Saturday, June 6, 2020

freakboy on film: HAIRSPRAY (2007) - The Third Broadway Bound Blogathon Edition

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A jazz-hands thank you to Rebecca D. of TAKING UP ROOM https://takinguproom.wordpress.com/ for allowing me to participate in 🎵THE THIRD BROADWAY BOUND BLOGATHON!🎵)


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(screenplay by Leslie Dixon / directed by Adam Shankman)


I hate musicals!.

Ok, that's obviously a lie.  However, I can't stand the bloated musicals of the 1960's.  MY FAIR LADY could be used as an instrument of torture and THE SOUND OF MUSIC should've ended with Maria spinning off one of those hills.  

I guess I like offbeat musicals the best.  LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, SWEENY TODD, CANNIBAL THE MUSICAL, to name a few.  Does HAIRSPRAY follow in the same offbeat path?  Well, let's find out.

I love-love-love John Waters' 1988 film about racial integration and dancing.  So, when I heard there was going to be a Broadway musical, I thought...NO!  I listened to the Original Broadway Cast album and it didn't do a thing for me (and still doesn't.). Then I heard about a film version of the Broadway musical and I thought...Interesting. 

The casting caught my attention.  The idea of John Travolta and Christopher Walken as Edna & Wilbur Turnblad blew my mind!  Then hearing that Queen Latifah would be stepping into the shoes of Motormouth Maybelle made me eager to see this musical.  Oh, and I adored the idea of Michelle Pfeiffer as Velma Von Tussle because, with John Travolta, there would be a GREASE/GREASE 2 connection. 


I actually went to the theater in my small Nebraska town to see HAIRSPRAY.  It was me and a few women of a certain age in the audience.  The story basically follows John Waters' original film, with a few detours and changes.  It's the early 1960's and Tracy Turnblad (a jubilant Nikki Blonsky) dreams of dancing on The Corny Collins Show, a local Baltimore teen dance program.  When this dream comes true, Tracy fights for the love of teen-dancing-heartthrob Link (a bland Zac Efron), dances for the acceptance of full figured women and protests for integrated dancing on the show.  Along for this worthy revolution is Tracy's sheltered friend Penny (a quirky Amanda Bynes) and Motormouth Maybelle's son Seaweed (an energized Elijah Kelley).


The adults in the film appear to be having a good time.  John Travolta and Christopher Walken as Tracy's parents have a nice chemistry, though they will never replace Divine and Jerry Stiller in the original film.  Queen Latifah takes Motormouth Maybelle and makes the character her own and gets to belt out a few good tunes, which is what she does best.  Michelle Pfeiffer is fine as Velma Von Tussle since the character was vamped up for the musical.  I must add that Allison Janney is wasted as Penny's obsessive mother an James Marsden does a serviceable job as Corny Collins.  (Was John Barrowman busy with TORCHWOOD at the time?   He would've made a perfect Corny!)


While I'm disappointed that the title song from the original film is not included, there are some catchy songs.  (Why I enjoy the film versions but not the Broadway versions is still beyond me.). Anyhoo, I dare you to not join Tracy as she giddily sings Good Morning, Baltimore, a song introducing her dancing dream.   It's impossible to refrain from dancing to the joyous rhythm of Seaweed's Run and Tell That, an anthem of strength and solidarity in the black community. The exuberantly fun Without Love is a celebration of the love between Tracy & Link and Seaweed & Penny.  Last, but not least, is the infectiously hopeful grand finale You Can't Stop the Beat, a pop-infused tribute to the changing times of the 1960's.  It's too bad life isn't a musical, where the multiple divides in humanity could be easily bridged with an upbeat song and groovy dancing.  


Which sort of brings me to my complaint about this version of HAIRSPRAY.  The overall feel lacks the sharp edge of John Waters' crossover hit.  It's a watered down (pun intended) sanitized, Hollywood version.  Which is pretty much what I expected as I took my seat in the theater.  Still, even with this, I enjoyed the celebration of diversity and outsiders singing and dancing across the screen.  That celebration is what drew me to the original film in the first place and made me a life-long John Waters fan. 

As I left the theater, I overheard a couple of the women of a certain age remark how they thought the movie was going to be about a beauty parlor.  I couldn't help but chuckle and wonder if they would research and find the original, which might ultimately lead them to PINK FLAMINGOS.  That thought made me more than chuckle. 


In conclusion, HAIRSPRAY (2007) isn't as offbeat as it wants to be but it contains some great songs and an interesting cast.  In a lot of ways, the story was built for a Broadway and film musical.  So embrace your inner hair-hopper and watch this film with a beat you can dance to...and then find the non-musical original for a truly offbeat good time! 

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.

Freak Out, 
JLH 

P.S.  If either version of HAIRSPRAY is all you know of John Waters, then you may not want to read or listen to my review of MONDO TRASHO...


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The Collective Eye is open with music & blogs...

16 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed reading your fun review John, and yes I so could see John Barrymore in this film. He's always doing panto back home in Scotland so I'm sure he's got the song and dance experience.

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    1. Thanks, Gill
      He would have given corny Collins a bit more edge.

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  2. To Hollywood's eye the musical must have made the movie "accessible." A good thing? A bad thing? It is entertaining and you can't get the tunes out of your head for days. Also, it has turned into one of those movies that coming across it while channel surfing, I stay longer than expected.

    The movie was filmed here in Toronto, and there have been a couple of extended legit productions here over the years. It almost feels homegrown.

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    1. thank you for dropping by, and you're right that the musical version and made the story more accessible. Considering its underlying serious themes, this is a good thing. However, I hope the musical encourages people to seek out the original John Waters film.

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  3. I was riding the wave of high school musical at this time but didnt see the film until maybe 2010? I thought Zac and Nikki had bad chemistry but agreed Zac was the ladies choice! I thought Amanda Bynes being in it was super random, but I knew who she was so I just went with it. Now, I dont think I could watch it as an adult

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    1. Thanks for dropping by.
      It may ultimately be one of those movies that's best left to fond memories.

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  4. THANK YOU!!!! At least I know now I'm not the only one who can't stand "The Sound of Music!" I always wanted that movie to end with the Von Trapp family in the hands of the Gestapo!!!

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    1. You're very welcome and that would have been such a terrifically happy ending for The sound of music! 👍

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  5. Nice review, John! For me, this movie will never replace John Waters' film, but I agree that it's a diverting romp.

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    1. Thanks, Barry!
      Yeah, the musical has its charms, but the John Waters' original is superior.

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  6. I just can't bring myself to see this. I love Waters' film and I think Divine is, well, divine as Edna. On the other hand, I have never been a fan of Travolta. And while I can appreciate the ability of a sanitized version to get an important message to the masses, I prefer something with a bit of edge.

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    1. Oh, the original is superior in every way.
      Hopefully the Broadway and film musical inspires viewers to locate it.

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  7. Zac Efron is definitely kinda "meh." So is John Travolta, for that matter, lol. Oh well, lightning doesn't usually strike twice. Thanks for joining the blogathon with this fun review!

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    1. You're welcome, Rebecca and thanks!
      Well said about lightning!

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  8. Ha, just read this again and wondering if she's women were hoping for a sequel to Shampoo? Still to see the original...

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    1. Lol
      Those women might have been hoping for shampoo 2.

      And I hope you get to see the original soon!

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