Midsumma Movies: Hairspray

Biiiig hair, big personalities, and a burst of Baltimore dance-show energy.

As wholesome as it is subversive, Hairspray (1988), brought iconoclast writer and director John Water’s signature trash aesthetic and surreal comic style to the big screen.

This love letter to anyone who dares to dream big and stand up to injustice is a landmark classic and essential Midsumma viewing, whether it’s your first, second, tenth or one-hundredth time. Featuring iconic performances by Ricki Lake, Sonny Bono, Debbie Harry, and of course the one-and-only, absolutely divine, Divine.

Set in 1962 Baltimore, the story follows Tracy Turnblad, a self-proclaimed ‘pleasantly plump’ teen with big dreams of dancing on a local TV show. As she rises toward stardom, she takes a stand against racial segregation in her community. They may tease her hair, but as the film reminds us, ‘there’s no bugs on our baby’.

The impact of Hairspray has lasted for decades and remains deeply loved across communities. Ricki Lake changed cinema history by portraying a big girl as the hero. As John Waters noted during an interview for the film’s 35th anniversary, at the first auditions only a few big girls showed up. Four screen versions later, thousands auditioned for the role.

We return to Hairspray again and again because we all see a bit of ourselves in Tracy Turnblad.

Presented by Fed Square, Midsumma Festival and Melbourne Queer Film Festival