Our fair city has a summer movie in the park series that ended last night with "Hairspray." I took the kids to the park and we sat on the lawn and watched one of my favorite movie musicals. [Side note: Before the movie there were a few games and contests we could participate in. The not funny MC announced that the DJ and AV specialist for the evening was local celebrity Mike Lookinland (from The Brady Bunch). So, if you were wondering what Bobby Brady was up to these days, he's the A/V guy at the park.]
Secretly, I own this movie so I was already a fan. I didn't see it on the big screen, though, and it was fun to watch it with a crowd. According to imdb.com, in the movie "Hairspray," "pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) teaches 1962 Baltimore a thing or two about integration after landing a spot on a local TV dance show. (So it's basically "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" plus a message about equality and minus the Joey Lawrence look-alike that no one ever saw again.)
I heart this movie. I love the cast, the music, the dancing, the fact that the plot involves something that actually matters. All around good stuff. My only beef (and this is me being very nit-picky) is that Nikki Blonsky's acting style is too (for lack of a better word) big for the small screen. She seems very theatrical while everyone else is able to play over-the-top characters very naturally.
Fast forward moment: Is it me or is "Welcome to the '60's" ten minutes too long? And why does Jerry Stiller sound like that guy from "Sanford and Son"?
Grade: A-
I can't decide who I love the most in "Hairspray." I think it's an eight-way tie between James Marsden, Zac Efron, Amanda Bynes, Christopher Walken, John Travolta, Allison Janney, Elijah Kelley, and Queen Latifah. Tie breaking rules reveal that the award for most lovable goes to Zac Efron for making something this embarrassing look so adorable:
P.S. If you're going to buy the DVD (DO IT!), be sure to buy the "Shake-N-Shimmy" version. That way you can learn all the dance moves without having to freeze every frame, like I do.
Scattered December
1 day ago
6 Wisecracks:
Is it wrong to have a crush on a teenager when you're married with babies? Hmmm....Zac Efron was totally cute in the movie. Next I need you to review all those High School Musical movies everyone watches. Just don't get it.........
I think I also have a mini-crush on Zac Efron. :) I am in love with this movie, and still am, after watching it and listening to it daily (Emmett gets to watch one musical number every time he goes potty, plus he turns on the CD all day). We do disagree with your thoughts about Nikki Blonsky, though. We loved her the best!
I might have to break my no DVD vow for the dance moves edition. I would totally learn them and dance all over my house, just like I was in the movies. Wait, did I type that out loud?
This is Aron. I took all of the kids to see this at the theater to give Allyn a break, and we were up dancing in the back. Emma likes to move her pelvis like the folks dancing in the record store, so you have to be careful with that.
i still have not seen the movie in a quiet setting, so i must rent it again, but my kids LOVED it. i do have to confess, though, that my vote for first is james marsden. how cute is he?
sorry...i didn't notice that aron had already made a comment. now you get to see my face thrice.
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