Review – Hairspray

Here we have John Waters’ first foray into the world of big-budget movie-making. And who else could possibly produce a race-conscious farce about 50s-era dance show stage mothers? Even that doesn’t adequately describe the treat in store for viewers here. Sure, it’s silly. And sure, it launched the career of Ricki Lake and marked the final screen appearance of Divine. But I can’t hold that against it. It’s just too silly and charming, almost enough to make me wish I’d actually seen the old Baltimore dance program that inspired it all. Almost. Worth seeing