Hairspray (1988)

A 'pleasantly plump' teenager teaches 1962 Baltimore a thing or two about integration after landing a spot on a local TV dance show.

Director:

John Waters

Writer:

John Waters

Stars:

Sonny Bono, Ruth Brown, Divine

7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sonny Bono	...	Franklin von Tussle
Ruth Brown	...	Motormouth Maybelle
Divine	...	Edna Turnblad / Arvin Hodgepile
Deborah Harry	...	Velma Von Tussle (as Debbie Harry)
Ricki Lake	...	Tracy Turnblad
Jerry Stiller	...	Wilbur Turnblad
Colleen Fitzpatrick	...	Amber von Tussle
Michael St. Gerard	...	Link Larkin
Leslie Ann Powers	...	Penny Pingleton
Clayton Prince	...	Seaweed
Mink Stole	...	Tammy
Shawn Thompson	...	Corny Collins
Ric Ocasek	...	Beatnik Cat (special apperances)
Pia Zadora	...	Beatnik Chick
Joann Havrilla	...	Prudence Pingleton

Storyline

'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.

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Plot Keywords:

integration | dance | civil rights | irreverence | cross cultural relations | 

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Taglines:

The 60's Comedy That Shows No Mercy!

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Genres:

Comedy | Music | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 February 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

White Lipstick

Filming Locations:

Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$6,671,108 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, Stanley F. Buchthal, Robert Shaye Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The book Beatnik Chick (Pia Zadora) starts to read from is Alan Ginsberg's 'Howl'.

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Goofs

The Corny Collins Show plays Lesley Gore's "You Don't Own Me," which was released in early 1964.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Tracy Turnblad: Come on! Come on!
Penny Pingleton: Okay, all right.
Tracy Turnblad: Will you hurry up?

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Crazy Credits

During the ending credits, there are footsteps moving to the beat of the song playing in the background.

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Connections

Referenced in Starz Inside: Fashion in Film (2008)

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Soundtracks

"You Don't Own Me"
Written by Dave White and John Madera
Performed by Lesley Gore
Courtesy of Polygram Special Projects

User Reviews

Baltimore teens dance and battle segregation in the '60s

Ricki Lake plays Tracy Turnblad, a short, chubby teen with big hair who loves to dance in "Hairspray," a 1988 John Waters film starring Divine, Deborah Harry, Sonny Bono, Ruth Brown, Jerry Stiller, and Mink Stole. "Hairspray" has now been immortalized on Broadway as an enormous, energetic, fabulously entertaining musical which kept the conceit of a man playing Tracy's mother, again with great success.

"Hairspray" is highly exaggerated in parts, which makes it extra funny, and Waters captures '60s Baltimore beautifully. Corny Collins, who is the Baltimore Dick Clark, would like nothing better than to integrate his television show, but blacks are only permitted to dance one night a week. The van Tussles are for segregation - that would be Sonny Bono, running for office, his wife Harry (on stage the former Miss Baltimore Crabs, in the film Miss Soft Crab). Harry's hairstyles are fantastic - HUGE - her last hairdo is in the form of an enormous loving cup.

When Tracy's friend Penny takes up with the son of an outspoken black woman, Motormouth Mabel (Ruth Brown), her hysterical mother has her kidnapped and put in the hands of a psychiatrist (Divine as a man) who tries to torture her to stop liking black men. It's so outrageous it's funny, and that's where Waters shows his talent. When Tracy gets a contract modeling for a plus-sized woman's shop, the owner's live ad on Corny's show begins, "Tubby, tubby, 2 x 4, can't get through the kitchen door." It's this madcap treatment that keeps any of this from being remotely offensive.

All the performances are delightful, and there's a nice turn by Pia Zadora as a black-haired beatnik chick.

"Hairspray" has a lot of warmth that emanates from Tracy and the Turnblad family, and the mood stays upbeat throughout the entire film as the characters dance through life, Tracy with an overlay of blonde hair over her dark flip. Great music, great fun. "Hairspray" in any version is wonderful.