Hairspray

"The world was in a mess... but their hair was perfect!!"

1988 1h 32m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 467

ComedyMusicRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

'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.

“The world was in a mess... but their hair was perfect!!”

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Cast

Ricki Lake
Tracy Turnblad
Divine
Edna Turnblad / Arvin Hodgepile
Debbie Harry
Velma Von Tussle
Vitamin C
Amber von Tussle
Sonny Bono
Franklin von Tussle
Leslie Ann Powers
Penny Pingleton
Ruth Brown
Motormouth Maybelle
Jerry Stiller
Wilbur Turnblad

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Waters
Writers: John Waters
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 3.3× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

38 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Waters, shot by David Insley. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Kenny Vance. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Janice Hampton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ricki Lake and Divine and Debbie Harry carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The world was in a mess... but their hair was perfect!!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Waters directs. David Insley behind the camera. Kenny Vance scores. Janice Hampton cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Made its money back 3.3× over at the box office.
338 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Directed by John Waters, shot by David Insley. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Kenny Vance. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Janice Hampton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Ricki Lake and Divine and Debbie Harry carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The world was in a mess... but their hair was perfect!!".
9IMDB entry: tt0095270 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 22 themes, including "bomb", "baltimore, usa", "civil rights", "romcom".