'Pleasantly plump' teenager Tracy Turnblad achieves her dream of becoming a regular on the Corny Collins Dance Show. Now a teen hero, she starts using her fame to speak out for the causes she believes in, most of all integration. In doing so, she earns the wrath of the show's former star, Amber Von Tussle, as well as Amber's manipulative, pro-segregation parents. The rivalry comes to a head as Amber and Tracy vie for the title of Miss Auto Show 1963.
Rated 5.0 / 5 from 1 log on Katalog
Rewatched this today courtesy of the Criterion Collection’s 4K release, which is already a treasured piece of my physical media collection. I don’t know what it is about Hairspray. This movie is every bit as absurd and campy as Jon Waters’ controversial previous works, but it’s so warm and nostalgic that instead of either laughing myself to tears like in Female Trouble, or gasping in horror like in Pink Flamingos, I just feel a pure type of joy. I really wish Jon Waters had done more cute and quirky, as much as I love his over-the-top, campy works. Hairspray tackles some pretty big social problems, doesn’t necessarily go in depth with them, and is itself a product of its times. However, I think one of the reasons it does resonate with me so deeply is because it’s a wonderful story about the importance of representation and the importance of caring and taking action for others. It tells this genuinely, simply, and with a cast of really silly but loveable characters. In modern times, this message of acceptance and helping others still seems as true and important as it was in the 80s, or even the 60s, to an extent. It’s so funny that my favourite film from Jon Waters is one where he waters down the trademark shock value considerably. Hairspray is a warm, quirky, heartfelt expression of love, kindness, and the joy of doing what’s right.
