It seems to me that what makes or breaks a film is surprisingly so often not its acting, directing, writing, or musical score, but the crowd amongst which it is viewed. It is so much more compelling to laugh at comedy when you’re with your buddies, that much more tempting to show visible fear by your sweetie’s side, and even more enticing to cry when you’ve got someone nearby to gaze sympathetically into your eyes as he or she passes you the box of Kleenex.
Was it a wise decision for this critic to first view Hairspray at the 13th annual 2007 Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Film Festival? Perhaps not; but I believe that an influential audience is an inescapable variable, and my review of such a movie would likely be oppositely, yet equally biased if I had seen it at, say perhaps, an art house theater.
Yes, this particular crowd seemed disproportionately excited to see the New Line remake of John Waters’ 1988 outrageously compelling comedy classic. But aren’t all movie lovers around the globe trotting to see this film? A smash hit in the eighties, now a beloved Broadway musical, Hairspray’s universal and entertaining themes could have only climbed higher with a new and all star cast including Christopher Walkin, Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah, Amanda Bynes, and (Oh yes!), John Travolta in a female fat suite.
I was ready for theatrical brilliance after an Avis car commercial featured two homosexual Ken dolls wishing for a convertible upon the rainbow wings of their fairy godmother. And, although I cannot say that the feature film lived up to its preceding advertisement; I was still nevertheless impressed by Hairspray.
Hairspray centers in the midst of 1960’s segregation, in the center of Baltimore where overweight teen, Tracy Turnblad (played by newcomer Nikki Blonsky), and her best friend, Penny Pingleton (Amanda Bynes), are captivated by the Corny Collins show, a local television program featuring fast moving dancers sporting sprayed-static do’s. Although Tracy’s mother, Edna (John Travolta), fears that auditioning for the Corny Collins show will devastate Tracy’s self esteem, Tracy tries out anyway, to the horror of pretty blonde show star, Amber Von Tussle (Brittany Snow), and her mother-producer, Velma (Michelle Pfieffer.) But Tracy isn’t finished breaking the mold when she scores a spot on Corny’s show. Determined to integrate the program’s black dancers, who are only featured monthly on Motormouth Maybelle’s (Queen Latifah) “Negro Day”, Tracy finds herself trading her dancing shoes for a picket sign as she protests with her friends in the name of TV that’s both black and white.
Hairspray is much different on screen than on stage. The movie really seized the opportunity to add fantastical elements which aren’t possible in the show version; dancing billboards, duets with singing photographs, and other visual fancies were delightfully hilarious to watch. Subtle scene changes unique to the screen version were also wonderfully effective in highlighting the story’s focus on discrimination.
Hairspray didn’t just distinguish itself from Broadway; it stands out from most any other movie (except perhaps its parent film) as well. One of the subtler things I enjoyed about this movie was how completely well casted it seemed to be. I often find myself distracted by sloppy looking extras, but not here. Everything in this movie was so wonderfully timed and perfectly placed; the attention to detail seemed to keep in mind the notion that, on stage, you just never know where the audience is looking.
Of course, this thematic approach has its drawbacks. Hairspray was a little more slapsticked than I would have liked. The kind of physical comedy which catches the audience by surprise through peripheral vision on stage just doesn’t seem quite as funny when it is zoomed in upon on screen.
And there is no need to feature John Travolta’s fat-suited belly flops when the rest of his performance is so funny! Let me tell you, I did not want to like Travolta in this film, in this role as a middle-aged, overweight suburban housewife. When I saw him swear on Oprah the day before that his aim in playing this character was to be thoroughly convincing as a woman, I planned ferociously to hold him to it. Had no one told me it was John Travolta playing Edna Turnblad, would I still have figured out she was him? Of course, but I think this had less to do with his well-disguised man-voice than his marvelous trade mark dancing.
Hairspray abounds in ozone-friendly chemistry. And even though aerosol cans flourish in bathrooms no more, the Hairspray characters are still surprisingly current. Of course the blonde and beautifully vicious Velma Von Tussle, the stage mom who’s hussied her way to the top of the entertainment world with her look-a-like daughter is very recognizable. Dina Lohan, anyone?
Ah, I digress, but only because my enjoyment of this movie was both multi layered and meaningful. It’s not just because of where I saw Hairspray that I call it simply fabulous.
Liz Licorish
To Comment on this review email: LizFlix@elitestv.com
