Hairspray (2007); musical and sing along film review

Poster artwork for the musical comedy film Hairspray. 

Dancing Teen Queen by Linh

Hairspray is an adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, which in turn is based on the original John Waters' 1988 film Hairspray.
The story tells of a teenager named Tracy Turnblad who, despite her big hair and big build, achieves her dream of dancing on The Corny Collins Show and succeeds in bringing racial integration to television.

Director Adam Shankman and producers have made wise decisions for the musical film, including losing the campiness which is evident in the Broadway stage version. Songs have been dropped and others added to flow with the film's character development and storylines.

Set in Baltimore during the 1960s, although the majority of the scenes were filmed in Toronto as well as Baltimore, the film recaptures the moment in time when racial segregation was the norm yet acceptance of black Americans into the community was growing. The characters retain their sparkle and freshness with a strong ensemble cast combining experience with youth and versatility. With sing along sessions screening in cinemas, making Hairspray more enjoyable, it may distract from the action on screen.

Newcomer Nikki Blonsky stars as the big haired and big hearted dance sensation Tracy Turnblad, managing to steal every scene with her wide-eyed innocence and luminous smile. Nikki has excellent diction and vocal projection, with exceptional singing throughout. She gives a dreamy quality to I Can Hear The Bells and exudes enthusiasm in Good Morning Baltimore. Nikki may be in her debut film role, yet she feels and looks comfortable onscreen as she performs alongside seasoned actors including John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken.

FAVOURITE FOOD: Edna (John Travolta) and Tracy (Nikki Blonsky) spend time together shopping then dining in the film Hairspray. Image: New Line Cinema.

Star of musical films Grease and Saturday Night Fever, John Travolta wears a fat suit to play the role of Tracy's Mum, Edna Turnblad, whose introverted nature keeps her inside the house for over a decade, until Tracy gently coaxes her to head outdoors. John Travolta is uncannily convincing as a woman who loves her food as much as her family. His singing and dancing abilities are as energetic and smooth as his past performances in musicals. He is brilliant in the duet with Tracy in Welcome To The 60s, manages to tango in the moonlight with Christopher Walken in (You're) Timeless To Me and explodes on screen in a fusion of dance, song and colour in the cast anthem You Can't Stop The Beat.

Following a lengthy absence away from the silver screen, Michelle Pfeiffer returns as glamourous vixen Velma Von Tussle, the Station Manager of WYZT, where The Corny Collins Show is filmed. Michelle Pfeiffer gives a husky voiced but alluring performance with (The Legend Of) Miss Baltimore Crabs. She gives a slightly caricatured performance in her Stage Mother antics of pushing her daughter, Amber, into the spotlight, resulting in her own downfall. Michelle Pfeiffer creates a wonderfully nasty character whose bigoted ways provides contrast to the other characters' attempts to bring Negros "into the mix".

PROTECTIVE PARENTS: Edna (John Travolta) refuses to let her daughter Tracy dance on a TV show and Prudy (Allison Janney) won't let her daughter Penny do anything she deems to be un-Christian in the film Hairspray. Image: New Line Cinema.

Familiar to numerous fans of High School Musical as Troy Bolton, Zac Efron plays the aspiring dancer and singer Link Larkin, the love interest for Tracy. Extremely high on cuteness factor but low on personality, Link needs a character boost from Zac Efron but it comes too late (near the end) in the film. Since this film, Efron has tried to shake off his teenage idol musical star image by playing some interesting and daring character roles in independent and arthouse films such as Liberal Arts and The Paperboy.

Other cast members with noteworthy performances include versatile actor Christopher Walken as Wilbur Turnblad, Tracy's caring and comedic father; Amanda Bynes plays Tracy's lollipop-sucking best friend Penny Pingleton who comes out of her shell when she falls in love with Seaweed (played wonderfully by Elijah Kelley); Allison Janney is superb as Penny's ultra-religious and overbearing mother Prudy Pingleton and Queen Latifah is divine yet defiant as 'Motormouth' Maybelle Stubbs whose line "brace yourselves for a whole lotta ugly coming at you from a never ending parade of stupid" sums up the attitudes of many white Americans on racial integration during 1960s Baltimore.

Director: Adam Shankman

Writers: Leslie Dixon (screenplay), John Waters (1988 screenplay), Mark O'Donnell (musical stage play), Thomas Meehan (musical stage play)

Cast: Nikki Blonsky, Zac Efron, John Travolta, Chistopher Walken, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Michelle Pfeiffer, Amanda Bynes, Elijah Kelley, Brittany Snow, Taylor Parks, Paul Dooley, Allison Janney, Jerry Stiller, John Waters, Ricki Lake, Marc Shaiman, Adam Shankman

Producers: Mark Kaufman, Jennifer Gibgot, Toby Emmerich, Michael Lynne, Robert Shaye, Scott Wittman, Garrett Grant, Adam Shankman, Marc Shaiman, Craig Zadan, Travis Knox, Daryl Freimark, Michael Disco, Neil Meron, Daniel Silverberg, Linda Favila, Anson Downes

Original Music Composer: Marc Shaiman

Cinematographer: Bojan Bazelli (Director of Photography) 

Film Editor: Michael Tronick

Production: David Gropman (Production Designer), Dennis Davenpot (Art Director), Gordon Sim (Set Decorator)

Running Time: 1 hour and 55 minutes