Hairspray
So we finally have another 60's movie that has absolutely nothing to do with the Vietnam War. Instead, we have a story about integration. So does this show the huge change for America or does it make us wish we stayed segregated? Let's find out.
We find ourselves in 1962 where a pretty chubby girl named Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) heading off to school. Once the school day is over, she runs home with her friend, Penny Pingleton (Amanda Bynes), to watch their favorite show, The Corny Collins Show. This show is a basic dance show with the host, Corny Collins (James Marsden), along with several teenagers, namely Link Larkin (Zac Efron) and Amber Von Tussle (Brittany Snow). The show is run by Amber's mother, Velma Von Tussle (Michelle Pfeiffer). She and Amber serve as the main antagonist, mainly for selfish reasons. During the show, Penny's mother, Prudy Pingleton (Allison Janney), comes to get her clothes from a shop that Tracy's mother, Edna Turnblad (John Travolta), runs from her home. Prudy takes Penny home and later, both Tracy and Prudy find out that the studio is holding auditions for the show. When she tells her mother, Tracy's mother refuses, but her father, Wilbur Turnblad (Christopher Walken), talks her into going. So they show up for the audition and are kicked out. Tracy is given detention for skipping class, which is where she meets Seaweed (Elijah Kelley). She bumps into Link where he tells her to show up at the extra auditions after school. She shows up and is accepted onto the show. On her first appearance, she tells Corny that she would love for every day to be Negro Day and that she'd love to win the show's contest, Little Miss Hairspray. So the rest of the movie is set around Tracy doing her best to try and win.
Right away, when the movie begins, we are greeted with a fantastic musical number sung by Nikki. That's just the beginning of the many amazing songs sung throughout the movie. Nikki Blonsky can really sing and her songs have got to be the best songs in the movie. If I had to pick my favorite, though, it wouldn't be one of her songs. It would be "Ladies Choice", sung by Zac Efron. The guy can sing. There's no doubt about it. This song just makes you want to get up and move way more than any of the other songs in the film. Not that none of the other songs don't make you want to dance right along with the cast, they most certainly do, but that beat, that voice, just everything about this song makes it my personal favorite. This is what makes a great and well remembered musical. As for the script, it's actually pretty hilarious. Yes, they know that they're dealing with a serious topic, but they also want to have some fun and it really shows. They always manage to find a time to tell a joke and they know when to be serious. It's a fantastic mix that never feels out of place. They even make the main villain really fun to hate.
Unfortunately, there are some sour notes here. While I love a lot of songs here, there are a few that I could do without hearing again. Namely, the main villain song and the song where Wilbur and Edna realize that they still love each other. The villain song, "Miss Baltimore Crabs" just feels weak when compared to the other songs in the movie. A lot of the songs, upbeat, slow, or soft, always seem to have some form of flow that really gets at your core and gets you moving in some way. This just doesn't. Maybe it's the voice. Maybe it's the tune. I'm not real sure. As for the love song, "Timeless to Me", it's the plot point that brings us to the song. I just can't stand the fake cheating plot point with movies. This one is a prime example. Velma comes and makes it look like Wilbur is cheating on his wife with her. Not even 5 minutes later, this song plays and the problem is solved, rendering the plot point useless and only serves the purpose of allowing this song to play. This moment is never brought up again and is completely forgotten. As for the song, it's just not that good. I never believed that Travolta or Walken could sing, except when it's for comedic reasons, and this is nothing but them singing. It just gets on my nerves.
So would I recommend this movie? Of course. It's a wonderful musical that will be remembered for years to come. With this being Nikki Blonsky's first movie, I hope that she continues to do great. If you're not a fan of musicals, this won't change your mind. However, if you love musicals, this is for you.
We find ourselves in 1962 where a pretty chubby girl named Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) heading off to school. Once the school day is over, she runs home with her friend, Penny Pingleton (Amanda Bynes), to watch their favorite show, The Corny Collins Show. This show is a basic dance show with the host, Corny Collins (James Marsden), along with several teenagers, namely Link Larkin (Zac Efron) and Amber Von Tussle (Brittany Snow). The show is run by Amber's mother, Velma Von Tussle (Michelle Pfeiffer). She and Amber serve as the main antagonist, mainly for selfish reasons. During the show, Penny's mother, Prudy Pingleton (Allison Janney), comes to get her clothes from a shop that Tracy's mother, Edna Turnblad (John Travolta), runs from her home. Prudy takes Penny home and later, both Tracy and Prudy find out that the studio is holding auditions for the show. When she tells her mother, Tracy's mother refuses, but her father, Wilbur Turnblad (Christopher Walken), talks her into going. So they show up for the audition and are kicked out. Tracy is given detention for skipping class, which is where she meets Seaweed (Elijah Kelley). She bumps into Link where he tells her to show up at the extra auditions after school. She shows up and is accepted onto the show. On her first appearance, she tells Corny that she would love for every day to be Negro Day and that she'd love to win the show's contest, Little Miss Hairspray. So the rest of the movie is set around Tracy doing her best to try and win.
Right away, when the movie begins, we are greeted with a fantastic musical number sung by Nikki. That's just the beginning of the many amazing songs sung throughout the movie. Nikki Blonsky can really sing and her songs have got to be the best songs in the movie. If I had to pick my favorite, though, it wouldn't be one of her songs. It would be "Ladies Choice", sung by Zac Efron. The guy can sing. There's no doubt about it. This song just makes you want to get up and move way more than any of the other songs in the film. Not that none of the other songs don't make you want to dance right along with the cast, they most certainly do, but that beat, that voice, just everything about this song makes it my personal favorite. This is what makes a great and well remembered musical. As for the script, it's actually pretty hilarious. Yes, they know that they're dealing with a serious topic, but they also want to have some fun and it really shows. They always manage to find a time to tell a joke and they know when to be serious. It's a fantastic mix that never feels out of place. They even make the main villain really fun to hate.
Unfortunately, there are some sour notes here. While I love a lot of songs here, there are a few that I could do without hearing again. Namely, the main villain song and the song where Wilbur and Edna realize that they still love each other. The villain song, "Miss Baltimore Crabs" just feels weak when compared to the other songs in the movie. A lot of the songs, upbeat, slow, or soft, always seem to have some form of flow that really gets at your core and gets you moving in some way. This just doesn't. Maybe it's the voice. Maybe it's the tune. I'm not real sure. As for the love song, "Timeless to Me", it's the plot point that brings us to the song. I just can't stand the fake cheating plot point with movies. This one is a prime example. Velma comes and makes it look like Wilbur is cheating on his wife with her. Not even 5 minutes later, this song plays and the problem is solved, rendering the plot point useless and only serves the purpose of allowing this song to play. This moment is never brought up again and is completely forgotten. As for the song, it's just not that good. I never believed that Travolta or Walken could sing, except when it's for comedic reasons, and this is nothing but them singing. It just gets on my nerves.
So would I recommend this movie? Of course. It's a wonderful musical that will be remembered for years to come. With this being Nikki Blonsky's first movie, I hope that she continues to do great. If you're not a fan of musicals, this won't change your mind. However, if you love musicals, this is for you.