And she's busy doing "The Madison!" The Broadway musical and film version of that long-running show have overshadowed this non-PC John Waters movie that brought him into the mainstream after years of underground movies such as "Female Trouble" and "Pink Flamingos". It also defused the impact of the original film, made not to please the general public, but make an important statement through comedy and music about racism, segregation and more subtly, bullying. It also introduced Rikki Lake to audiences as teenager Tracy Turnblad, a "Hair Hopper" who danced like Gene Kelly and had a lovable, spunky personality that attracted the handsome hero (Link Larkin). It didn't matter that she was chunky-pretty much everybody liked her with the exception "A" group leader Amber Von Tussle, whose snobbish parents (Sonny Bono and Deborah Harry) owned the local amusement park. When Tracy gets chosen for the teenage council of a local dance show ("The Corny Collins Show"),Amber is furious, and vows revenge, especially when Tracy wins Link's heart. It all comes together at a showdown where the two opposites compete for Queen of the Auto Show. In the meantime, Tracy's best friend, geeky Penny Pingleton, wins the heart of Seaweed, the teenage son of black music store owner and local TV hostess Motor Mouth Mabel (Ruth Brown) who vows to make the Corny Collins Show interracial.

The top-billed Divine steals the show as Tracy's out-of-touch mother Edna whom Tracy brings into the 60's by giving her a beehive and changing her frumpy house frau dresses into more stylish couture. From the moment Divine snarls, "Keep that racket down, I'm trying to iron in here!", you know you're in camp heaven. Add on Jerry Stiller as her easy going as pie husband, Wilbur (who owns a local novelty shop),Mink Stole (as Corny Collins' assistant) and "Guiding Light" veteran Shawn Thompson as Corny, and you've got the perfect mix of eccentrics and bigots for what many people rank as John Waters' finest film. While not as racy as previous John Waters films, there are moments of non-PC humour that rank up there with Waters' funnest tasteless moments. The title song that opens the film sets the stage for everything to follow. It's a shame it wasn't kept in the Broadway version that sanitized the humour. The major difference between the two film versions was the defusing of the character of Edna; Divine's matron was obviously a volcano ready to explode, while Harvey Fierstein played the part as a butterfly with a sting. By the time John Travolta got to it, all spark was gone, and Edna seemed like a shell of her former self. As for the original version, everybody is letter perfect. Michael St. Gerard delightfully makes what could have been a pompous conceited character extremely likable, while Colleen Fitzpatrick is everybody's teenage nightmare as Amber. Clayton Prince is charming as Seaweed, and Leslie Ann Powers exudes innocence as Penny. As her frantic mother, Jo Ann Havrilla is extremely funny. "Get away from me, you voodoo woman!", she screams at Ruth Brown ("Ooh Papa Tooney, We Got a Looney!),who is simply delightful as she brings black and white teens together as if a Den Mother for "Checkerboard Chicks". Pia Zadora and Ric Ocasak offer amusing cameos as a pair of beatniks. The ending is delightful, although the plight of the Von Tussles is somewhat off-putting.

Wow, I was sure surprised by this film! If you've seen any of John Waters' earlier films, then this movie is a major shock because in so many ways this movie seems very,....normal and even uplifting!! This, coming from the same director was delighted in nauseating his audiences or shocking their sensibilities!! HAIRSPRAY, despite being funny and unusual in many ways, is actually a very family-friendly and endearing film! These are certainly NOT the sort of things I thought I'd say about a Waters film. I like his offensive and mondo-bizarro-type films, but after viewing HAIRSPRAY I realize that I like the direction this film took. Sure, it's extremely sentimental and "nice", but the film is so dog-done fun and has such a decent central message that it's something I highly recommend to the kids! Surely this CAN'T be the same John Waters who produced the X-Rated FEMALE TROUBLE!! Well, believe it or not, it is and Waters has actually gone "mainstream"! Wow,...next I'll see pigs fly! I initially avoided this movie because I had seen a few small glimpses of it and thought it looked too tame and a trifle boring. However, I am so glad I forced myself to try it again. The film has absolutely everything going for it--infectious music, a great style and love of the time period, a lot of great laughs, a strong socially-conscious message and a lot of characters you can't help but love.

The most shocking thing about the film to me, though, was that Divine played a very wonderful and touching mother! Despite his/her great size, she loved her daughter, Tracy, and her husband and seemed like a pretty typical housewife--despite actually being a guy in drag. Divine also played a male role as an ultra-racist jerk and it was fun seeing him in dual roles (which he also did in FEMALE TROUBLE when he made love to the female version of himself, believe it or not).

Ricki Lake played one of the more wonderful characters of a teen I have ever seen. Despite being very overweight, she was the type of kid I would love to have as a daughter--being very self-confident and decent through and through. It was also great seeing the plus-size Lake dancing very credibly in the film. In fact, I loved her dancing and the songs--you can't help but snap your fingers and enjoy them. What I particularly liked about her character was that Tracy knew she was fat but didn't care, and as a result, those around her accepted her. In particular, the cutest guy in the film fell for her and could look beyond her weight. I know this isn't exactly like real-life, but it's sure how I wish life was and it is so great to see a non-neurotic fat and happy girl on film. All too often, they are either ignored completely (such as the unwritten "no one above a size 6 allowed on the film" rule),or shown as pathetic or tortured (like in the excessively pointless and cruel French film, FAT GIRL).

Since it really is a John Waters film, despite all the nice and wonderful things, there are also the usual strange supporting characters as well. The best examples are Ric Ocasek (lead singer from The Cars) and Pia Zadora as the drugged-out beatnik couple that have very little to do with the movie's plot. But there are also appearances by Debbie Harry (from Blondie),Jerry Stiller, Sonny Bono and a few others who bounce in and out of the film. Strange casting, by the way is THE one constant in all Waters films.

Now for the plot, despite the whole emphasis on huge hair and doo-wop music, there is actually a deeper story that has substance. Ricki Lake (Tracy) has just become a regular on a local dance show (similar to American Bandstand, but set in Baltimore). She's an instant local celebrity and adored, but despite this, she cannot ignore that Black people are never allowed on the show with White kids--even though the music all has roots in the African-American culture. When her dippy friend (Penny) begins dating a nice Black man, Tracy cannot just ignore the segregation even though it would have been the safest thing for her to do in the early 60s where the movie is to have taken place.

This leads to perhaps the funniest portion of the movie. Although there is a strong message of tolerance and racial togetherness, it is handled in a very funny tongue-in-cheek manner. When Penny and the gang go to a Black neighborhood in Baltimore to learn more about the local dance scene, her mom assumes Penny is going to be murdered! When this hysterical woman chases them into the "ghetto" and then behaves like she is going to die, it is a laugh riot!!! Every time a Black person comes near her, she assumes she's going to die. When a hobo asks for a quarter, she gives him her purse and begs him not to kill her!!! It's so over-the-top, it's a great way to attack racism caused by ignorance. It gets even better when Waters himself plays a quack psychiatrist that tries to hypnotize and torture Penny into giving up dating a Black man! Despite how it sounds, this is not offensive but subversively funny! Overall, it's rare that I enjoy a movie as much as I liked this one. And when it was over, I felt great--and that makes this a truly special movie.

UPDATE: I just saw the movie again and, begrudgingly, I must admit that I actually like the remake better. It did seem to have an energy level and polish that made it just a 'hair' better.

'Hairspray' to me is one of John Waters' best. It is also his most accessible films, where Waters tones things down compared to most of his other films and stylistically and such it doesn't fall prone to excess.

As a Waters film, 'Hairspray' is a delight and splendidly kitsch, a classic if you will. It has its minor flaws, a few scenes and strands are resolved a little too easily and Michael St Gerard is a bit bland compared to the rest of the cast. These minor flaws are far outweighed by the numerous elements that 'Hairspray' does right.

One thing that 'Hairspray' particularly excels in is the casting. Divine, in his last film before his premature death shortly after, gives a performance of sheer brilliance, and Waters regulars Sonny Bono and Mink Sole are similarly electric. 'Hairspray' was the film that rose Ricki Lake to stardom and she does a wonderful job and more than holds her own against the more experienced cast members, just for the record am not a fan of her talk show but her performance may have initial non-fans being converted. The rest of the cast are great too.

It's a good looking film too, well photographed and colourfully designed. The soundtrack is another highlight of 'Hairspray', delighting constantly. The script has some lovely black humour and there is a lot of wit.

While not the busiest of stories, the story in 'Hairspray' has a lot of heart and has a darker undercurrent too with the exploration of racism. Waters' direction is wisely restrained in a film that called for a toned down and less excessive approach.

Overall, a classic. On a side note, a few people have been less than charitable towards the 2007 musical remake and one being pretty insulting towards anybody who liked it better. Count me in as someone who loved the 2007 film, while loving both versions in their own ways for different reasons. 9/10 Bethany Cox