Movie

Hairspray

1988 · 92 min

A buoyant, candy-colored blast of 60s dance music and campy humor that tackles segregation with infectious energy and heart.

Tagline: The world was in a mess... but their hair was perfect!!
Overview: 'Pleasantly plump' teenager Tracy Turnblad achieves her dream of becoming a regular on the Corny Collins Dance Show. Now a teen hero, she starts using her fame to speak out for the causes she believes in, most of all integration. In doing so, she earns the wrath of the show's former star, Amber Von Tussle, as well as Amber's manipulative, pro-segregation parents. The rivalry comes to a head as Amber and Tracy vie for the title of Miss Auto Show 1963.

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How it feels

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Tone: campystrength 3 of 3
satiricalstrength 2 of 3
warmstrength 2 of 3
upliftingstrength 2 of 3
Pacing: brisk, 3 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: easy-watch, 2 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: race
identity
coming-of-age
justice
family
Places: big city
school
home
Era: period
Audience: teen
Form: ensemble
Content intensity: Gore none
Language mild
Violence mild
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	3
Horror	1
Humour	8
Realism	5
Romance	5
Tension	3
Darkness	2
Complexity	3
Emotional weight	4

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Where to watch in the UK

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Amazon Video
Sky Store
YouTube

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres: comedy
Directed by: John Waters
Written by: John Waters
Starring: Ricki Lake, Divine, Debbie Harry, Vitamin C, Sonny Bono, Leslie Ann Powers, Ruth Brown, Jerry Stiller
Music: Kenny Vance
Cinematography: David Insley
Runtime: 92 min
Country: United States of America
Languages: English

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Hairspray

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