Rating: 
Summary: Quintessential John Waters
Review: I am a big John Water's fan, and this is arguably his best work. What I like about it is that it loses the "obvious" low budget look and feel of his earlier movies, but still keeps the outrageousness that is the heart and soul of John Waters. Hairspray is not quite as polished as Serial Mom (which is fine with me) but instead it's a dirty, dusty, down and dragged out fight with normalicy, whatever the heck that means.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic Comedy with an unlikely Heroine~NOT TO BE MISSED!
Review: Although I usually don't watch comedies,this is one of my favorite movies! Since by now you probably know the plot,I'll skip that & just say that it is soooo refreshing-that for once in a movie- an overweight girl becomes the most popular dancer & a community leader PLUS has her pick of gorgeous guys! My absolute favorite part in the movie is when star Tracey Turnblad (Ricki Lake) leads a "Ladie's Choice" dance & strolls down the line of prespective boys-ultimately choosing hunk Link Larkin-who by the way turns out to be very sweet & falls in love with Tracey for who she is~her weight is not an issure with him which I think is fantastic!Link & Tracey are both modern-thinking teens who share a love of dancing, an interest in black culture & both strongly support racial equality which I think brought them together. Besides fabulous acting by the entire cast, this movie also focuses on (often times with wicked humor!)politics, racial segregation/intergration & interacial romance.All the songs in the movie go perfectly & really set the mood of each scene. This is a "feel good" movie that you can watch over & over again & never get tired of it! In the end, it all comes down to being confident in who you are/what you look like! One of the best movies in history in my opinion.
Rating: 
Summary: See it again, now that you have DVD sound
Review: I've seen essentially three versions of Hairspray:
Version M: Ten years ago, and heard it through a 4" TV speaker.
Version P: The play in Manhattan, in August 2002.
Version S: Shortly after the play, the movie again, but this time through a 200-watt (RMS) two-speaker sound system.
Conclusions:
(1) The movie and play are both excellent, but except for the names of the characters quite different. I recommend seeing both. Put simply (very simply), the focus of the movie is on the teenager, Tracy, while the focus of the play is on Tracy's mother. What both the movie and play have in common is that at the end the focus-of-the movie/play goes through an adventure after which she emerges feeling significantly better about herself (dare I say that "her self esteem improves?).
(2) I actually enjoyed Version S better than Version M, probably due primarily to the significantly better sound.
(3) I was 16 in June 1962 when the movie takes place, so I remember the time, and the movie captures both teen values and their relationship with their parents that I remember.
(4) When Seaweed's younger sister says to Tracy with unqualified joy, "You're my favorite dancer!" she succinctly captures the powerful (and almost certainly unintended effect) that TV had on integration.
Rating:
Summary: Get Back to your roots!!!
Review: After seeing Hairspray: The Muscical at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles, I was tempted to watch the original feature film again, not having seen it for a few years. It is as good as I remember it, maybe even better.
Hairspray is a light entry for John Waters, the king of "Shock Cinema." After totally out there films like Polyester and Pink Flamingos, Waters made his first PG Hollywood film, which quickly had a cult classic on his hands.
The film made Ricki Lake a star, when she played Traci Turnblad, a 'pleasantly plump' teenager who teaches 1962 Baltimore a thing or two about integration after landing a spot on a local TV dance show.
Hairspray is a clever and witty satire of 60's life. It's supposed to be tacky and pro-America. It does have some deeper moments and some points to make about discrimination. But essentially it's a warm hearted, campy, funny flick. You only have to see who the director is to know that you aren't going to get another run-of-the-mill Hollywood story of overcoming adversity. It's a trashy take on pop culture of the 60's and the performances are great.
The film oozes John Waters even though it is very toned down compared to his earlier films. I love the storyline because it has to do with very realistic themes that were happening in those times. It's sad to know that this was Divine's last movie, but at least he went all out in it.
Obviously, the film must have some charm to have a stage musical made out of it. I did like the musical better, because the songs are just terrific, and I think this should be remade as feature film version of the stage musical. It would be a terrific companion to this, especially since many fans won't have the chance to see the spectacular musical on stage.
The terrific cast also includes Sony Bono, Ruth Brown, Deborah Harry, Vitamin C (Colleen Fitzpatrick), Jerry Stiller (Ben's dad), Leslie Ann Powers, Mink Stole, Ric Ocasek, and Pia Zadora, who all seem to be having fun with their roles. This is a great film that provides a rolicking good time for its audience. Fans of the stage show should definitely see where it all began.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good
Review: I think it's safe to say that Hairspray is a unique motion picture. The film, while providing nonstop fun and laughs throughout, also manages to not only confront but to roll right over prejudice in several of its nefarious guises. I was a teenager when this film came out, and sadly, it was the death of Divine (just before the movie was released) that made me aware of this film. I don't know if that publicity helped or hurt ticket sales - Divine, for those who have never heard of him, was famous for playing female roles, and Hairspray had begun to rejuvenate his whole career. As for the film, it's extremely campy in the best of ways, overflowing with great singing and dancing from the early 1960s, and it is the type of film that makes you feel good after you watch it.Ricki Lake plays Tracy Turnblad, a big, bold, and beautiful teenager who dreams of dancing on the exceedingly popular Corny Collins dance show. Her mother, played by Divine, isn't too crazy about modern music and dancing - until Tracy auditions and gets a spot on the show. Strutting her stuff in front of the cameras, she quickly becomes Baltimore's newest sensation. This does not sit well with Amber von Tussle (Colleen Fitzpatrick), as Tracy steals her man and then threatens to win the coveted title of Miss Auto Show 1963. Tracy is overweight, but she likes herself just as she is and easily dismisses the fat jokes thrown her way early on. The big issue in this film, though, is segregation. Tracy and her best friend Penny Pingleton (Joann Havrilla) soon become friends with some of the black kids in town and begin working toward integrating the Corny Collins show. Collins is all for the idea himself, as currently the Negro show runs only once each month under the controls of sassy Motormouth Mabel (Ruth Brown). The station manager will not hear of integration, though, and Penny's mother is aghast to find out that her daughter is in love with an African-American. This is 1962, of course. The whole segregation issue becomes the basic foundation of the movie as it dances its way to the end, making Hairspray a wonderfully entertaining film with a serious message behind it. The film is blessed with many interesting cast members. Divine plays not only Mrs. Turnblad but also the station manager, Jerry Stiller plays Mr. Turnblad, Sonny Bono and Debbie Harry (and Debbie Harry's increasingly interesting hair) come together to play Amber von Tussle's parents, and Ric Ocasek and Pia Zadora show up as Beatniks in a strange little cameo appearance. Of course, Ricki Lake pretty much steals the show as the big girl with big dreams, although I found Joann Havrilla's performance as Penny Pingleton quite captivating in a weird sort of way. It is very difficult to describe Hairspray; you pretty much have to watch it to get a true feel for its entertainment assets and social commentary underpinnings. It does have its silly moments, but this is not entertainment for the sake of entertainment, nor is this a film you will soon forget after watching it.
Rating:
Summary: Memories
Review: Hi, when I first saw HAIRSPRAY I fell in love with the picture, the actors were just picked out and the parts just fit each and everyone of them. Like the first time I went to see GREASE at the movies I went to see that movie with about 16 different people every night and did the same with HAIRSPRAY it brought back memories with the music and in the 60's when I was a teenager I fell head over heals with the movie they don't make enough of these genre anymore wish they did. Any way loved it emensly and it will always hold a special place in my heart forever. I am now going to buy the DVD and play it over and over again and again. This is the movie that I fell in love with Ricki Lake and I just discovered Divine who was marvelous in both parts so if you want to go back in time just you sit back in your best chair and view this movie just like I did over and over again and again you get tired of it trust me.
Rating:
Summary: A really funny comedy bursting with talent. I loved it!
Review: I saw this film when it first came out in 1988. I loved it then. I recently saw it on the small screen. I loved it even more. Maybe its because I've followed the career of its star, Ricki Lake, and have seen her transformed from a chubby teenager into a slim talk show host. Maybe its because I can appreciate the comic genius of director John Waters who is willing to push the envelope over the top on every scene. Maybe its because I really enjoyed watching the double role played by the transvestite called Divine. Maybe its because of the outrageous clothes worn by all the characters. Most of all though, I know its because this film made me laugh out loud. Hairspray is set in the early sixties, when teen age dance programs were all the rage. And its about a fat girl who doesn't fit in, but yet is a terrific dancer. She becomes a teenage idol though and the whole city loves her. She's smart and sassy and also wants to force the dance show to racially integrate. And she manages to do this with just the right degree of gumption, comedy and romance. The casting includes Sonny Bono and Deborah Harry as the parents of a teenager who is Ricki's competition, Colleen Fitzpatrick. And the singer Ruth Brown not only has a role of the mother of a teenager who is trying to integrate the show, she sings too. Divine plays the role of Ricki's mother as well as the male owner of the TV show. And Jerry Stiller is cast as Ricki's father. All in all, the film is bursting with talent. I sat there, relaxed, and laughed my head off. This is truly a funny comedy. Highly recommended.
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