As we all know, the legendary John Waters is the ultimate “Pope of Trash,” but not all of his films are that way. He can be subtle when he wants to be. And his most subdued but still no less infectious work is 1988’s Hairspray, which remains a charming and timely modern classic.
Buy Hairspray (Criterion Collection)Set in Baltimore 1962, the film celebrates the large hairdos and the larger-than-life characters, especially delightful teenager Tracy Turnbald (a charming Ricky Lake) who auditions for a spot on a popular TV dance show for the fictional WZZT station and beats out the nasty Amber von Tussle (Colleen Fitzpatrick), winning the heart of Amber’s boyfriend (Michael St. Gerald) in the process. After meeting some black students at her school, she pushes for racial representation on the show, but this catches the ire of many, including Amber’s equally callous parents (Deborah Harry and Sonny Bono).
Watching it now, the film doesn’t feel as dated as you might think, considering that we’re now living in a time where fascism and censorship seem to be reigning supreme. We’re obviously always being confronted with outright racism and social media’s degrading standards, but Hairspray was made at a time where we didn’t have to deal with most of that.
Waters brings his own spin on to several themes, like segregation, religious fanaticism, peer pressure, and body issues while also capturing a time of change. He also enlists a brilliant ensemble cast. Along with Lake, Fitzpatrick, Harry, Bono, and Gerald, there’s also the great Divine (in his final film) in dual roles as both Edna Turnbald (Tracy’s mom) and Arvin Hodgepile (the racist manager of WZZT), Jerry Stiller, Ruth Brown, Waters’ regular Mink Stole, Jo Ann Havrilla, and the iconic Pia Zadora in a very memorable cameo as the beatnik chick. Waters always has committed and talented actors in his film, and Hairspray is definitely no exception.
Making its 4K debut this week from Criterion, the film contains vintage commentary with Waters and Lake, and both new and old supplements (all sounding worthwhile), like a new conversation between Waters and WFMU DJs Dave “the Spazz” Abramson and Gaylord Fields; a new interview with Lake and Fitzpatrick; deleted scenes; trailer, and more.
Obviously, this release is definitely a must-have for film buffs and Waters’ enthusiasts. Hairspray has so many things to say and does them in its own subversively sweet way.
Other releases:
Desperate Living (Criterion): Mink Stole stars in Waters’ 1977 antifascist fairy tale as a hysterical housewife who murders her husband with the help of her fed-up housekeeper. They run away and end up in a bizarro town ruled by an evil queen (Edith Massey) whose tyranny pushes everyone to the breaking point.
Magellan (Criterion/Criterion Premieres): Gael Garcia Bernal stars in an epic portrait of the 16th-century Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who treks on a quest to cross the Pacific, which brings chaos and violence as he attempts to push Christianity on the people of the Philippines.
The Last Showgirl (Lionsgate): Pamela Anderson sheds her infamous sex symbol image to give a revelatory performance as an aging showgirl who has to plan for the future when her show unexpectedly closes after 30 years. Also starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Batista, Billie Lourd, and Kiernan Shipka.
