Hairspray
Movie Review
"Hairspray"
Review by Eric D. Snider
Grade: A-
Rating: PG
Released: Friday, July 20, 2007
Directed by:
Cast:
From its ridiculously catchy opening number, through its funny but wholesome satire of early-'60s innocence, to its deliriously happy finale, "Hairspray" is as delightful and entertaining a musical as Hollywood has produced in years. It doesn't just entertain you; it makes you happy.
Based on the 2002 Broadway musical (which itself was based on the 1988 non-musical John Waters film), "Hairspray" is set in the colorful, not-quite-slummy Baltimore of 1962, where a chubby but happy teenager named Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) and her best friend Penny (Amanda Bynes) rush home after school each day to watch "The Corny Collins Show," a teen dance program similar to "American Bandstand."
Tracy's greatest wish is to be a dancer on the show, and to get the attention of lead hoofer Link Larkin (Zac Efron), who goes to her school but never pays attention to her. But Tracy's mother, the housebound and self-conscious Edna (John Travolta, in a dress and a fat suit), discourages her from auditioning. They don't choose girls like us, she tells her, "us" being girls who aren't rail-thin.
Tracy winds up on the show anyway, though, and Link is smitten with her -- much to the dismay of his ambitious blond girlfriend and fellow dancer Amber Von Tussle (Brittany Snow), whose former-beauty-queen mother Velma (Michelle Pfeiffer) is the TV station's manager. Further aggravating the situation: Tracy thinks that instead of having each Tuesday set aside as "Negro Day," where black teens appear on the show, they should just integrate and let teens of all races dance together every day.
It's that kind of forward-thinking that causes revolutions, you know, and soon Baltimore is embroiled in the sunniest, toe-tappingest civil rights movement you ever did see. At the center is Tracy and Penny's new black friend Seaweed (Elijah Kelley) and his mother, Motormouth Maybelle (Queen Latifah), a record-store owner whose business is often the site of ad-hoc dance parties for local black teens.
The issues at play sound serious, but believe me when I tell you the film is not preachy or strident. Its social satire is generally subtle and understated; most of all, the movie's just FUN. Good heavens, is it ever fun. I marvel at how well the songs, written by Marc Shaiman ("South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut") and Scott Wittman, hit their targets. Each one is optimistic and up-tempo, usually involving a key change that makes an already-invigorating tune soar even higher. The themes are inspiring, too: "Welcome to the '60s" has Edna Turnblad coming out of her shell, "Run and Tell That" is an infectious "black and proud" number, "Big, Blonde and Beautiful" celebrates being comfortable in your own skin even if you're overweight. Even the opening number, "Good Morning Baltimore," which isn't really about anything other than general teenage cheerfulness, feels like an anthem of positive thinking and goodwill.
The film was directed and choreographed by Adam Shankman. This is Shankman's sixth film; it is the first one not to be utterly wretched. (Some of his prior offenses: "The Pacifier," "Cheaper by the Dozen 2.") I think here he has found his calling. Where so many modern musical films employ fast editing and screwy camera angles, Shankman -- justifiably proud of his choreography -- lets the camera linger long enough for us to actually see what the dancers are doing. Yet there is enough camera movement and film editing to match the pace and energy of the scenes, too.
Granted, he had excellent source material to work with, but that's not a guarantee of success. Plenty of shows that worked on the Broadway stage have failed when they were converted to the silver screen. Whether "Hairspray" was closer to Shankman's heart than his previous projects, or whether he had more help on this one, or whether this is just a fluke, I don't know. The point is, he guides "Hairspray" as if he were actually a good director. He never has been before, but maybe that's all in the past now.
The film's one weakness is that there are obviously some scenes missing -- "obviously" not because I remember them from the stage version, but because just watching the movie, you can tell that certain elements are incomplete. Much is made of a local clothier's desire to make Tracy his spokesmodel, and then we never see him again. There's a curious scene where Velma Von Tussle tries to seduce Edna's husband, joke-shop-owner Wilbur (Christopher Walken), and not only is it ineffective, but it's not even clear why she's doing it. (She wants Tracy off the show, so she seduces Tracy's dad? What? Surely there are more direct ways to get rid of Tracy.) I get the feeling there may be scenes on the DVD that bring a little more sense to all this.
So far I've made scant mention of John Travolta. This man, like Shankman, has been responsible for a lot of bad movies in recent years. Yet also like Shankman, "Hairspray" is his redemption. His bizarre Baltimore ("Bawmur") accent, his giant meaty face made even gianter and meatier by prosthetics, his eyes still way too close together -- that's all surface stuff that makes him a curiosity more than a character. But then, son of a gun, Travolta totally nails the performance. He makes Edna sympathetic and likable and strangely real. He makes us cheer when she starts to gain confidence through her daughter's actions. He doesn't overplay the part, which is often the temptation when playing a larger-than-life character (especially one of the opposite sex), but he is fully committed to Edna's quirks and foibles, and to the film's sunny-side-up ethos.
Edna and Wilbur have a number where they tell each other that their love will remain strong despite their advancing ages, receding hairlines, and growing waistlines. It is indeed a surreal pleasure to see Christopher Walken and John Travolta work together in a charming, old-fashioned song-and-dance number. The two characters are so sweet and sincere that the fact that one of them is being played by a man in drag becomes irrelevant.
All of the supporting cast is fantastic, too, though Zac Efron (cast because of his "High School Musical" fame) could use a little more experience, and Amanda Bynes doesn't get to do much. There's still Allison Janney as Penny's prudish mother, James Marsden's surprisingly charismatic turn (and what a voice!) as Corny Collins, Elijah Kelley executing some stunning moves as Seaweed, and Michelle Pfeiffer vamping it up deliciously as the villainous Velma Von Tussle.
The film's philosophy is that you should be yourself and be happy regardless of your race or body type. Old, young, fat, thin, black, white, so what? Let's all just sing and dance together. You'll come out of the movie happier than you went in, and humming a few peppy new tunes to boot.
Grade: A-
Rated PG, some mild innuendo and double-entendre; a little very mild profanity
1 hr., 57 min.
Copyright © Eric D. Snider.
This work may not be transmitted via the Internet, nor reproduced in any other way, without written consent from Eric D. Snider.
This item has 20 comments
July 20, 2007 at 9:44 am
Oh my gosh, Hairspray is that good? Thanks for the review, it really helped.
July 20, 2007 at 3:39 pm
I left the movie dancing! The only thing that I didn't like was the fact that I couldn't stand up and dance in the aisles!!!
July 20, 2007 at 4:54 pm
I loved the musical and I am looking forward to seeing the movie this week. It does shock me that the word on the internet is this movie will only make a little over 20 million this weekend. They even think that Chuck and Larry will do much more than that despite poor reviews. Hairspray appeals to all ages and they did strong marketing for it to succeed. It figures that the movie audiences would go to see overrated sequels with cool special effects and a predictable comedy.
July 20, 2007 at 6:34 pm
I have to admit, I probably won't see it. But, my wife probably will. And if it is as good as you say, she'll probably get the DVD. Which means I'll see it.
Anyway, in the meantime, a quick point about the Travolta's accent. The traditional accent will make it come out more like "Bawl-mer" or "Bal-mer". The "l" isn't strong, but it is there. I also suspect there was copious use of "hon" as well. If not, I'm disappointed and will likely spend the movie complaining...
July 20, 2007 at 9:29 pm
I'll confirm the Bal-mer accent, as that is that is how it's pronounced properly there.
July 21, 2007 at 7:05 pm
I saw it, and yes, it is that good. James Marsden surprised me with his voice, and I agree about Zac Efron needing more experience but he's not bad.
It wasn't easy just sitting my seat and watching, I wanted to get up and sing and dance along with the movie. Great fun.
July 22, 2007 at 3:44 pm
Having been born about 75 miles away over in "Delwer", I'll third the "Bal-mer" comments.
July 23, 2007 at 12:12 pm
I'll admit that I wasn't expecting much when I went to see Hairspray. It was absolutely delightful! Good Morning, Baltimore won me over in 5 seconds flat. Travolta nails the accent and I actually forgot I was watching a man in the role (and yes, copious use of the word 'hon'.)
It's clean enough that you can take teenagers and kids, but slightly subversive enough to appeal to adults.
July 28, 2007 at 11:55 am
This movie was great fun. Its energy was infectious, and I too wanted to start dancing.
August 4, 2007 at 5:10 am
I finally got to see it and I loved it. It's almost as good as the musical. I think they casted everyone perfect, except for "Seaweed". From what I remember in the musical, Seaweed was a foot taller than everyone and the skinniest guy by far. He was different like Tracy and that kept with the same theme. In the movie, they casted him like a young Denzel Washington. He was perfect looking and had a muscular build. That was an odd choice.
August 5, 2007 at 12:18 am
I went to see this with my grandmother, expecting to hate it(I only went because my best friend told me she loved it, and I wanted to see if it was worth it), but I loved it! The only song I didn't like was Good Morning Baltimore, to be honest...It just didn't grab me the way the other ones did. I thought everyone did great in it, it was surprising to see so many big names. And Nikki Blonsky? Genius, that girl's brilliant.
August 5, 2007 at 8:49 pm
I loved the movie! My friends and I actually dressed up in full 60's garb to go see it and loved every moment. I absoultly love that a non main stream actress got the lead for once.
August 11, 2007 at 9:14 pm
Hairspray had the best soundtrack of all the musicals I have seen. All through the movie I had to resist the urge to get up and dance. All of the cast have wonderful voices, however, the ones that stood out to me were; amanda Bynes, Nikki Blonsky, and(especially!!!) Elijah Kelly.
August 12, 2007 at 11:53 am
i think tht hairspray is the best film i hav seen in ages it is realy funny and i think tht all the actors especialy blake are ACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I LOVE ZAC 4 LIFE IDST
September 6, 2007 at 10:52 pm
Jezebel: "The only thing I didn't like was the fact that I couldn't stand up and dance in the aisles."
My 83-year-old mother Ruth did just that as the credits rolled at the end. We all thought the film was excellent, and have to agree with the praise expressed above. I just can't figure out, however, how a producer would ever think to cast a man as a woman (HF was the first, no?), but it worked incredibly well! JT's nimble-footed rockin' out made me laugh out loud, and I'm thinkin' about seeing the film a third time.
December 5, 2007 at 5:27 am
I think the in drag casting is traditional since in the Waters film (and on broadway?) the Edna Turnblad character was plated by Divine, a female impersonator. Just my take on it.
January 6, 2008 at 12:37 am
I was hesitant about seeing this movie because a weird friend of mine became obsessed with it...a red light to me about exposing myself to something. Then I let another friend talk me into it, and all I can say is "ditto" to everything everyone said about it....amazing!
One thought I had about John Travolta being Edna in drag...maybe that was a subversive stand-in for trans-sexuals, homosexuals, and all the other "other-gender" issues there are out there. Just a little question that peeped out of my brain but it seems to me that in making social commentary, especially from the 60's, that they have the African Americans represented, overweight people represented, and then wouldn't some other people who are also stigmatized for being different be represented? Why not? I dunno. Just a little idea, I suppose.
February 13, 2008 at 4:33 pm
What I have heard, perhaps from DVD clips but I'm not sure, is that Edna is traditionally played by a man and Tracy is traditionally played by a newcomer. Again, I'm not sure if that's true, but that's what I've heard.
May 13, 2008 at 3:09 am
Shannon, hon, I hate to break it to you, but have you ever thought that such comments might be out of place here? Yes, dear, I don't mean to be rude, but I think we (being everyone who tries to read the comments) would very much appreciate it if you worked on typing out your words. And perhaps capitalizing things?
And Neil...there is nothing wrong with saying 'hon'. I say it all the time. It's intoxicating, at least for me.
I adored this movie. I saw it at my friend's party, and I came home and demanded that my parents go get it.
June 17, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Though I have always admired John Travolta, I think he could have done much better with his Balmur accent. He just didn't quite get it. At first I thought he sounded like Dr. Evil! I think it improved as the movie went on, and by the end he almost got it - particularly when he said "Ah gotta gaoh - I leff ma arn oowon". His "hawns" were pretty good, but overall, I think it could have been much better. And why was he the only one in the movie with an accent?
P.S. To "That One Gal": Right on, hon! I suspect Shannon is about 12 years old . . . at least I hope so!