I am a huge fan of the 1988 version of Waters’ pop-eyed, daft and adorable film. Debby Harry, Ricki Lake, Divine Ruth Brown and one Jerry Stiller starred; John Travolta is the new Divine, newcomer Nikki Blonsky is the new Ricki Lake, Michelle Pfeiffer has replaced Debby Harry as the evil station manager, Queen Latifah is Motormouth Maybelle, and Christopher Walken is Pops.
It seems impossible but this remake of a fabulous musical film actually works; it surpasses all expectations.
The new Hairspray is totally true to the spirit of the original – its optimism may be just what filmgoers are looking for twenty years later - a couple of hours to sing along, tap toes and glory in the adorableness of it all. I am not being ironic. This is what a winner looks like, folks! Not to mention some sweet summer counter programming.
Shankman is a longtime choreographer who seems born to direct Hairspray. It’s risky business asking a choreographer to direct a big budget extravaganza, but he did a fine job and the filmmakers now know they made a wise choice.
Blonsky is an absolute revelation as Tracy Turnblad, the pleasingly plump dance show fan with enough spunk to light a fire under the entire community of dancers, on Negro Day and regular days. Blonsky’s got the chops and the dynamic cheer the role demands. Not too sweet, but plenty fun, she’s the heart and soul of the picture.
John Travolta’s zaftig drag turn as Tracy’s housebound mom, Edna, is weirdly wonderful. He can’t sing so well, but his incredibly affecting shy demeanour is wicked, especially coming from such a sweet yet startling looking …person. His accent is mysterious and funny – ‘Turn down that noise, Tracy. I’m trying t’arn’.
Chris Walken gives his usual quiet threat second berth as the joke storeowner who encourages Tracy to go after her dream of dancing on the Corny Collins Show. Walken does his trademark dance here; catch it because Walken says it’s the last time he’ll do one.
The art direction is yummy - the fifties dresses out to here with crinolines and the hard as hell hairdos so fab they could spark a revival. The TV set colours reflect the kids’ optimistic cheer and carry us along too.
The TV dance show numbers are dazzling and cut wide, like the old TV variety shows. You can see plenty under the smarmy charm of Corny Collins (James Marsden) of the glistening white choppers. He hosts the afterschool competition based on Dick Clarke’s American Bandstand, in a way only John Waters could conceive, slick, caricatured and slinky but compassionate, with a heart as big as the Ritz.
Great loud shout outs to the young teen cast of singer dancers – Blonsky, Elijah Kelly, Zac Efron, Amanda Bynes, Brittany Snow and the Greek chorus of backup dancers. Bright futures or what?
Every era has its teen driven Big Musical – West Wide Story, Fame, High School Musical, both Hairsprays.
H2 is intensely satisfying – it’s a rare picture that, on leaving the theatre, you plan to see again – soon. I just can’t stop singing its praises. I’d like to dance it out but I’m no Tracy Turnblad. Most sincere kudos to John Waters who has bravely, doggedly and against all odds, stayed true to his bizarre and yet heartwarming view of the world in film.
Your Talkback on this Story