The 313 Second Movie Review: "Hairspray"

Good morning, Baltimore! And everybody who doesn't live in Charm City. This is the latest edition of the 313 Second Movie Review. Today, I'll be looking at "Hairspray." The film stars John Travolta as Edna Turnblad, Michelle Pfeiffer as Velma Von Tussle, Christopher Walken as Wilbur Turnblad, Amanda Bynes as Penny Pingleton, James Marsden as Corny Collins, Queen Latifah as Motormouth Maybelle, Brittany Snow as Amber Von Tussle, Zac Efron as Link Larkin, Elijah Kelley as Seaweed, Allison Janney as Prudy Pingleton, and Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad. OK, call me out on seeing a musical if you want, but don't tell me you haven't seen one (yes, some animated Disney movies count)! Our hero to this story is the perky and plump Tracy, a girl living in 1962 Baltimore, as the city's segregation becomes a rallying point for this white girl. She's a girl who has quite the spirit to her, and also loves rock 'n' roll, dancing, and making a change. Her agrophobic mother, Edna, does in-home laundry service while her father, Wilbur, brings home the bread with the joke shop he owns next door to their home. Relax, the only time you see Christopher and John in a kiss is when he pecks he/she on the cheek. Tracy loves rushing home with her friend Penny to watch "The Corny Collins Show," and they both dance to the screen, mimicking the moves of Link (who makes the ladies' hearts go a-flutter) and his it's-all-about-me girlfriend, Amber. Unfortunatley, this is happens to be an all-white dance party, with the cooler, more talented African-American kids appearing once a month for Negro Day, hosted by record store owner Maybelle (Once a month?! Thak goodness we live in 2007!). One day in detention (and FYI, Tracy was the only white person there, surprise, surprise. Thank goodness for the change in times), Tracy learns some dance moves from the ultra-talented Seaweed. When she shows those moves to Link and Corny, she becomes a city wide sensation. This pisses off the show's producer, Velma, to no end, and for two reasons. One, her daughter is Amber. Two, she's a card-carrying racist. (By the way, reason number three: "That Detroit sound, Corny?! Do you want people to feel like they're being mugged?" I really wanted to claw her eyes out for that.) So to get back, she cancels Negro Day and thratens to bring down Tracy's career and family. Well, I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. This movie had me moving and laughing at the same time at some parts. In addition, I can hear the sound of change still resounding today, which makes this movie even more smarter. The one downgrade is that Travolta, while he was funny, did take the role of Edna too seriously, especially since she's suppossed to be presented as an obvious drag queen. Still doesn't take away from his greatness, though. And one other thing, Nikki Blonsky is, in my opinion, on her way for big things. She had no previous acting expierence (while a majority of the cast have done singing and dancing on the big screen before), but she was fantastic. Her performance as Tracy was one of the best surprises of the year. I hope to see more of her in the future. She's destined to greatness. And there's just one way phrase I can use to sum up this movie. You can't stop the beat.

My time's up, you've been great. For the road: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony "I Tried"