Hairspray

If you’re looking for toe-tapping fun, look no further. The whole movie is packed with catchy tunes, big ‘dos, contagious dance routines, and lots and lots of hairspray. Yes, it’s silly. Yes, it’s hokey. But it’s a musical, and you can’t go in expecting anything less! All of the stars are great in each role, as actors, singers, and dancers. Yep, even Christopher Walken sings and dances. John Travolta in drag is really incredible, and watching him sway around makes you realize just how much you’ve missed that side of him since Grease and Saturday Night Fever. Newcomer Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad, the hefty heroine of the film, simply shines and is appropriately bubbly throughout. Side characters, like Amanda Bynes as Tracy’s go-to friend, and Zac Efron as the dreamy Link, are charmingly cute in their roles. Even John Waters, the creator/director of the original 1988 film, makes a cameo as the “flasher who lives next door.” The song “Without Love” has to be my favorite bit, as the teenage kids realize the power of love, while singing funny lines and Zac Efron doing a funny dance with a photo of Tracy on a bed (see video below). There’s singing and dancing of course, but Hairspray incorporates a bit more with the 60s era and issues of integration. It’s a fun time, but the kids are not only dancing for themselves but for the right for everyone to dance, together.

Directed by Adam Shankman
Runtime: 107 minutes