“Oh boy, another musical based on a Broadway show that was based on a movie.” This was my thought as I headed into to see Hairspray, that and the notion that maybe Hollywood was truly depleted of originality so far as musicals are concerned. And seeing John Travolta in a fat suit and drag didn’t engender any kind of endearing feelings in me either. Anyway, that’s why I generally try to not review a movie based in the trailer.



Originally based on John Waters’ 1988 film of the same name, Hairspray is about the plump but energetic Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) who wants nothing more then to get on the Corny Collins show and dance herself silly with heartthrob Link (Zack Efron). The time is 1962 and the place is Baltimore, and one day out of the month, the Corny Collins Show opens its stage to local African-American singers and dancers, much to the chagrin of station manager and known conformist Velma Von Tussle (Michelle Pfeiffer). When Velma succeeds in eliminating “Negro Day”, Tracy helps rally the local Black kids to march on the station, while being caught between her supportive father Wilbur (Christopher Walken) and her doting mother Edna (Travolta).



Hairspray has the same wonderful bombastic vigour as its heroine. The music is simply fantastic in a limb-rousing way, that is to say that you will be at the very least compelled to tap your toes if not get up and dance along. Director/choreographer Adam Shankman expertly keeps the fast-paced action moving while maintaining that opening high energy throughout the entire, nearly two hour, running time of the film. The sets and lighting are bright, evoking a vintage 60s feel, but filtered through the weary eye of hindsight as the film approaches the subjects of racism and segregation with a type of fearlessness I wouldn’t normally associate with a frothy musical. Granted, I don’t think that Hairspray will solve racism, but it was nice to see it approached with a degree of realism.



The cast is uniformly excellent, and I truly mean that because there’s not a bum in the lot. Travolta won me over with his gender-bending turn as Edna and after Wild Hogs he has a lot of work to do to be winning again. Pfeiffer completes the little Grease reunion (she was in Grease 2 little did you know) and it never struck me until seeing her how much her presence has been missed from film in the last few years. Anyone who’s seen The Fabulous Baker Boys knows that Pfeiffer has the vocal chops and she doesn’t disappoint, but I wish she was utilized more.



Walken is a real treat as Wilbur, showing a flare for dance that he usually only reserves for Fatboy Slim videos. James ‘Cyclops’ Marsden displays some incredible singing skills as Corny Collins and may I add that somebody should give him the lead in the next great Hollywood musical. Youngins` Amanda Bynes, Brittany Snow, Elijah Kelly and Efron from High School the Musical are all tremendous talents, but the real revelation is star Blonsky in her first professional acting gig. She really grounds the film with her magnetic stage presence, as well as making Tracy perky, adorable and winning – a true underdog hero that’s impossible not to cheer for.



Aside from a highly memorable Jon Waters cameo that I will not spoil, there’s really not much left to say about Hairspray except words of encouragement to get you, the audience member, out to see it. If you find the idea of John Travolta dressed as a fat woman revolting… well, there’s not much I can do about that. Fortunately, there’s a whole fantastic movie full of life and laughs built around him, which is more then I can say about Look Who’s Talking Now, where there was no cross-dressing, just crappy comedy.