Hairspray (2007)
Comedy, Drama, Musical |
Hairspray is a musical romantic comedy film based on the 2002 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was based on John Waters’s 1988 comedy film of the same name. The film was a British-American venture produced by Ingenious Media and Zadan/Meron Productions.
Adapted from both Waters’s 1988 script and Thomas Meehan and Mark O’Donnell’s book for the stage musical by screenwriter Leslie Dixon, the 2007 film version of Hairspray was directed and choreographed by Adam Shankman and has an ensemble cast including John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Brittany Snow, Zac Efron, Elijah Kelley, Allison Janney, and Nikki Blonsky in her feature film debut. Set in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, the film follows the “pleasantly plump” teenager Tracy Turnblad as she pursues stardom as a dancer on a local TV dance show and rallies against racial segregation.
In 1962, Tracy Turnblad is a 16-year-old heavyset high school student living in Baltimore. Along with her best friend Penny Pingleton, Tracy frequently watches The Corny Collins Show, a local teen dance television show.
The teenagers who dance on the show attend Tracy and Penny’s high school, among them Amber von Tussle and her boyfriend Link Larkin, the lead dancers. Amber’s mother, Velma, manages the station WYZT, ensuring that Amber is prominently featured. Corny Collins and the dancers on the show are white, and Velma only allows African-American dancers on the show once a month on “Negro Day”, hosted by R&B disc jockey Motormouth Maybelle.
Director: Adam Shankman
Writers: Leslie Dixon (screenplay), John Waters (1988 screenplay), Mark O’Donnell (musical play), Thomas Meehan (musical play)
Stars: John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Brittany Snow, Nikki Blonsky
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 |
| Tayla Parx | … | Little Inez (as Taylor Parks) |
| Jayne Eastwood | … | Miss Wimsey |
| Paul Dooley | … | Mr. Spritzer |
| Jerry Stiller | … | Mr. Pinky |
| Darren Frost | … | Cameraman |
| John Waters | … | Flasher |
| Joe Parro | … | Teacher |
| Nick Loren | … | Cop Nick |
| Bryan Hindle | … | Link’s Backup Singer (as Brian Hindle) |
| Sheldon Smith | … | Link’s Backup Singer |
| Greg Farkas | … | Link’s Backup Singer / Teen |
| Bruce McFee | … | Police Chief |
| Christian Hagen | … | Male TV Reporter |
| John Andersen | … | News Anchorman |
| Neil Crone | … | Cop at Protest |
| George King | … | Mr. Flak |
| James Kirchner | … | Science Geek Teacher |
| Brendan Wall | … | Male Cop on TV |
| Ted Ludzik | … | Police Sergeant at Protest |
| Ron Pardo | … | Good Morning Baltimore Host |
| Geri Hall | … | Good Morning Baltimore Hostess |
| Seth Howard | … | Stage Manager |
| Ricki Lake | … | Talent Agent |
| Adam Shankman | … | Talent Agent |
| Marc Shaiman | … | Talent Agent |
| Scott Wittman | … | Talent Agent |
| Anne Fletcher | … | Nurse (as Anne ‘Mama’ Fletcher’) |
| Joey Pizzi | … | Driving Instructor |
| Zachary Woodlee | … | Smoking Teacher (as Zach Woodlee) |
| C.J. | … | Janitor (as CJ) |
| Walli Woo | … | Barking Dog |
| Laura Edwards | … | Vicky – Corny Collins Council |
| Becca Sweitzer | … | Darla – Corny Collins Council |
| Cassie Silva | … | Brenda – Corny Collins Council |
| Tiffany Engen | … | Noreen – Corny Collins Council |
| Brooke Engen | … | Doreen – Corny Collins Council (as Brooke Leigh Engen) |
| Sarah Jayne Jensen | … | Shelley – Corny Collins Council |
| Hayley Podschun | … | Tammy – Corny Collins Council |
| Nick Baga | … | Sketch – Corny Collins Council |
| Curtis Holbrook | … | Brad – Corny Collins Council |
| J.P. Ferreri | … | Joey – Corny Collins Council |
| Spencer Liff | … | Mikey – Corny Collins Council |
| Phillip Spaeth | … | Fender – Corny Collins Council |
| Tabitha Lupien | … | Becky – Corny Collins Council |
| Kelly Fletcher | … | Lou Ann – Corny Collins Council |
| Jesse Weafer | … | IQ – Corny Collins Council / Welcome to the 60’s Dancer |
| Corey Gorewicz | … | Bix – Corny Collins Council |
| Josh Feldman | … | Jesse – Corny Collins Council / Welcome to the 60’s Dancer (as Joshua Feldman) |
| Everett Smith | … | Paulie – Corny Collins Council / Welcome to the 60’s Dancer |
| Ariel Reid | … | Rhonda – Detention Kid |
| Whitney Brown | … | Hoo Hoo – Detention Kid |
| Jason Dolphin | … | Tyrone – Detention Kid |
| Anthony Carr | … | Duane – Detention Kid (as Anthony ‘Kanec’ Carr) |
| Chris Andrew Robinson | … | Jermaine – Detention Kid (as Christopher Andrew Robinson) |
| Sarah Francis | … | Janetta – Detention Kid |
| Starr Domingue | … | Pearl – Detention Kid |
| Shawn Byfield | … | Little Mo – Detention Kid |
| Shane Simpson | … | Skillet – Detention Kid |
| Jade Anderson | … | Stooie – Detention Kid |
| Rhonda Roberts | … | Maybelle’s Store Dancer |
| Jennifer Abbey | … | Maybelle’s Store Dancer |
| Sherisse Springer | … | Maybelle’s Store Dancer |
| Vanessa Cobham | … | Maybelle’s Store Dancer |
| Eboni Nichols | … | Maybelle’s Store Dancer (as Eboni Y. Nichols) |
| Holly Hyman | … | Maybelle’s Store Dancer |
| Jamal Sims | … | Maybelle’s Store Dancer |
| Damon Butler | … | Maybelle’s Store Dancer |
| Stephen Boss | … | Maybelle’s Store Dancer |
| Marc Spaulding | … | Maybelle’s Store Dancer |
| Arike Rice | … | Dynamites |
| Tanee McCall | … | Dynamites |
| Nadine Ellis | … | Dynamites |
| Reggie Jackson | … | Record Hop Dancer |
| Tramaine Montell Ford | … | Record Hop Dancer |
| Khetanya Henderson | … | Record Hop Dancer |
| Loriel Hennington | … | Record Hop Dancer |
| Daniel Dyer | … | Record Hop Dancer |
| Kristen Munro | … | Record Hop Dancer |
| Ingrid Gaynor | … | Record Hop Dancer |
| Stacey Martin | … | Record Hop Dancer |
| Sal Scozzari | … | Good Morning Baltimore Dancer / Welcome to the 60’s Dancer |
| Charles Seminerio | … | Good Morning Baltimore Dancer / Welcome to the 60’s Dancer |
| Alison Smyth | … | Auditionee |
| Christine Moore | … | Auditionee |
| Emily Andrews | … | Auditionee |
| Julianne Jackson | … | Auditionee |
| Laura Lawson | … | Auditionee |
| Melissa Leifer | … | Auditionee |
| Janelle Hutchison | … | Hairdresser |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia