Hairspray (2007)

This remake of Hairspray had the same general idea but went about its filming in a totally different way. I agree with Stephanie Zacharek's review. I feel like the new Hair Spray was too modern and also didn't really do the old Hairspray justive. "John Travolta, looking believably pretty and sweet under layers of fondant Latex, is a wholly different incarnation of Edna. And he's not bad. But that right there is the problem with "Hairspray": It's all so "not bad" that it isn't nearly enough, even when Shankman and his cast work hard to send it soaring over the top. Waters is the least subtle of directors, and the meaning of his movie rang out loud and clear enough to dissolve the ozone layer." The acting in this was excessively cheesy but not in the good, humorous way as the old one was. I found myself actually getting pissed off when they started to sing because it was just too much!

This movie is still set in Baltimore in the early 1960s and of course they still wanted integration to happen, obviously for humanitarian reasons, but also to s"ave white kids from being doomed to eternal squareness." I'm not even sure what that means but it sounds right. I guess in this one the African Americans taught Tracy how to gyrate and then she was able to get onto the show whereas, with the old movie she just naturally had talent and didn't have to be taught anything. 

Zacharek also agrees that the music was unbearable and the the older Hairspray was better - "the songs were relatively free of that lacquered show-tuney quality that makes so much show music unbearable, I still couldn't help feeling that the Waters version, with its shoestring-budget aesthetic, its wear around the edges, its resolute unshininess, was infinitely better." This movie was a little too "safe" and less exhilarating for me compared to the older version. The newer Tracy, played by Nikki Blonsky" was as peppy and had the body for all of that enthusiasm but she just was not as good as Ricki Lake to me. She lacked what I loved in Ricki, that attitude.

They did a lot of different things to the plot of this story such as cancel "Negro Day", Tracy didn't get locked up (but was definitely on the run from the police), Tracy and Link didn't kiss/be together until the end, there was a peaceful march instead of a riot, Little Inez (a black girl) actually won the competition and the Corny Collins Show was officially segrated, it was just anti-climactic for me (although Inez did dance the hell out of that song for a little girl!). Where was the drama that we so loved in the original Hairspray??? And well looka here! Zacharek agrees! - "Shankman's "Hairspray" streamlines the story considerably, doing away completely with some of its nuttier, more memorable elements: There's no ticking-time-bomb beehive here. And when Tracy organizes a desegregation march, Link, instead of simply joining in (as in Waters' original), makes a dud of a speech about having to opt out, lest he lose his big chance to become a star. The writers apparently thought they needed to add some tension to the story, and to the relationship. But in the loopy idealism of Waters' original, this whitest of white kids wouldn't even hesitate to join a desegregation march." I LIKE LOOPY!!!

I'm obviously a fan of the older Hairspray. I'd watch that a million times before I conform to the normality of Shankman's Hairspray again. But I must add, last but not least, that Michelle Pfeifer was damn good in this film.

Hairspray

John Waters' Hairspray is based on the favorite pastime of Baltimore teens in the early 1960's. The New York Times review of this movie criticizes the teenagers with the excessive use of hairspray onto their "teased, empty heads". The film starts off with a montage of the members preparing to shoot on the "Corny Collins Show". This shows the teens in various ways; stuffing bras, making out, spraying massive amounts of hairspray. I must admit that when the movie first started I felt the same way. Some of them took a little too much pleasure in spraying hairspray on their hair. It was like they were superficial and their lives revolved around having perfect hair, going "steady" and also being on television instead of actual school work (which I never saw anyone do). To me this also fed into the stereotype that women should be thin while still being well endowed in those God given areas.

Let me start off by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed this movie! The directors feelings were quite obvious and I loved that. There were the typical teenagers, all love struck and hormonal and some blonde chick was leading the perfect life until Tracy Turnblad came and took her spotlight and her boyfriend. Skinny women are evil and fat chicks rule. This also shows how dreams come true when you least expect them too and has a message to keep your head up regardless of what people think around you, be yourself.

Tracy Turnbald is definitely not your normal movie heroine. She's a pleasantly plump, white brunette that can dance. What are the odds? But she embodied the "bigger is better" idea and loved herself thus, everyone else began to love her as well. She was bold, outspoken and definitely not one of the racist people in the film. I fell in love with Tracy during this movie and I hope the new Hairspray doesn't tarnish my thoughts of her.

The Corny Collins Show has "Negro day" every last thursday of the month. They are really for segregation but yet they still bring in the special guest who just happens to be a black radio host, Motormouth Maybelle. Hmm...interesting. The host of the show, Corny Collins and a few other members are all for integration but the producers and managers are all against it. Throughout the show you see Tracy and her boyfriend gradually being accepted into the black community and wishing they were black (quite funny btw) and they push for the show to be integrated. I found it really interesting that as Tracy was being held captive the black people were also because imprisoned/taken advantage of in some way. And when she became free and went to claim her throne the black people all walked in with her and thus, the Corny Collins show then became integrated. With Tracy's freedom, the black people became free as well.

"Penny Pingleton is positively, permanently punished" lol. I got to admit that made me chuckle. Penny's mother was obviously the one who need professional help. Her parents were control freaks. The way she freaked out when the colored guy asked her for a dollar was hilarious! But at some point in the movie I really wanted someone to just slap the hell out of her. The racial material at all points were real but I love that the director shed humor on such a big issue. To me it was quite obvious that the director was for integration.

I can't wait to see the remake because I thoroughly enjoyed this movie not knowing what it was about when I first went into it. I'm curious to see if the racial issues stand in the newest Hairspray seeing as how that was clearly the argument of the old movie. But for the record, this movie will NEVER top Grease!