, Baltimore’s equivalent of “American Bandstand”. But, Tracy doesn’t fit in with the cool crowd always picked for the show. Doesn’t matter to her. She was born dancin’! Her dad Wilbur (Christopher Walken) supports her with lines like “You’ve got to think big to be big. Go for it!” Tracy sets the energetic pace and tone for the whole film with her wide-eyed, hopeful tune “Good Morning Baltimore”.

After wowing Corny Collins (James Marsden) who sees her doing a new dance at her high school, Tracy wins a spot on the dance show, becomes super popular and even catches the eye of her crush Link Larkin (Zac Efron). This really ticks off Link’s current girlfriend and reigning dance princess Amber (Brittany Snow) and her evil, controlling mom, Velma Von Tussle (Michelle Pfeiffer), the manager of the TV station which broadcasts the show.

The Amber/Tracy feud heats up as the girls vie for the “Miss Teenage Hairspray” crown. At school, Tracy’s antics with the black kids whose dance moves she loves, put her in detention and objections to her BFF Penny Pingleton’s (Amanda Bynes) relationship with Seaweed (Elijah Kelley), one of the best black dancers, make Tracy realize that she wants to fight racial segregation. The black kids can’t even dance on the same day as whites on the Corny Collins Show. Tracy joins black dance day host Motormouth Maybelle (Queen Latifah) to fight for integration with a protest march and then has to run from the law. Tracy also has to bring her reclusive mom Edna (John Travolta) out of her shell and back into life.

Of course, things all come to a head at the final dance-off against Amber and for an integrated dance show.

If you are sick of all the summer action, effects-packed, mindless blow-em-ups, you’ll love this movie! It’s a feel-good musical with some great retro tunes, real heart and amazing performances! Every teen I saw in my screening audience was boppin’ in their seats to the ‘60’s era music. Sure, there are campy, corny moments but you’ll root for adorable Tracy and her pals as she proves bigger can be better, misfits can rule and that kids of all races and sizes should have the same rights.

You’ll fall in love with perky Nikki Blonsky and Zac Ephron is an ideal Link Larkin.. in a much more edgy performance than his “High School Musical” role. Everyone else is well-cast. Travolta is a riot and also loveable as Edna. Elijah Kelley is awesome, especially when he dances, Amanda Bynes is a great, shy, just bursting to be free Penny, Brittany Snow is the perfect plastic princess and Michelle Pfeiffer is really the gal you’ll love to hate as Amber’s overbearing and evil mom. I wish we could have seen more of Christopher Walken’s fun dance moves but I guess there wasn’t time for everything. Queen Latifah isn’t as in-your-face as I’ve seen her but her song during a march for integration is a real show-stopper.

In short, you’ll sing, you’ll dance and you’ll really get into the spirit. Go see this film!

 

This movie is rated PG

Official Movie Web Site - HAIRSPRAY

Pictures courtesy of and copyright New Line Cinema, 2007