Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Good morning, Baltimore

We watched Hairspray on Saturday evening. (Husband gave me the DVD for Christmas very proudly announcing that he had already bought it for me before I put it on my Amazon wishlist.)

It was brilliant! Very joyous and funny and smile-making. The leading girl was great: short, plump and with an innocent, slightly puzzled-by-the-world expression. Michelle Pfeiffer was an excellent evil bitch of a television station manager. The only thing I didn't understand was why they cast John Travolta as the mother. He certainly didn't have Mrs Doubtfire's realism. Maybe it's impossible to find a middle-aged fat woman in Hollywood.

Many critics compared it with Grease. It has the same want-to-singalong factor and the whole retro feel. What I loved about it was that it had a probably unrealistic ending where the fat girl gets the boy and there's full racial integration. While I enjoyed Grease I was so disappointed with the ending where Sandy's transformation from 'good' girl is signalled by her appearing, with attitude, in leathers and a tight t-shirt. In order to fit in she has to conform with the crowd. Sad.

So if you want a really feel-good movie, watch Hairspray!
xx

7 comments:

MissKris said...

Isn't this the movie where John Travolta plays the mother? Maybe as a woman I might like him better...he's not one of my favorite actors. But I've heard good things about this movie so I may have to try it. We don't find much time to watch DVDs but it's always good to know what the good ones are! We watched "3:10 to Yuma" with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale this weekend. It was good but we liked the original with Glenn Ford and Van Heflin a lot more. If your hubby or son like American Westerns, they may enjoy this one.

Leslie: said...

Always great to hear a positive review from someone who's seen the movie. I'll have to rent that one. Plus the 3:10 to Yuma as misskris recommends.

Oh...and "Far From Her" is excellent, too. Julie Christie won best actress in the Golden Globes for that movie. It's directed by Canadian Sarah Polley!

jams o donnell said...

John Travolta playing a woman? I think you'll find the reason is that the original (non-musical) Jaohn Waters film cast a 300lb transvestite called Divine in the role of Edna Turnblad.

Divine, who also had a couple of hi-energy disco hits here, was a regular feature of Waters films, although that was his last collaboration as he died not long after.

I think the makers of the film of the musical are following a tradition!

Mauigirl said...

I saw this on Broadway (first time ever seeing it, as I hadn't seen the original movie and the John Travolta movie wasn't out yet). Agree totally - a real feel-good show. Loved the music and the positive ending! (Yes, Edna's mom was a guy in this show as well).

Shades said...

David (10) loves it, almost as much as High School Musical.

It would be his favourite film if it had Ashley Tisdale in it (the HSM Sharpay Evans character).

MaryB said...

Haven't seen the movie of the musical but did see the stage musical and love the soundtrack. (And the original non-musical Hairspray is one of my all-time favs.)

I, too, have trouble with Travolta as Edna. The whole point of Edna is that she's played by a whackin' great queen of a guy who camps it up for all it's worth (Divine and Harvey Fierstein). It doesn't work - in my mind - to dress up a guy and have him play it "straight." Just hire a fat woman if you're going to do that. It's meant to be a very camp role, and I think Travolta as Edna is the one thing that's kept me from seeing the film. Ah, well.

Don't you love the music? If you ever get a chance to see it live, on-stage, go for it! Such fun!

Liz Hinds said...

I'm not a Travolta fan either, kris, but it wasn't that; it was the make-up, the voice and the padding. It just didn't work. It was neither normal nor camp (as Mary says in her comment).

Do rent it, leslie: you'll enjoy it.

Jams, that would have worked much better. Did John Waters do Taxi (the tv series)?

Maui and mary, I would love to see the stage show!

Ian, I haven't seen HSM but David obviously has great taste!