Classic movie!

I enjoyed this movie from day one, when Ricki Lake was just starting. I could look at this movie over and over. The songs are fantastic and the acting is outstanding. Excellent story line! Great entertainment!

Campy but still meaningful

Make no mistake. This is not the current theatrical release. This version came out in 1988 while Sonny Bono still lived. And Divine was DIVINE as Tracy Turnblad's (Ricki Lake's) Mom. Do I like it better than the current release? I'll let you know when I see the new one. I like this version just fine.

Special kudos go to Divine as Ma Turnblad. I laughed every time I saw her on the scene. Deborah Harry as Velma Von Tussle was absolutely fabulous. I laughed so hard my sides ached.

But beneath that sixties glitz there was a deeper issue--segregation. "Hairspray" hammered the message home pretty hard, but they were right.

This film takes me back to the day. I wonder if every major market had a teen show back in the Sixties. In Oklahoma City, it was "The Scene" with Ronnie Kay. The kids were clean-cut, well-dressed, and the 'clean teen' image. I wondered why "Scene" didn't play the Motown that I enjoyed on the radio.

I got my answer from network TV. "American Bandstand" and "Soul Train." "Soul Train" got the spot nobody else seemed to want. As soon as I discovered it, I watched both shows--so I could hear a bit of both kinds of music I liked.

I'd like to think we've come a lot further than that now. Soul, R&B, rap, and hip hop have crossed the boundaries and I'm grateful to see it.

The hairstyle was poof

I haven't seen the remake, so I'm not going to compare it.

Overall I enjoyed the movie. I particularly liked the character of Corny and his assistant as in they actually seemed like real people who hate their boss but love their job. Tracy was horribly likable. As in I liked her character in spite of myself. John Water films are always interesting; this was no exception.

I was a little confused about why the hair was changed towards the end after meeting the girl who scared them. But, eh, I'll watch it again to see if I can figure it out.

The humor was well put and the "BAD GUY" characters were nice and irredeemably bad and laughable. Who doesn't like laughing at mean people who try to be scary when they're really just sad?

I would watch it again.