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
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Critics ConsensusHairspray 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
View All (1000+) audience reviewscharles w Very fun movie with good dancing and acting!! Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/23/22 Full Review Stephen C LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/29/24 Full Review thiago s Filme mais ou menos, o roteiro é fraco, esse filme tem músicas ruins, e o elenco é fraco, nem a garota trás relevância para o filme o hairspray de 2007 é bem melhor do que esse, mas esse filme deu um ajuda para que o filme de 2007 fosse bom. Rated 1/5 Stars • Rated 1 out of 5 stars 12/16/24 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 5/5 Stars • 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 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/01/23 Full Review Devils A Excellent Movie that has a poorly re-done Movie!!!!! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/12/22 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew
John Waters Director Ricki Lake Tracy Turnblad Divine Edna Turnblad Jerry Stiller Wilbur Turnblad Sonny Bono Franklin von Tussle Vitamin C Amber von Tussle Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew
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Hairspray (1988) Hairspray (1988) Hairspray (1988) View more photosSynopsis 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 Most Popular at Home Now