Hairspray (1988)

Hairspray: Directed by John Waters. With Sonny Bono, Ruth Brown, Divine, Debbie Harry. A ‘pleasantly plump’ teenager teaches 1962 Baltimore a thing or two about integration after landing a spot on a local TV dance show.

“John Waters reveals a somewhat more sentimental side with u0026quot;Hairsprayu0026quot;, a movie several people have told me they absolutely hated. I wondered what it was about Watersu0026#39; style as a filmmaker that could provoke such anger? I think itu0026#39;s his affection for u0026#39;60s movie-clichés transposed through nostalgia and Watersu0026#39; own gross-out sensibilities (and his particular brand of humor, which can be quite wicked). I didnu0026#39;t much care for the film the first time I saw it, but I gave it a second chance and it grew on me. The reckless amateurishness is off-putting at first, but you have to meet u0026quot;Hairsprayu0026quot; halfway. There is much to enjoy here, not the least of which is Divine as Ricki Lakeu0026#39;s mom (and also as a bigoted network bigwig); wheeling and dealing after her daughter finds TV fame, Divine becomes a coiffed society queen, twisting away in front of the television and tossing off jaded quips like, u0026quot;Itu0026#39;s the times…theyu0026#39;re a-changinu0026#39;.u0026quot; The performances are all happily hammy, colorful and amusing, and the lightweight story comfortably shoehorns-in relevant political issues to counterbalance the slapstick. Ricki Lake is very appealing in her debut; also hilarious, Pia Zadora as a beatnik and Debbie Harry as the mother of Lakeu0026#39;s main rival (u0026quot;1-2-cha-cha-CHA, 1-2-cha-cha-CHA!u0026quot;). Itu0026#39;s not a seamless, polished picture, but it does have heart and charm and this sold me–but on the second time around. *** from ****”