MandyIs It Brains? Is It Dough? No It's Hairspray!
December 18th 2007 05:38
The more musicals I watch and hear, the more I realise how addicted I am to 'em.
I was introduced to Les Miserables at around 6 or 7 years old, because my mum had the "Dream Cast" album, with highlights from the 10th anniversary concert in 1995. This album was usually played around bathtime, so sitting in the tub singing along with Fantine as she died was a great tradition in our house. Les Mis is still my favourite musical. Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, The Sound of Music, Grease, Moulin Rouge, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Wizard of Oz, Calamity Jane, Once More With Feeling, and the classic Disney films from the early 60s (The Sword in the Stone, anyone? The Aristocats?) till the early 90s (up til Pocahontas) -- they're all great, but can't quite reach the bar set by Les Mis. It's a sentimental thing, probably.
There is one musical that I'm not in love with --Rent. Gah, what a bore-fest. Seriously.
Anyway, this post is supposed to be about Hairspray, not Les Mis or Rent.
*SPOILERS AHOY!*
Hairspray may possibly be the happiest film ever made. The characters, the songs, even the sets seem to exude delight and exuberance.
Here's the plot synopsis from Wikipedia:
"Good morning Baltimore!" is the opening anthem, the "Disney princess" song as Joss Whedon has said, where the heroine of the story tells us her hopes and dreams by way of a big, uplifting, life-affirming song. Nikki Blonsky is a round ball of optimism, and seems born to play Tracy Turnblad. That's no small set of pipes, either-- the 18 year old has been singing since she was three, and belts out every line with joyful feeling.
Perky!
"Good morning Baltimore!
There's the flasher who lives next door
There's the bum on his bar room stool
They wish me luck on my way to school
Good morning Baltimore!
And some day when i take to the floor
The world's gonna wake up and see
Baltimore and me!"
James Marsden is incredibly good as the chirpy but secretly deep TV host, Corny Collins. He leads the teenagers on "The Corny Collins Show" through "The Nicest Kids in Town", and gets in such zingers as:
"Nice white kids
Who like to lead the way
And once a month
We have our "negro day!"
And:
They'll never get to college
But they sure look cool
Don't need a cap and a gown
'Cause they're the nicest
Kids in town"
Brittany Snow, as bitchy pageant queen-ish Amber is one of the stars of "The Corny Collins Show". The other is her dreamboat boyfriend, Link, played by Zac Efron. Efron's big break came last year in the now-ubiquitous "High School Musical", but that kiddy role is a lifetime away from Hairspray's Link. Efron is both believable and sympathetic as Link, while he has a lot of fun with the singing and dancing. I will unabashedly say he is very good in this movie.
Michelle Pfeiffer has made a couple of good movies this year, with Stardust and now this. She is always scene-stealing, but her singing is so-so. She takes an evil turn as the scheming Velma Von Tussel, who was a pageant queen back in the day. She manipulates everything to ensure her daughter Amber will win the crown of "Miss Teenage Hairspray" at the end of the movie. She reminisces during a tango, "Miss Baltimore Crabs", as Tracy auditions for "The Corny Collins Show."
Tracy's parents also play starring roles. John Travolta, in a much-lauded role as Tracy's similarly rotund mother Edna, is quite a hoot, but doesn't really live up to the hype. Sure he's a good singer, and the role suits him, but it's nothing spectacular. One of the happiest songs in the movie is "Welcome To The 60s", when Edna and Tracy celebrate their uniqueness by going shopping and dancing in the street. This song would put a smile on anyone's face, I reckon.
"Where is there a team that's half as fabulous?"
Christopher Walken, as always, is in fine form as Tracy's rather oblivious father Wilbur, the joke shop owner. He and Edna make quite a pair as they croon "You're Timeless to Me" underneath the stars and drying laundry.
Racism and segregation are always at the heart of the movie, with sly reminders in many of the seemingly innocent songs. In "Miss Baltimore Crabs", a young black girl, Lil Inez, asks Velma if she can audtion too. She is brushed off with a condescending laugh and "Of course not. But you may bow and exalt... to Miss Baltimore Crabs!"
Queen Latifah plays Maybelle, Lil Inez's mother and the host of Negro Day on "The Corny Collins Show". As a singer and actress, she rarely puts a foot wrong, and she shines here in the numbers "Big, Blonde and Beautiful", a fun dance in her record shop, and the affecting "I Know Where I've Been", when she, Tracy and other protesters march against segregation.
"There's a road
We must travel
There's a promise
We must make
'Cause the riches
Will be plenty
Worth the risk
And chances that we take
There's a dream
In the future
There's a struggle
We have yet to win
Use that pride
In our hearts
To lift us up
To tomorrow
'Cause just to sit still
Would be a sin"
Elijah Kelley and Amanda Bynes play Seaweed and Penny, two teenagers who fall in love at first sight-- except Seaweed is black. This causes no small amount of trouble for Penny's straight-laced, ultra-conservative mother, who ties her errant daughter to her bed to prevent her leaving the house. Love is much celebrated in this movie-- Tracy's dream comes true when Link, the boy she admired from afar, falls in love with her. "Without Love" is a tribute to young love, and again it's not without it's hidden gems:
"Once I was a selfish fool
Who never understood
I never looked inside myself
Though on the outside, I looked good!"
This said with a wink to himself in the mirror. Thanks Link!
Tracy lands herself in hot water for participating in the protest march against segregation, and finds herself persona non grata among the people of "The Corny Collins Show". But she is determined to perform at the "Miss Teenage Hairspray" pageant for her shot at stardom-- and get back at the cheating Von Tussel's.
And so we come to the crowning glory of the movie, the exuberant climax-- "You Can't Stop the Beat", a five and a half minute toe-tapping extravaganza featuring Tracy, Link, Seaweed, Penny, Maybelle, Edna and Lil Inez. This fast-paced song is the twin to "Good Morning Baltimore", the big life-affirming song where everyone says, "We've come so far" and "I like who I am" and "Screw you, Von Tussels" when Amber and her mother are exposed as dirty cheats. Ha!
"Cause the world keeps spinning
Round and 'round
And my heart's keeping time
To the speed of sound
I was lost til i heard the drums
Then i found my way
Cause you can't stop the beat
Ever since we first saw the light
A man and woman liked to shake it
On a saturday night
And so i'm gonna shake and shimmy it
With all my might today
'Cause you cant stop
The motion of the ocean
Or the rain from above
You can try to stop the paradise
What I'm dreamin' of
But you cannot stop the rhythm
Of two hearts in love to stay
Cause you cant stop the beat!"
I love this song. Whe I first saw Hairspray, I could not stop grinning during this number. Seriously, grinning like an idiot, and also dancing out of the cinema. This movie is a breath of fresh air in an age of cynicism and violence. Sure, the characters put each other down sometimes, and are passive-aggressive toward each other but it's all too good-natured to take seriously. Plus the mean people get theirs in the end. The movie is sweet, but not sickly. The zingers are in there, you just have to find them.
So in summation, I love Hairspray and I'm a musical geek. And I like the way I am.
"You cant stop my happiness
Cause i like the way i am
And you just can't stop my knife and fork
When i see a christmas ham
So if you don't like the way i look
Well, i |ust don't give a damn!"
You go, Edna.
I was introduced to Les Miserables at around 6 or 7 years old, because my mum had the "Dream Cast" album, with highlights from the 10th anniversary concert in 1995. This album was usually played around bathtime, so sitting in the tub singing along with Fantine as she died was a great tradition in our house. Les Mis is still my favourite musical. Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, The Sound of Music, Grease, Moulin Rouge, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Wizard of Oz, Calamity Jane, Once More With Feeling, and the classic Disney films from the early 60s (The Sword in the Stone, anyone? The Aristocats?) till the early 90s (up til Pocahontas) -- they're all great, but can't quite reach the bar set by Les Mis. It's a sentimental thing, probably.
There is one musical that I'm not in love with --Rent. Gah, what a bore-fest. Seriously.
Anyway, this post is supposed to be about Hairspray, not Les Mis or Rent.
*SPOILERS AHOY!*
Hairspray may possibly be the happiest film ever made. The characters, the songs, even the sets seem to exude delight and exuberance.
Here's the plot synopsis from Wikipedia:
Set in 1962 Baltimore, the film follows a "pleasantly-plump" teen named Tracy Turnblad as she simultaneously pursues stardom as a dancer on a local TV show and rallies against racial segregation.
"Good morning Baltimore!" is the opening anthem, the "Disney princess" song as Joss Whedon has said, where the heroine of the story tells us her hopes and dreams by way of a big, uplifting, life-affirming song. Nikki Blonsky is a round ball of optimism, and seems born to play Tracy Turnblad. That's no small set of pipes, either-- the 18 year old has been singing since she was three, and belts out every line with joyful feeling.
"Good morning Baltimore!
There's the flasher who lives next door
There's the bum on his bar room stool
They wish me luck on my way to school
Good morning Baltimore!
And some day when i take to the floor
The world's gonna wake up and see
Baltimore and me!"
James Marsden is incredibly good as the chirpy but secretly deep TV host, Corny Collins. He leads the teenagers on "The Corny Collins Show" through "The Nicest Kids in Town", and gets in such zingers as:
"Nice white kids
Who like to lead the way
And once a month
We have our "negro day!"
And:
They'll never get to college
But they sure look cool
Don't need a cap and a gown
'Cause they're the nicest
Kids in town"
Brittany Snow, as bitchy pageant queen-ish Amber is one of the stars of "The Corny Collins Show". The other is her dreamboat boyfriend, Link, played by Zac Efron. Efron's big break came last year in the now-ubiquitous "High School Musical", but that kiddy role is a lifetime away from Hairspray's Link. Efron is both believable and sympathetic as Link, while he has a lot of fun with the singing and dancing. I will unabashedly say he is very good in this movie.
Michelle Pfeiffer has made a couple of good movies this year, with Stardust and now this. She is always scene-stealing, but her singing is so-so. She takes an evil turn as the scheming Velma Von Tussel, who was a pageant queen back in the day. She manipulates everything to ensure her daughter Amber will win the crown of "Miss Teenage Hairspray" at the end of the movie. She reminisces during a tango, "Miss Baltimore Crabs", as Tracy auditions for "The Corny Collins Show."
Tracy's parents also play starring roles. John Travolta, in a much-lauded role as Tracy's similarly rotund mother Edna, is quite a hoot, but doesn't really live up to the hype. Sure he's a good singer, and the role suits him, but it's nothing spectacular. One of the happiest songs in the movie is "Welcome To The 60s", when Edna and Tracy celebrate their uniqueness by going shopping and dancing in the street. This song would put a smile on anyone's face, I reckon.
Christopher Walken, as always, is in fine form as Tracy's rather oblivious father Wilbur, the joke shop owner. He and Edna make quite a pair as they croon "You're Timeless to Me" underneath the stars and drying laundry.
Racism and segregation are always at the heart of the movie, with sly reminders in many of the seemingly innocent songs. In "Miss Baltimore Crabs", a young black girl, Lil Inez, asks Velma if she can audtion too. She is brushed off with a condescending laugh and "Of course not. But you may bow and exalt... to Miss Baltimore Crabs!"
Queen Latifah plays Maybelle, Lil Inez's mother and the host of Negro Day on "The Corny Collins Show". As a singer and actress, she rarely puts a foot wrong, and she shines here in the numbers "Big, Blonde and Beautiful", a fun dance in her record shop, and the affecting "I Know Where I've Been", when she, Tracy and other protesters march against segregation.
"There's a road
We must travel
There's a promise
We must make
'Cause the riches
Will be plenty
Worth the risk
And chances that we take
There's a dream
In the future
There's a struggle
We have yet to win
Use that pride
In our hearts
To lift us up
To tomorrow
'Cause just to sit still
Would be a sin"
Elijah Kelley and Amanda Bynes play Seaweed and Penny, two teenagers who fall in love at first sight-- except Seaweed is black. This causes no small amount of trouble for Penny's straight-laced, ultra-conservative mother, who ties her errant daughter to her bed to prevent her leaving the house. Love is much celebrated in this movie-- Tracy's dream comes true when Link, the boy she admired from afar, falls in love with her. "Without Love" is a tribute to young love, and again it's not without it's hidden gems:
"Once I was a selfish fool
Who never understood
I never looked inside myself
Though on the outside, I looked good!"
This said with a wink to himself in the mirror. Thanks Link!
Tracy lands herself in hot water for participating in the protest march against segregation, and finds herself persona non grata among the people of "The Corny Collins Show". But she is determined to perform at the "Miss Teenage Hairspray" pageant for her shot at stardom-- and get back at the cheating Von Tussel's.
And so we come to the crowning glory of the movie, the exuberant climax-- "You Can't Stop the Beat", a five and a half minute toe-tapping extravaganza featuring Tracy, Link, Seaweed, Penny, Maybelle, Edna and Lil Inez. This fast-paced song is the twin to "Good Morning Baltimore", the big life-affirming song where everyone says, "We've come so far" and "I like who I am" and "Screw you, Von Tussels" when Amber and her mother are exposed as dirty cheats. Ha!
"Cause the world keeps spinning
Round and 'round
And my heart's keeping time
To the speed of sound
I was lost til i heard the drums
Then i found my way
Cause you can't stop the beat
Ever since we first saw the light
A man and woman liked to shake it
On a saturday night
And so i'm gonna shake and shimmy it
With all my might today
'Cause you cant stop
The motion of the ocean
Or the rain from above
You can try to stop the paradise
What I'm dreamin' of
But you cannot stop the rhythm
Of two hearts in love to stay
Cause you cant stop the beat!"
I love this song. Whe I first saw Hairspray, I could not stop grinning during this number. Seriously, grinning like an idiot, and also dancing out of the cinema. This movie is a breath of fresh air in an age of cynicism and violence. Sure, the characters put each other down sometimes, and are passive-aggressive toward each other but it's all too good-natured to take seriously. Plus the mean people get theirs in the end. The movie is sweet, but not sickly. The zingers are in there, you just have to find them.
So in summation, I love Hairspray and I'm a musical geek. And I like the way I am.
"You cant stop my happiness
Cause i like the way i am
And you just can't stop my knife and fork
When i see a christmas ham
So if you don't like the way i look
Well, i |ust don't give a damn!"
You go, Edna.
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