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Hairspray
‘Pleasantly plump’ teen Tracey Turnblad (Ricki Lake) dances her way onto Baltimore TV using the opportunity to send up the absurdity of segregation in John Waters’ commercial hit.
Director: John Waters
Overview
When overweight teen Tracey Turnblad (Ricki Lake) dances her way onto Baltimore TV and a spot on the Corny Collins Show she uses her platform to send up the absurdity of segregation. Hairspray was John Waters' biggest hit of his career, spawning an award-winning Broadway musical and a film remake, and whilst it may have been a joyous PG-rated film, it maintained the subversive edge which had come to define his work. Divine stars as Tracey's mother, Edna, giving him the recognition he so longed for as a serious actor just weeks before his untimely death.
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