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2007
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HAIRSPRAY
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STARRING:NIKKI
BLONSKY,JOHN TRAVOLTA,MICHELLE PFEIFFER, CHRISTOPHER WALKEN,QUEEN
LATIFAH,ZAC EFRON,AMANDA BYRNES, BRITTANY SNOW,ELIJAH KELLY,JAMES
MARSDEN,ALLISON JANNEY
BASED
ON THE 1988 MOVIE WRITTEN BY JOHN WATERS
BASED
ON THE MUSICAL PLAY BY THOMAS MEEHAN & MARK O'DONNELL
SCREENPLAY
BY LESLIE DIXON
PRODUCED
BY NEIL MERON & CRAIG ZADAN
DIRECTED
BY ADAM SHANKMAN
GENRE:MUSICAL/COMEDY/DRAMA
RATED:AUSTRALIA:PG/
UK:PG/USA:PG
RUNNING
TIME:117 MIN
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An
adaptation of the popular Broadway play (which was an adaptation of
the 1988 John Waters cult film), Hairspray stars new comer
Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnbland, a pleasantly plump high school student
who lives in the segregated city of Baltimore with her over weight,
shut in mother Edna (John Travolta) and novelty store owner father
Wilbur (Christopher Walken).
Along with her best friend Penny (Amanda Byrnes), Tracy rushes home
everyday after school to watch the Corny Collins show, a teen dance
show hosted by Corny Collins (James Marsden) which featuring teen
heart throb Link (Zac Efron). The show is aired on the WYZT station,
which is managed by the vicious Velma Von Tussle (Michelle Pfeiffer)
who keeps the show segregated from the black community, save for the
once a month "Negro Day" which is hosted by local R&B
DJ "Motormouth" Maybelle (Queen Latifah).
When one of the shows dancers takes a leave of absence, an open audition
is called to fill the spot. Tracy attends and lands the gig to the
dismay of Velma and her equally snobby daughter Amber (Brittany Snow),
who do not want an over sized girl on the show. Sick of the mistreatment
given to her and to the black community, Tracy decides to fight back
against the establishment and help usher in a new era of tolerance
and understanding for all.
Adam Shankman (who pulled double duty as the films director and choreographer)
has come a long way from the vomit inducing family fair of Cheaper
By The Dozen 2 and The Pacifier to create a
vibrant, extravagant, extremely well structured and well paced movie
filled with infectious musical numbers, big colourful sets courtesy
of Oscar winning set designer Gordon Sim, and excellent costumes by
Rita Ryack.
The cast is perfect. Nikki Blonsky is simply radiant in her excellent,
big screen debut, belting out her songs with gusto; John Travolta
returns to the musical genre with an inspired performance, pulling
off the fat suit/cross dressing required for the role (it took make
up artist Colin Penman four hours to turn Travolta into an obese house
wife); Michelle Pfeiffer is spectacularly nasty in her first role
in four years; Christopher Walken continues to impress showing off
his vast musical talent (much like his turn in Romance
and Cigarettes); and Queen Latifah is all spunk
and sass. Zac Efron, Amanda Byrnes, Elijah Kelly and James Marsden
are all great, as is Alison Jenny in a hilarious minor performance
as Penny's domineering Christian mother.
The film speaks of letting go of old inhibitions and moving with the
times, but does not come across as preachy. Of course, it is hard
not to deny the film makers' intentions in comparing the civil rights
movement of the 1960's (which is when the movie is based) to the homosexual
rights of today. Exactly how that will go over is anyone's guess.
Some might find it to be a relevant comparison; others may find the
issues of race and homosexuality to be miles apart. I found it to
be a tad hypocritical that a movie which lectures that people of all
walks of life should be treated with tolerance and respect depicts
its lone Christian figure as a fundamentalist zealot, prone to racial
outbursts and corporal punishment of their children. Sure, such people
do exist. But where is the counter example to combat that stereotype?
But that aside, Hairspray was great, big, campy fun which had
my feet tapping from beginning to end. If there is any justice, Nikki
Blonsky should receive the same praise that Jennifer Hudson had for
Dreamgirls. Here is to hoping that Blonsky can establish
a solid acting career. Hairspray proves that she is worth it.
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