HAIRSPRAY
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Copyright 1988 Mark R. Leeper
Capsule review: The infamous John Waters may finally
have a film that will entertain without grossing its audience
out. An enjoyable comedy about teen-age life in 1962
Baltimore. Rating: +1.
The world is coming to an end: cracks are forming in the Earth's surface, mountain-sized chunks of ice are falling from the sky, John Waters has made a family film, oceans are boiling over. Well, one out of four is actually true. And I know which one you probably think is true, but you're wrong! No, as unlikely as it seems, John Waters has made a family film. This is the same John Waters who made PINK FLAMINGOS in which super-obese transvestite Divine eats what the doggie leaves behind (and I don't mean leaves behind in the dish). And gang, it wasn't trick photography and a Tootsie Roll. It was done so lucky(?) audiences could tell it was the real thing. Since then and until Divine's recent death, Divine has appeared in most, if not all, of Waters's films, perhaps indicating that Waters has some sort of conscience, though more likely indicating that Waters's gross-out film require the services of someone who will do just about anything for money. Waters's films are mostly about bad taste.
Of late Waters has been trying a new formula to make more profitable films. Most of his films have become "cult classics" but have had small audiences because of their subject matter and, in particular, their X rating. But Waters has long known that all bad taste need not be scatological. He made the R-rated POLYESTER and now the PG-rated HAIRSPRAY. As part of the new formula, Waters intentionally picks out acting talent(?) that most of his viewing audience considers to be a joke. POLYESTER featured--along with Divine--Tab Hunter. HAIRSPRAY features Sonny Bono, Pia Zadora, Jerry Stiller, and Debbie Harry.
In 1962 Baltimore, nearly everybody watches THE CORNY COLLINS SHOW, a sort of locally produced version of American Bandstand. The politics of choosing what teenagers will be dancing on the show reflects the politics of the time. There is a power structure determining who will show up as a dancing teenager on the program and making sure that blacks show up only on the once-a-month blacks-only show. The story is about two teens vying for the Number One spot and about the people trying to keep the show segregated against those trying to integrate the show. And it is all done with a bizarre but not all that exaggerated view of the fashions and hair styles of 1962. Waters finally has a film that could have mass appeal. Rate it a +1 on the -4 to +4 scale.
Mark R. Leeper
ihnp4!mtgzz!leeper
mtgzz!leeper@rutgers.rutgers.edu
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