‘Hairspray’ movie review: sincere musical reboot a real joy

NOW STREAMING ON:

You´ll have to be cold-blooded to dislike Hairspray, which can easily count itself among the best of the recent outspurt of movie musicals, despite an entirely light tone and non-Oscar-bait summer release date.

Adam Shankman´s film is so loving and sincere – so unpretentious and happy to be what it is – that it´s almost impossible not to go along with all the silliness. It´s not perfect, and starts to drag by the climax with some protracted subplots given full song-and-dance treatment, but it´s all so remarkably good-natured.

Pic is based on John Waters´ 1988 film of the same name, which was recently adapted into a Broadway musical, and is being re-adapted (like last year´s The Producers) for the screen here.

Waters´ original was memorable for the casting of a female impersonator (Divine) as one of the leads, in a (mostly) traditional female role. Harvey Fierstein took over the role on Broadway, and the ante is upped here with John Travolta in a fat suit.

But what could have easily become distracting is instead performed with sincerity, as Travolta plays it so straight (almost low-key) that while we never believe his Edna Turnblad is a woman, we can almost accept him in the role. But the film doesn´t center on Edna, anyway.

Baltimore, 1962: young Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) dreams of dancing alongside the other hip teens on the Corny Collins Show; just as she gets her chance, however, the show´s ‘Negro Day´ is cancelled, and Tracy unwittingly becomes a force in segregating the teenage dancers on local daytime TV.

The race relations subplot doesn´t have the same force as it did it the 1988 film, but it´s still handled with care. Travolta, Christopher Walken (as Edna´s husband), and Michelle Pfeiffer (as the bitter studio manager of the Corny Collins Show) have a lot of fun in their roles, but it´s the young cast that really shines here.

Blonsky is a revelation in the lead, providing a youthful exuberance that equals Rikki Lake in the original film. As Tracy´s best friend, Amanda Bynes isn´t given much to do, but her wide-eyed, lollipop-dangling style fits the movie perfectly; the cast of the Corny Collins Show, including Zac Efron and Brittany Snow, also feels great. And James Marsden, as the appropriately named Corny Collins, has never been more likable.

Songs aren´t particularly memorable, but most of them are plenty of fun. Excellent sets and costumes produce a loving re-creation of 1960´s Baltimore.

Film is far better than one would reasonably expect.

Hairspray

SHARE THIS POST

Picture of Jason Pirodsky

Jason Pirodsky

Jason Pirodsky has been writing about the Prague film scene and reviewing films in print and online media since 2005. A member of the Online Film Critics Society, you can also catch his musings on life in Prague at expats.cz and tips on mindfulness sourced from ancient principles at MaArtial.com.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *