Hairspray

PG

Now Playing

1h 30m

Comedy

List

98%

46 Reviews

Tomatometer

80%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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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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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

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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

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Fedor Tot

WeLoveCinema

John Waters’ musical finds just the right balance of kitsch and sincerity.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 20, 2023

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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

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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

Paul G

An overweight housewife (Divine) provides exasperated guidance to a plus-sized teen (Ricki Lake) trundling her way through a series of deliberately banal doo-wop dance songs, and the mother of Ricki's teen rival wears a Marie Antoinette wig large enough to encase the actual Marie Antoinette (Debbie Harry, latter in the film) in John Water's magnum opus that reaches new heights of camp. My favorite line is Mink Stole's: "You think you're nervous now? Ha. Just wait until you're on television!"

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The infamous John Waters brings the hit musical to life with a host of unknowns save for the late Jerry Stiller and Divine It's 1962 in Baltimore and a dance performance is shown on the Corny Collins Show Tracy Turnblad (Ricki Lake), is an an overweight teen She 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 Tracy becomes an advocate for desegregation pushing the social boundaries The music is catchy, the costumes are colorful as well as the sets, and there's an upbeat feeling The characters see themselves as outcasts from both societies The movie is very subversive in its reality while also parodying the social consciousness Upbeat performances too with a youthful optimism changing an entire generation of teens

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/01/23

Full Review

Devils A

Excellent Movie that has a poorly re-done Movie!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/12/22

Full Review

Audience Member

Musical expression knows no bounds. Hairspray is both classic and cutting-edge. The picture is more profound than one may expect because of John Waters' attention to modern social problems and oppressed people in society.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

John Water's taboo and macabre look at 60's pop culture and racism is a true celebration of "being different is okay." Its morals don't hit you over the head.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

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John Waters

Director

Ricki Lake

Tracy Turnblad

Divine

Edna Turnblad

Jerry Stiller

Wilbur Turnblad

Sonny Bono

Franklin von Tussle

Vitamin C

Amber von Tussle

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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
Distributor: Image Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: New Line Cinema
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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