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Directed By
Adam Shankman
Written By:
Leslie Dixon
Cast:
John Travolta, Amanda Bynes, Christopher Walken, Zac Efron, Queen Latifah, Michelle Pfeiffer, Brittany Snow, James Marsden, Allison Janney, Jerry Stiller, Elijah Kelley, Sarah Francis, Nadine Ellis, Nikki Blonsky, Taylor Parks, Jesse Weafer, Tanee McCall, Hayley Podschun, Brooke Engen, Tiffany Engen, J.P. Ferreri, Cassie Silva, Shane Simpson, Tabitha Lupien
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Hairspray (2007)
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Movie Review by Zara 
July 21st, 2007
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Woo Hoo! First to review! Take THAT, Fat Boy!
I will say that I wasn't all that thrilled at the prospect of this movie. Something about John Travolta being in drag seeming far too big of a train wreck aspect to reel in audiences got on my nerves. Especially when you factor in that the first movie was perfectly fine just the way that it was.
But this isn't really a direct remake. The first movie spawned a Broadway show, remaking it into a more full-fledged musical. While John Waters infused a great deal of music into his version, it still wasn't what I would classify as a musical. It's far more of a strange little comedy, but with a few songs thrown in.
I wish I could say that I'd seen the musical. The first incarnation featured the fantastic Harvey Fierstein in the role that the cross-dressing Divine held in the movie, as Edna Turnblad. I've always been a big fan of that raspy voiced gay Jew. (Oh, that's Fierstein and not Divine.)
Instead I had to settle for this movie, one that I went to more out of an obligation to My Midget who was big on checking it out. She too loved the first movie and would watch it with me on occasion. I'll tell you that I not only was impressed with the quality of this movie, I would have to say that it's slightly better than the movie that spawned the play that spawned this movie.
I don't even want to compare the two. I really feel that while they hold the same themes and characters, they're completely different films. While there is still very much the heart of Baltimore in the movies that Waters has in all of his movies, there is a much stronger heart in this version than in his.
Waters has always been very good at sardonic humour. He can take something very sweet and innocent and while maintaining its innocence also tear it apart at the same time. There is a value and a greatness in his capacity to pull that off so well. It's what make his movies infinitely more interesting than the majority of the crap that's been released over the last 30 years.
However, the themes of this movie (a young and *gasp* FAT girl finding herself the center of popularity based on the fact that she's good at dancing and has a strong-willed spirit which aids to her support of the integration cause) are supremely positive. While they are ripe for the taking of a piss, I feel that you can also go in the direction of just upholding the idealism that Tracy Turnblad so infectiously carries. It's what sets this movie apart from the first and makes them, in my opinion, two completely separate flicks.
The high points include watching Travolta and Walken dance around and sing to one another about how they're timeless, this tunnel visioned love that is awe-inspiring, even in a cynic like myself. I also found that Michelle Pfeiffer needs to take more breaks from the movie screen (the last movie that she was in prior to this was 2002's WHITE OLEANDER) as she is righteously b*tchy and looks like she hasn't aged in the last 10 years.
The only drawback was the annoying accent that Travolta chose to use. Once you get past that, he's quite enjoyable as well, but it's so limiting and distracting.
As a whole, I loved this flick and highly recommend it.
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