Hairspray (1988)

Directed by John Waters. Starring Ricki Lake, Leslie Ann Powers, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Divine, Michael St. Gerard, Clayton Prince, Shawn Thompson, Jerry Stiller, Debbie Harry, Sonny Bono, Mink Stole, Ruth Brown, Joann Havrilla, Pia Zadora, John Waters. [PG]

Waters’ most genteel film is set in early-60s Baltimore, where all the kids are hooked on local teen dance TV program “The Corny Collins Show,” which comes under fire by rowdy fans for its racially segregated tradition. One of those rowdy fans is cheery Tracy Turnblad (Lake), a “chunky” young gal who can cut a rug better than contemptuous wannabe dancing queen Fitzpatrick. Waters stuffs in enough kitsch, outrage and crassness to make sure no one forgets who’s in charge, but there’s also more polish to the filmmaking and more overall focus to his lampooning, with a few unfortunate instances of routine plotting and conventional attitudes about equality and teen spirit. Lake makes for a bubbly but shallow heroine; Divine appears in a dual role as an obnoxious station manager and Tracy’s blustery mother. Soundtrack is stuffed full of rock/R&B golden oldies and forgotten gems from the likes of Chubby Checker, the Ikettes, Gene Chandler, Lesley Gore, and many more; original title tune by Rachel Sweet and Debbie Harry, who co-stars in the film as a woman with an ever-changing series of big, bizarre hairdos. Later turned into a Broadway musical, which was in turn adapted into a movie of its own in 2007.

69/100