Hairspray (Full-Screen Edition)
by Adam Shankman
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nikki Blonsky, Zac EfronDirector: Adam Shankman
Brand: Warner Brothers
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 117 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-11-20
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: New Line Home Video
Movie Reviews of Hairspray (Full-Screen Edition)
Movie Review: Fun, good cast
Summary: 4 Stars
I enjoyed this but after reading some of the reviews I think I'd better check out the original John Waters film---I might like that better. Having not seen that nor the stage version I had nothing to compare this with so I just took it as it came, and I liked it. The cast was surprisingly good. Christopher Walken is always very watchable; here is he cast as a relatively weak man and that's sometimes hard to do and still have it be interesting. His dance duet with Travolta as Edna on the back porch is really lovely. I kept thinking how much fun they must have had.
Much has been said, pro and con about Travolta. Since I didn't see Divine or the guy who did such a good job on stage, I can't compare. I really liked him and thought his decision to play Edna "straight" was a wise one...I found myself thinking that this was a real person, Edna, not a guy playing a woman. It probably would be a lot easier to go for camp but I liked what he did with it...made the character genuinely sympathetic. He was also very funny and I tended to watch him no matter who else was in the scene. OK, his accent wasn't perfect but he was the only one who at least attempted a Baltimore accent and at times he got it.
Michelle Pfeiffer was beautiful in a thankless role as the stereotyped up-tight White ex-Beauty queen. Queen Latifah was also beautiful as the steotyped warm hearted Black woman. Allison Janney plays another steotype--the cruel White Bible thumper. (egad...all these stereotypes!!) I might be the only person on the planet who got a little tired of Nikki Blonsky's one-dimensional role and I was at least glad she didn't win the Miss Hairspray contest. Another stereotype---the fat girl with the heart of gold who wins the cute guy...not very realistic and why didn't she fall for a nice nerdy guy? No, she wanted the cutie...so is she superficial or what? Well....if you don't get too caught up in all the Messages that the film is trying to force at you, and just enjoy the energy and dancing, this is not a bad way to spend two hours. (I wanted to correct my rating to three stars but couldn't figure out how to do it.)
Summary of Hairspray (Full-Screen Edition)
It's 1962, and change is in the air in Baltimore. Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, has only one passion--to dance. She wins a spot on the local TV dance program, "The Corny Collins Show" and is transformed overnight from outsider to irrepressible teen celebrity. But can the trendsetting Tracy win the heart of teen-dream Link Larkin and stand up for what she believes in, despite the program's scheming stage manager? All she needs is her best friend Penny, a toe- tappin' beat - and a little HAIRSPRAY!It's rare that a movie captures the intensity and excitement of a live Broadway musical production while appealing to a broader movie-going audience, but the 2007 Hairspray is an energetic, powerfully moving film that does just that. A remake of the 1988 musical film Hairspray, the new Hairspray is a film adaptation of the 2002 Broadway musical and features more likeable characters than the original film and an incredible energy that stems from a great cast, fabulous new music, and the influence of musical producer Craig Zadan. What remains constant throughout all three versions of Hairspray is the story's thought-provoking exploration of prejudice and racism. Set in Baltimore in 1962, the film opens with chubby girl Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) singing her heart out in a rendition of "Good Morning Baltimore" that, while admittedly a bit too long, sets the farcical tone for the film. Viewers quickly become immersed in Tracy's teenage world of popular television dance shows, big hair, the stigma of being different, and the first hesitant steps toward racial integration within a segregated world. The Corny Collins (James Marsden) television dance show is a teenage obsession in Tracy's world and Link Larkin (Zac Efron) is every girl's dream partner, so when a call for auditions goes out, Tracy skips school to try out, but is rejected by station manager Velma von Tussle (Michelle Pfeiffer) because of her large size and the threat of competition for Velma's own daughter Amber (Brittany Snow). Perseverance and the support of her friend Penny (Amanda Bynes), father Wilbur (Christopher Walken), and negro dancer Seaweed (Elijah Kelley) lead Tracy to the spotlight and the chance of a lifetime, but more and more Tracy discovers that fairness and equality for those who are different does not come without a fight and that sacrifices must be made to effect change. While the message is serious, Hairspray is first and foremost a comedy with stellar performances by John Travolta as Edna Turnblad (who ever imagined Saturday Night Fever's iconic star would appear onscreen as a woman?), Christopher Walken, and Michelle Pfeiffer. Part of what makes Hairspray so powerful is the exceptional music composed by Marc Shaiman, including songs newly composed for the movie like "Ladies' Choice," "The New Girl in Town," and "Come So Far," and the awesome vocal talents of Queen Latifah (Motormouth Maybelle) and a cast of heretofore musically-unknown actors like Nikki Blonsky, Zac Efron, and Brittany Snow who really can sing. Notable trivia includes Jerry Stiller's appearance in both versions of the film (as Wilbur in the 1988 film and as Mr. Pinky in this 2007 rendition), and a cameo appearance by 1988 director and screenplay writer John Waters. Hairspray is one of the best films of the year--it's powerfully moving entertainment that leaves you energized and motivated to fight for what you believe in. --Tami Horiuchi
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