Hairspray (1988)
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A self-proclaimed "pleasantly plump" teenager pursues stardom and fights against racial segregation in 1962 Baltimore.
The story
Set in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, the film revolves around self-proclaimed "pleasantly plump" teenager Tracy Turnblad as she pursues stardom as a dancer on a local TV show and rallies against the show's racial segregation. After winning a dance contest at a record hop, Tracy is invited to audition for The Corny Collins Show. Her performance earns her a spot on the show's council, where she must navigate the challenges of local fame while facing opposition from a mean, wealthy classmate and the systemic prejudices of the era.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1962 Baltimore, Tracy Turnblad dreams of appearing on The Corny Collins Show. After winning a dance contest at a segregated record hop, she is invited to audition and joins the show's council. Tracy falls in love with Link Larkin, while her friend Penny Pingleton begins an interracial romance with Seaweed, leading to her being locked away by her conservative parents. As Tracy uses her fame to advocate for racial integration, a protest at Tilted Acres amusement park turns into a race riot, leaving Tracy in reform school and Link in a wheelchair. During a televised pageant, a plot to sabotage Tracy involves a bomb hidden in the hair of her rival, Amber Von Tussle. Despite being initially disqualified, Tracy is exonerated by the governor. She takes the stage, performs a dance called "The Bug" with Link, and the bomb detonates on Amber's head, ending the sabotage. Tracy is crowned the winner as the show is declared integrated.
- First release year
- 1988
- Runtime (minutes)
- 92
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- John Waters
- Writers
- John Waters · writer
- Cast and characters
- Sonny Bono; Ruth Brown; Divine; Debbie Harry; Ricki Lake; Jerry Stiller; Ric Ocasek · the beatnik cat; Pia Zadora · the beatnik chick
- Genres
- comedy; independent; dance; satirical; teen comedy; teen romance; romantic comedy
- Themes
- racial integration; body positivity; overcoming prejudice
- Tone and mood
- satirical; retro; hilarity
- Premise and plot tags
- musical; civil rights; underdog story
- Source material / true-story basis
- Original screenplay by John Waters based on real events.
- Franchise connections
- Hairspray
- Reception
- The film was a moderate success and received critical acclaim, being noted as one of Waters's most accessible films.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 98% · scale: percentage · review count: 46; Metacritic · score: 77 · scale: 100 · review count: 14
- Awards and nominations
- Sundance Film Festival · Grand Jury Prize · nomination
- Production trivia
- Divine's final film released during his lifetime.; The story is loosely based on real events, including the real-life Buddy Deane Show.; The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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