Revisiting the HAIRSPRAY film

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 6/6/19 at 5:31pm

Its been almost 12 years since the Hairspray film. Its on TV at the moment and I was curious as to what everyones thoughts were on it since then. In the 12 years, weve had the Hollywood Bowl production, Hairspray Live on NBC, talk of another national tour... just wanted opinions.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 6/6/19 at 5:47pm

I can't believe it has been 12 years! I enjoyed the film. Did not enjoy Hairspray Live.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/6/19 at 5:55pm

I’d give it a solid two stars.

[VirginiaK]

Posted: 6/6/19 at 6:02pm

The original John Waters movie is an all-time favorite of mine, I hope you see that one some time.

[Pose2]

Posted: 6/6/19 at 6:07pm

It was fun and really well done, I thought.  

[RWPrincess]

Posted: 6/6/19 at 7:20pm

The film is also on Netflix currently

[Shh_413]

Posted: 6/6/19 at 9:56pm

I love the film. It's one of the rare instances that a musical film based on a Broadway musical was both a critical and financial success. The tone was consistent. The changes made were as a result of directorial and cinematic reasons, rather than for the sake of changing something. For example, they cut "Mama, I'm A Big Girl" because the director didn't want an awkward three-way split screen, and put "New Girl in Town" because film allows you to do a montage, plus actually showed what Negro Day looks like while still driving the integration theme home. Plus, that cast is amazing and the singing is actually more than decent considering it's a star-driven film (hello, James Marsden's version of the title song).

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 6/6/19 at 10:00pm

I really enjoyed the film and still think John Travolta was an abomination in the role of Edna. Both are true for me. 

[Shh_413]

Posted: 6/6/19 at 10:06pm

I'm reading some of the people they considered or had auditioned for the cast and the pedigree is crazy. Studio execs wanted Robin Williams, Steve Martin, or Tom Hanks (who were more used to comic roles) for Edna. Billy Crystal was almost Wilbur (I can't believe we almost had Robin and Billy as a married couple on screen). Aretha Franklin was almost Motormouth Maybelle. James Marsden beat out Joey McIntyre and Hugh Jackman for Corny Collins. Hayden Panettiere was also considered for Amber.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 1:57am

Shh_413 said: "I love the film. It's one of the rare instances that a musical film based on a Broadway musical was both a critical and financial success. The tone was consistent. The changes made were as a result of directorial and cinematic reasons, rather than for the sake of changing something. For example, they cut "Mama, I'm A Big Girl" because the director didn't want an awkward three-way split screen, and put "New Girl in Town" because film allows you to do a montage, plus actually showed what Negro Day looks like while still driving the integration theme home. Plus, that cast is amazing and the singing is actually more than decent considering it's a star-driven film (hello, James Marsden's version of the title song)."

All that and more! HAIRSPRAY is the only film since MURIEL'S WEDDING in the 1990s that I saw multiple times (six or more) in a movie theater!

Yes, I remember well John Waters' original, which is its own animal. Yes, I have since seen the stage show on tour and I understand why fans dislike some of the omission/changes in tone. (I think they need to consider how heavy-handed musical satire can get on the screen, where so much is done with close-ups. IMHO, the film was right to scale back a bit and substitute a little honest feeling for Waters' and Fierstein's bite. But I do understand why those who first knew and loved the stage musical were disappointed with elements such as the film characterization of Edna.)

[Shh_413]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 2:08am

I'm pretty neutral on Travolta's Edna and my main problem with him is his look. He's definitely a more introverted Edna which works better on film than Harvey's biting, laugh-out-loud version on stage. They really drove home the point that Edna has mental and self-esteem issues in the film, which is realistic and something film can achieve better than theatre. I also understand people who dislike the film's tone because it's less... I guess "campy" is the word I'd use. But the integration message IMHO is stronger in the film than the stage version, which I still like for its own separate reasons. None of them are perfect entities, but God is that story strong on its own.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 2:12am

The most off-putting thing about Travolta's performance was that accent. Yes, I know Baltimore has a very distinct accent, but having Travolta do it, and do it poorly, and be the only one in the film who sounds like that, it just didn't work.

[Scarlet Leigh]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 2:37am

Was not a fan then still not a fan now. It has it's moments and it's performances but overall Travolta and that accent are horribly miscast, the heck was Amanda Bynes doing half the time (not to mention who was the dumb costumer that puts someone in a skin tight dress that doesn't allow a person to move during the biggest dance number of the whole movie?), Tracy was suppose to be some kind of outstanding dancer that her size did not matter cus she was just so good and Blonsky was an okay dancer at best, and the changed ending is just plan nonsensical even for a musical. There is NO WAY that in 5 minutes more people called in to cast votes then the total amount of folks that had been calling in casting votes for weeks and weeks. It was a change thrown in to make it look ultra progressive but I couldn't get over how unneeded a change it was.

[Shh_413]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 2:58am

Scarlet Leigh said: "Was not a fan then still not a fan now. It has it's moments and it's performances but overall Travolta and that accent are horribly miscast, the heck was Amanda Bynes doing half the time (not to mention who was the dumb costumer that puts someone in a skin tight dress that doesn't allow a person to move during the biggest dance number of the whole movie?), Tracy was suppose to be some kind of outstanding dancer that her size did not matter cus she was just so good and Blonsky was an okay dancer at best, and the changed ending is just plan nonsensical even for a musical. There is NO WAY that in 5 minutes more people called in to cast votes then the total amount of folks that had been calling in casting votes for weeks and weeks. It was a change thrown in to make it look ultra progressive but I couldn't get over how unneeded a change it was."

As nonsensical an ending as the producer announcing on live TV that the governor has enjoyed the show so much that he grants Tracy a pardon for escaping prison and has given her a college scholarship? Or that Ultra Clutch is suddenly becoming friendly towards POCs after one dance number and is launching a new line of products to cater to them (where's the board meeting for that?)? The nonsensical thing in both the film and the show itself is Mrs. Pingleton saying she saw Penny on TV. Why is she watching that show anyway? The number of people suddenly watching the show is because of an earlier comment by Corny in the film/show saying that Black people and chubby girls buy hairspray and watch the show, too. Did you see the crowd in the protest rally? They have been invisible the entire time because that's what the show demands. The fact that Negro Day is even a thing is because many of "that demographic" are tuning in.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 3:14am

Scarlet Leigh said: "Was not a fan then still not a fan now. It has it's moments and it's performances but overall Travolta and that accent are horribly miscast, the heck was Amanda Bynes doing half the time (not to mention who was the dumb costumer that puts someone in a skin tight dress that doesn't allow a person to move during the biggest dance number of the whole movie?), Tracy was suppose to be some kind of outstanding dancer that her size did not matter cus she was just so good and Blonsky was an okay dancer at best, and the changed ending is just plan nonsensical even for a musical. There is NO WAY that in 5 minutes more people called in to cast votes than the total amount of folks that had been calling in casting votes for weeks and weeks. It was a change thrown in to make it look ultra progressive but I couldn't get over how unneeded a change it was." (Emphasis added.)

You are absolutely right about the lack of verisimilitude, but is that any more unlikely than the River City Boy's Band actually playing the Minuet in G? Than Tommy returning to Scotland and breaking all the rules of the "Miracle" set up during the show, yet succeeding because, well, love? That every relationship in the show is suddenly solves by the humiliation and devastation of Horace Vandergelder, the famous, Unmarried half-a-milliionaire?

My point is just that musical comedies--even going back as far as Plautus--are not known primarily for their realistic plausibility.

Myself, I found it rather it rather brave, and actually MORE believable in a non-literal sense, that Little Inez won the contest. It takes a lot of guts to deny the audience the resolution we've been conditioned to expect over the past 2,000 years, that the heroine will get the wish she articulates at the top of the show.

Perhaps it could have been accomplished with a little more elegance, but the basic idea contained a lot of truth.

[h6p8gv]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 5:32am

I loved it and felt that it was perfect and loved the fact that they did not cut things that they did not know how to make work just for cutting them I also loved how they made without love work without Tracy getting arrested though I did miss mamma I am a big girl now and bill doll house I do understand why they were cut/

[noradesmond]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 2:53pm

Bettyboy72 said: "I really enjoyed the film and still think John Travolta was an abomination in the role of Edna. Both are true for me."

This!

[broadway86]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 2:56pm

I thoroughly enjoy it, and have never grown tired of it. The casting is pretty spot-on, I'm even endeared towards Travolta's Edna.

[JP2]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 3:40pm

Loved it then, love it now. Even Travolta. 

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 3:49pm

I love the decision to expand Velma's "Miss Baltimore Crabs" into a dance number.
I did not care for Velma's reprise of "Big Blonde and Beautiful." The abridged subplot of her trying to seduce Wilbur didn't play. I'm not sure if it was the hasty editing or simply a lack of chemistry between the performers but it didn't work.