Hairspray -1988- !!top!! Jun 2026

Long before the Broadway musical or the 2007 remake, John Waters brought his campy, subversive vision of 1960s Baltimore to the big screen. Released in February 1988, Hairspray became a cultural landmark, blending kitschy fun with a serious message about racial integration.

The plot is deceptively simple. Tracy Turnblad (Ricki Lake, in her debut role), a pleasantly plump teenager with a heart of gold and hair the size of a satellite, auditions for a local dance show. She gets thrown in jail for protesting, dethrones the rich, skinny queen (played brilliantly by Colleen Fitzpatrick), and integrates the television station. Hairspray -1988-

In the landscape of 1980s cinema, few titles spark as much joy, confusion, and toe-tapping energy as Hairspray . Released in 1988, this low-budget comedy marked a pivotal turning point for its director, John Waters. Known previously for transgressive, avant-garde shock films like Pink Flamingos and Female Trouble , Waters pivoted toward the mainstream with Hairspray . Yet, he did not abandon his subversive roots; he merely dressed them in bobby socks, bouffant wigs, and a thick layer of aerosol lacquer. Long before the Broadway musical or the 2007