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Hairspray

Play trailer Poster for Hairspray PG Released Feb 26, 1988 1h 30m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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98% Tomatometer 46 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
When Tracy Turnblad (Ricki Lake), an overweight teen, auditions for a spot on a popular teen dance show, she beats out the spiteful Amber von Tussle (Colleen Fitzpatrick), winning over Amber's boyfriend (Michael St. Gerard) in the process. After meeting some black students at her school, Tracy begins to push for more racial integration on the dance show. This gets her into trouble on many sides, especially with Amber's pushy parents (Sonny Bono, Deborah Harry).
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Hairspray

Hairspray

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Critics Consensus

Hairspray is perhaps John Waters' most accessible film, and as such, it's a gently subversive slice of retro hilarity.

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Critics Reviews

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Kevin Maher Times (UK) Ricki Lake’s unselfconscious performance as the all-dancing, all-bouffant Tracy Turnblad is a joy, Debbie Harry makes a fabulous bigot, while Waters seems to delight in the many toe-tapping dance routines as well as his own deliciously arch dialogue. Rated: 5/5 Jun 9, 2023 Full Review Peter Bradshaw Guardian Hairspray shows that Baltimore is the natural home of twisted legends and gothic subversives: Edgar Allan Poe, Dr Hannibal Lecter … and John Waters. Rated: 4/5 Jun 7, 2023 Full Review David Robinson Times (UK) It is absurd and jolly, parodying not only the worst conventions of the teen film but also the Sixties social-conscience movie, with an anti-racist sub-plot. Dec 31, 2017 Full Review Fedor Tot WeLoveCinema John Waters’ musical finds just the right balance of kitsch and sincerity. Rated: 4/5 Sep 20, 2023 Full Review Hanna Flint House Notes Waters has a true knack for both celebrating and mocking a particular cultural milieu with equal flair and fancy. Jun 26, 2023 Full Review Hilary Mantel The Spectator The kitsch is a delight, and Divine, who has a low and fascinating deadpan voice, is very funny as Tracy's mother. Sep 5, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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charles w Very fun movie with good dancing and acting!! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/23/22 Full Review Ramiro R Hairspray just didn't sit with me. I can appreciate the energy and the bright, splashy flair, but it seemed too much for me. The musical numbers are catchy for a while but soon they become annoying and sound as though they are trying too hard to be interesting. Nikki Blonsky is pleasant playing Tracy, but there was something about the whole film that was strained rather than pleasurable. The film's messages of body positivity and equality are worth hearing, but they're delivered so cheesy, over-the-top that they almost have no impact. The tone is so relentlessly sunny that it was exhausting rather than inspiring. If you like musicals and big, splashy numbers, Hairspray might be for you—but it didn't quite do it for me Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/14/25 Full Review Jesus A This Film isnt a bad film but in my opinion but it is also one I wouldn't vonlenteerly watch. The director gets a very good topic or plot for a film and dances around it or through it if I should say. I like how they eventually overcome the conflict of the film and how the famed gained by the main character was put into good. I also feel like many people may over look the fact of the meaning of hairspray as I feel as before the film even starts the name Hairspray is telling us the film has to do something with hair spray. In the end result I would like to conclude the reason they keep stating hair spray it not to promote hair spray or anything but to show that looks actually matter as they continually us it and you can catch characters always fixing their hair or trying to maintain their looks. My backup evendience is they didn't us some top height end model as the main character but someone who would be preserved to be unatracctive. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/13/25 Full Review Amanda R To begin I want to start this off by mentioning that I had to watch this for a class and is not a typical movie I would often watch on my own. But given that I thought the movie Hairspray in comparison to other movies I've watched was pretty entertaining and while weird had some important racial injustices portrayed in it. I loved how the main character Tracy did not care how society viewed given that she was overweight but was still confident in who she was. While the movie had a lot of singing and dancing which is not up my alley. I did really love the message behind it and for me it was the importance of acceptance and inequality for everyone and I think for the movie being very old it did a good job in trying to push that to its audience. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/11/25 Full Review Travis D I watched this for a class and I would give it 6.5/10 because one; it’s not really the type of movie I would watch, but I liked the energy it had throughout the movie. Almost the entire movie was just people dancing and music playing, so it kept the energy up throughout the film. I’ve watched some other films for my class that were weird and confusing, but this film was more enjoyable and better than the other films. Of course, this film was pretty cliche, a typical nobody person who always wanted to I guess “shine” or be known. Slowly she made her way through and got a lot of recognition. While also having that one other person who becomes jealous and tries to sabotage you, only for the protagonist to come back and bring karma upon the jealous person who is selfish and ultimately makes a fool of themselves. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/25 Full Review Angela G I want to start off by saying that this is a review for a class which is why I watched this film. I give this movie a 7 out of 10. Its not my usually type of movie id watch but I wasn't upset about it. I found it to be funny and energetic. It was a very different vibe. I found this movie more enjoyable that El Topo and Harold and Maude and pink flamingo. It was way more structured there was more dialogue and story that was understandable. Theres lots of dancing and singing so if that isn't your vibe then you wont like this movie. I liked how it introduced standing up for what is right and being yourself. This movie reminded me what it means to be surrounded by a community of good people who understand you.  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/06/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Hairspray

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis When Tracy Turnblad (Ricki Lake), an overweight teen, auditions for a spot on a popular teen dance show, she beats out the spiteful Amber von Tussle (Colleen Fitzpatrick), winning over Amber's boyfriend (Michael St. Gerard) in the process. After meeting some black students at her school, Tracy begins to push for more racial integration on the dance show. This gets her into trouble on many sides, especially with Amber's pushy parents (Sonny Bono, Deborah Harry).
Director
John Waters
Producer
Rachel Talalay
Screenwriter
John Waters
Distributor
Image Entertainment Inc.
Production Co
New Line Cinema, Robert Shaye Production
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 26, 1988, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$6.7M
Runtime
1h 30m
Sound Mix
Surround
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