hairspray

the year: 2007

the genre: musical


the cast: John Travolta (Edna Turnblad); Michelle Pfeiffer (Velma Von Tussle); Christopher Walken (Wilbur Turnblad); Amanda Bynes (Penny Pingleton); James Marsden (Corny Collins); Queen Latifah (Motormouth Maybelle); Brittany Snow (Amber Von Tussle); Zac Efron (Link Larkin); Elijah Kelley (Seaweed); Allison Janney (Prudy Pingleton); Nikki Blonsky (Tracy Turnblad)


the plot: Tracy Turnblad, an overweight teenager with all the right moves, is obsessed with the Corny Collins Show. Every day after school, she and her best friend Penny run home to watch the show and drool over Link Larkin, much to Tracy's mother Edna's dismay. After one of the stars of the show leaves, Corny Collins holds auditions to see who will be the new dancer. With the help of her friend Seaweed, Tracy makes it on the show, angering the evil dance queen Amber Von Tussle and her mother Velma. Tracy then decides that it's not fair that the black kids can only dance on the Corny Collins Show once a month, and with the help of Seaweed, Link, Penny, Motormouth Maybelle, her father and Edna, decides she's going to integrate the show.....without denting her 'do!


don't miss: Corny Collins.



did you know: most of the cast jokingly called "You Can't Stop the Beat" "you can't stop to breathe" because of its pace and fast-moving lyrics. Queen Latifah said she had no trouble singing a lot of words very quickly because of her background as a rapper.



listen for: "You two better brace yourselves for a whole lotta ugly comin' at you from a neverending parade of stupid." "So, you've met my mom?"



extra bonus points: if you know why it's cool that Ricki Lake plays one of the talent agents and Jerry Stiller plays Mr. Pinky.


also listen for: "I was just at home, practicing my new twist on The Twist, when I overheard it on the news. I can't believe Tracy savagely bludgeoned an Eagle Scout. That's just not like her."



even MORE extra bonus points: if you can name "The Nicest Kids in Town".



And my favorite scenes here and here.