Hairspray (PG)
Starring: John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, Queen Latifah and Zac Efron.
“We’re going to see Hairspray, want to come?” My immediate response to this was, “Think about it, I’m a man, do I really want to see a film with the title Hairspray, because that sounds so manly, doesn’t it!”
How wrong I was, to think that I wouldn’t want to see it, the film is all singing and all dancing and a all round enjoyable experience. It was almost like going to the theatre rather than the cinema, as everyone seemed to be, even if it was subconsciously, tapping there feet in time with the music throughout the entire film. Once you get over the fact that the main character is walking along the road by herself at the start of the film, yet somehow she has backing vocalists, then you really begin to enjoy the film.
The film follows the quest of “Tracy Turnblad” (Nikki Blonsky) to fulfil her dream of dancing on “The Corny Collins show”, however Amber's mother (Pfeiffer), who runs the TV station, has no intention of letting the short, chubby Tracy on the air, regardless of her talent. And she wants to get rid of Negro Night too, along with its host Motormouth Maybelle (Latifah).
From the moment Tracy appears on screen you instantly adore the character and her ideals.
Although the Tracy Turnblad, who is the main character, is great it is Tracy’s mom who steals the show.Tracy’s mother is played by John Travolta, that’s right John Travolta of Grease fame, covered in latex and a fat suit. Travolta gets the best lines of the film and cannot fail to make anyone howl with laughter.
The film is definitely a feel good film, watching one person succeed against all the odds is always going to make you feel good, but with all the singing and dancing it just makes you feel even better!
Even if you’re not a fan of such films, Hairspray is still worth making a song and dance about. Bright, breezy and with a whole lot of heart, it is two hours of feel good escapism at its very purest.
