Hairspray
Short description
Hairspray is set in 1960s Baltimore and follows Tracy Turnblad, a teenager whose main passion is dancing. She dreams of appearing on The Corny Collins Show, the city's most popular television dance program, and her confidence and skill eventually earn her a place on it. Her rise to local fame brings jealousy from Amber Von Tussle, who had been the show's reigning star, and friction with Amber's mother. When Tracy witnesses the show's practice of racial segregation, she becomes involved in efforts to integrate it, a stance that puts her own position on the program at risk.
The film is a musical comedy directed by Adam Shankman, working from a screenplay by Leslie Dixon and produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. It stands sixth among the features Shankman directed, arriving between The Pacifier and Bedtime Stories. Nikki Blonsky plays Tracy, with John Travolta as Edna Turnblad, Michelle Pfeiffer as Velma Von Tussle, Christopher Walken as Wilbur Turnblad, Amanda Bynes as Penny Pingleton and James Marsden as Corny Collins. The production credits 154 cast members and 66 crew members.
Made for 75 million USD, the film returned 90 million USD worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.7 out of 10 from about 145,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.7 out of 10 from roughly 2,700 votes. A critics' rating of 8 out of 10 from 215 reviews places professional response clearly above the audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- It took 4 hours every day to do John Travolta's makeup, and his fattening suit weighed 13 kg.
- Ricki Lake, who played the lead role of Tracy Turnblad in the original 1988 film musical, appears in a cameo as one of the talent scouts at the final Miss “Teenage Hairspray” competition. Director Adam Shankman and songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman can also be spotted among them.
- Jerry Stiller, who played Wilbur Turnblad in the original film, plays Mr. Pinky in the 2007 remake.
- Christopher Walken was not the only actor considered for the role of Wilbur Turnblad; Billy Crystal and Jim Broadbent were also potential candidates.
- Initially, the film studio wanted a famous comedic performer to play Edna Turnblad, considering Robin Williams, Steve Martin, and Tom Hanks. However, the producers immediately focused on John Travolta, with his leading role in the most successful film musical of all time, “Grease,” being a major argument in his favor. The actor did not give a definitive answer for several months and announced his agreement minutes before the deadline.
- It took Elijah Kelly about an hour to style his hair every day.
- Amanda Bynes's hair and makeup took about two hours each morning.
- The role of Velma Von Tussle could also have gone to Meryl Streep and Madonna.
- Diana DeGarmo, a finalist from the third season of the popular reality show "American Idol," auditioned for the role of Penny Pingleton but didn't get it due to her relatively short stature. However, she did land a role in a Broadway musical.
- To successfully stage and film the "Run and Tell That" dance scene, the film crew sawed a 1957 school bus into 9 pieces.
- Penny Pingleton's dress during the performance of the song "You Can't Stop the Beat" was made from the curtains in her room.
- Nikki Blonsky, who debuted in the film, celebrated her 18th birthday with family and friends on the set.
- Six songs were written for the film but did not make the final cut. These are "I Can Wait", "Mrs. Von Tussle Says", "Save Your Applause 'Till The End", "Turn Back The Hands of Time", "It Ain't Over 'Till the Fat Lady Sings" and "It Doesn't Get Better Than This". They can all be heard on the special two-disc edition of the musical soundtrack.
- The director and screenwriter of the original 1988 film musical, John Waters, appears in a cameo in the opening scene "Good Morning Baltimore".
- In one scene in a school classroom, the teacher mentions that Mount Everest in the Himalayas is not actually the highest point on Earth. She asks for the correct answer but does not receive it, as the bell rings at that moment. This is the extinct volcano Chimborazo in Ecuador (height 6268 meters), which is considered the most distant point from the center of the Earth, but is located lower above sea level than Everest (8848 meters). This is due to the fact that the Earth's diameter is slightly larger at the equator than at 28 degrees north latitude, where Mount Everest (Jomolungma) is located.
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