Hairspray Movie Review - Starring Divine and Ricky Lake

By David Terr

"Hairspray" is a very funny nostalgic comedy which pokes fun at the young generation of the early '60s as well as the prejudice and uptight nature of their parents' generation. While being funny overall, the movie also has a more serious side in regards to integration. The acting is very good, particularly that of Ricky Lake as Tracy Turnblad as well as Divine in his two roles (Tracy's mother and Arvin Hodgepile) and Joann Havrilla as Prudence Pingleton, the hysterical, racist mother of Penny, Tracy's best friend.

'Hairspray" takes place in Baltimore in 1962. Tracy Turnblad is a cute but overweight teenage girl who enjoys dancing to all the latest hits on the Corny Collins show. She decides to audition for the show and gets selected to be on the board, despite the efforts of Amber von Tussle, the reigning teen queen of the show, to see that she fails. Tracy becomes an overnight success, much to the delight of her parents, who initially resisted her.

Tracy and Penny venture out to a black neighboorhood to dance to some black records played by Motormouth Maybelle. Penny's mother becomes hysterical and "rescues" her from the neighborhood. Penny ends up falling in love with a black boy named Seaweed in any case.

Tracy and Penny try to get the Corny Collins show integrated. They meet with a great deal of resistance, but eventually they are successful. Tracy also ends up winning the title of Miss Auto Show 1963, much to the devastation of Amber, who tried to sabotage the show along with her parents.

Hairspray - Dave's Top Movies

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