Hairspray is another one of those convoluted examples of
entertainment recycling. Like The Producers, it’s a movie musical
spun off from a Broadway show itself spun off from a cult movie. Baltimore
native son John Waters - he of the perverse and profane - wrote and directed
the original Hairspray in 1988 and, in fact, softened his grosser
side to deliver a dead-pan take-off on the high school life of his own
youth. Even his favorite actor(ess), Divine, an in-your-face transvestite,
was more cuddly than audacious as the character Edna Turnblad. The musical,
launched five summers ago, mainstreamed Waters’ story even more, turning it
into a bouncy musical, but keeping the Divine character as a woman/man in
the person of the flamboyant Harvey Fierstein. This new incarnation uses the
same device again, but softens it even further with John Travolta donning a
fat suit. That transformation has been highlighted in the hype for the
movie, but, while it may be initially disconcerting, it doesn’t add - or
subtract - from the film, which is, basically a lively romp in Sixties
nostalgia. |
Storyline: It’s spring 1962 in Baltimore, and all the teens are
passionate about the afternoon Corny Collins dance show (modeled on
“American Bandstand”), especially Tracy Turnblad, who, though short and
chubby, desperately wants to audition for the show. Protective mom Edna does
not want Tracy in the limelight, while dad Wilbur urges her to follow her
dream, and nasty station manager Velma Von Tussle will do anything to keep
her off the program. Tracy not only eventually triumphs on the show, but
even racially integrates it.What
this Hairspray has in abundance is ebullience, especially the
perpetual effervescence of young Nikki Blonsky, an 18-year-old from Great
Neck, New York, who bounces through the picture like a rubber ball - a
rubber ball that can sing, dance, and even emote a bit. The overall spirit
of this musical is very reminiscent of the 1970’s Grease, i.e., a knowing,
yet affectionate, trip around everybody’s high school in the late 1950’s,
early 1960’s. The targets are easy: really Big Hair for the girls and really
slick hair for the guys (thus the need for products like the Ultra-Clutch
Hairspray the show hawks), plus puppy love and crushes, weekend hops, poodle
skirts … you get the picture, most of it zestfully handled by director Adam
Shankman and his team.
Shankman himself is a veteran Hollywood
choreographer, and here the musical numbers give him a chance to show off
some good moves. And though - like other directors of recent movie musicals
(Chicago, Rent, Moulin Rouge) he uses a too-restless camera,
he at least avoids incessant cutting and gets in enough wide shots to show
some effective ensemble dancing. The music is purposely banal - (like
Grease) but cute and decidedly upbeat with numbers like “Good Morning,
Baltimore” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat,” both delivered by young Blonsky.
Some lyrics try to slice a little, but they never cut very deep - as John
Waters’ original lines might have - and the most Wateresque moments come
when easy fun is made of the classic, repressed Prudy Pingleton (Allison
Janney) . One number is a show-stopper because it is so different and
sincere: the duet “You’re Timeless to Me” between Edna and Christopher
Walken (as Wilbur) where they twirl from their crummy apartment to his
novelty shop confessing their love—it got spontaneous audience applause from
my preview crowd.
Older folks will get the period references
and groan mildly as their youth is playfully skewered. Younger filmgoers
will probably take to the talented youngsters - besides Blonsky - in the
cast, including Amanda Byrne (as Penny), Zac Efron (as Link), and Elijah
Kelley (as Seaweed). No one will be shocked by the benign racial harmony
message. The mixed audience I saw it with certainly got with the easy beats,
appreciated the smart (and quaint) dancing, and enjoyed the enthusiasm of
stars like Michelle Pfeiffer (Velma) and Queen Latifah (as Motormouth
Maybelle) mugging to the hilt -- which is part of the film's point.
Music by Marc Shaiman. lyrics by Thomas
Meehan and Scott Williams. Screenplay by Leslie Dixon. Directed and
Choreographed by Adam Shankman. Cinematography by Bojan Bazelli. Editing by
Michael Tronick. Production Design by David Gropman. Costume design by Rita
Ryack. Principal Cast: John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Michelle Pfeiffer,
Nikki Blonsky, Queen Latifah, James Marsden, Allison Janney, Amanda Byrne,
Zac Efron, Brittany Snow, Elijah Kelley. |
