In early 60s Baltimore, Tracy Turnblad joins a TV dance program, shaking up her life and the local scene in John Waters’s classic Hairspray, now on 4k UHD & Blu-ray via the Criterion Collection
The Film
Call me crazy and make me turn in my cult film fan card, but I think Waters was at his best during and after Hairspray. I like his earlier Dreamlander work, especially the also-this-week-on-Criterion Desperate Living (and who doesn’t love Pink Flamingos… well, lots of people, but still), but something solidified when he shifted closer to mainstream, first with Polyester and then moreso in todays’ film: Hairspray. The filmmaking was better, the plots became both, yes, more standard but also filled as a more complete storytelling. While my personal favorite is the 1994 Kathleen Turner-led Serial Mom (pussywillows, Dottie), I have to admit Hairspray, from 1988, is likely the most accessible (a Broadway show and its two adaptations – film and televised live show- attest to it), but still holds Water’s unique point of view and styize dialogue, even without the sneering filth. The best in blending of both worlds, Hairspray is a banger of a film.
It’s 1962, and Tracy Turnblad, a radiant debut by Ricki Lake, wants nothing more than to join the Corny Collins Show, a daily dance TV program. But being large in personality and physically, she’s on the outs. Or so it seems. She gets on the show and the eye of heartthrob Link, played by Elvis clone Michael St. Gerard. This seachange makes cracks in the wall keeping the Black dancers away, due to the racist policies of the station owner as played by Divine (!), and the influence of Colleen Fitzpatrick’s head mean girl Amber Van Tussle and her parents, played by Sono Bono and Debbie Harry. Society expands and changes in both raucous and heartwarming ways. Water’s wonderful understanding of big but real characters set a great world to visit with parents Edna and Wilbur Turnblad, as played by Divine and Jerry Stiller, Ruth Brown’s Motormouth Mabel and her kids Seaweed and little Inez, as played by Clayton Prince and Cyrkle Milbourne, and Tracy’s best friend Penny, a highly bubbly Leslie Ann Powers in sadly her only film role. What a great cast to bring them to bigger-than-life. Lake shines. Jerry Stiller is spirited. Ruth Brown demands your attention.
And Divine! John Waters’ monstrous muse is legitimately fantastic as Edna Turnblad (and also played the villainous station manager). He’s as big as life as always, but grounded and real. There’s no joke in his Edna being played by a man, something the stage show and its versions are occasionally guilty of; the humor is only in how she is presented and lives. Divine and Jerry Stiller’s chemistry is off the charts, and I truly love their relationship. A sad pall lies on Hairspray in retrospect, as he died a mere three weeks after Hairspray’s success (said with an asterix, it made $8 million on a 2 million budget but hovered around 14th on box office charts its whole run. It had great dancing legs). Trivia for the day: Divine died just before filming his first day on Married with Children as an out gay uncle, who would have been one of the first out sitcom characters.
Hairspray was able to find the balance of presenting counter culture, albeit of 1988, looking back to 1962, without either codifying, generalizing, or dismissing, and being mainstream without pushing away the fans of Waters to this point. Pia Zadora and Rik Ocasek’s character may be for laughs, but a laugh of knowing the world. Of course, Waters was, and is, just that; a counter culture figure mixed perfectly within the mainstream (I think my first exposure was his Simpsons episode…. zzzzzap!). But that’s the point: he shines the mirror of counterculture into the mainstream to show they aren’t as far apart as one might think. What’s counter culture in 1960: integration, body acceptance, and letting your freak flag fly, was more normalized in 1988, and what was counter culture then is normalized now in 2026. Divine’s out-and-proud drag life was risque and wild then, and drag culture is thankfully a part of regular culture (okay, Divine is always a huge character, no matter how many drag shows we see. There’s only one Divine!)
Hairspray is a resounding success of a film. John Waters creates something people who wouldn’t touch Multiple Maniacs with a ten-foot pole would gladly watch and show their kid, launching him as a genuine part of culture, leading to the Johnny Depp-led Cry Baby, the yearly Christmas tour (always fun), and just holding on as a great movie. It’s been over twenty years since A Dirty Shame, and we need more Waters! And I didn’t even mention the amazing soundtrack!
The Package
Criterion offers Hairspray either as 4k UHD and Blu-ray or just the Blu-ray on its own. The two discs (for the 4K edition) overlap on the right side of the standard Criterion clear case. Both feature Tracy, Amber, and Link dancing, but the 4k is pink, and the Blu-ray is blue. It contains a booklet as well (more later). The front features new art by F. Ron Miller. Spine #1314.
The Presentation
Hairspray is one of the flicks I’ve seen on every format (even theatrically one time, along with TV viewings), so it’s been interesting upgrading each time. Like Desperate Living, the 4k restoration, supervised and approved by Waters, looks great and keeps the balance of Water’s specific look, even if this is more standard, and an astounding picture. Vincent Peranio’s production design is shown with such care, as is the period costume detail from Van Smith. The audio has the option of 5.1 and 2.0 surround, and, as a music-based picture should, sounds great. In English with English subtitles.
The Features
Criterion brings some, but not all, of the earlier releases’ features to their edition. Lost is the series of short interviews with members of the show Waters based the Corny Collins Show on, an interview with producer Rachel Talalay, and some Dreamlanders mourn Divine and the other gone friends (whether they were involved with Hairspray or not). Also missing are a few recorded conversations between Divine and Waters (not much ot do with the title, so I get it) and a very awkward Hairspray Reunion clip from Ricki Lake’s talk show.
The 4k contains the commentary; the Blu-ray contains that, and the remaining features, under the heading of “The Hair was Perfect, but the World was a Mess.”
Commentary (2003)
John Waters and Ricki Lake (recorded separately, but I think Lake has heard or hears Waters as she responds to it) reflect on the film, where he was mid-career and shifting his gears, and her start. If you’ve ever heard Waters talk, you know he has an amazing ability to remember just about everything and everyone and spin that knowledge into incredible storytelling. And he does here, getting into all the whos and whats, along with the historical context of the Baltimore of his youth, pulled into the film.
Two Up and Two Back (new)
Waters, WFMU DJs Dave the Spazz Abraham and Gaylord Field have a fantastic conversation about the movie, especially Waters’ influences. He talks of the music growing up in the Baltimore suburbs, trying to find the counter culture depicted, while also digging into the Buddy Deane show with so much of Tracy based on himself. Fun note: the first record he bought was Cry Baby, the title of his next film. As noted above and in Desperate Living, Waters is wonderful to listen to, not only erudite but fantastic in sharing that info. (40m)
Tracy & Amber (new)
Ricki Lake and Coleen Fitzpatrick talk about their time on the film, and a little of the post careers. Great to see them, mixed in with some great behind the scene footages. 30m
Let’s Get Naked and Smoke (new)
Debbie Harry, Jo Anne Havrilla, Leslie Ann Poers, Clayton Prince, Shawn Thompson, and Pia Zadora give separate audio interviews cut within one another with images from the film. A good trip down memory lane (18m)
Deleted Scenes (new)
Ranging between 2 and 5 minutes, these six scenes were lost until recently. As the Waters’ introduction to them notes, they are wisely cut. A few of them change the tenor of Tracy and the film itself. Cool to see them in the faded VHS look I used to see the film on back in the day.
Behind the Scenes (1988)
A quick look at the making of as they were doing it. A nice addition. (7m)
Get To Know John Waters (1987)
A short news program of a meeting with Waters at his apartment, talking about his previous works, and as a curiosity to the news. (6m)
Production Design (1988)
Vincent Perania shows his set designs, with a great focus on some lost locations that didn’t make the movie (one is in the deleted scenes). (4m)
Trailer
We used to play this trailer before one of my Rocky Horror casts (say, any of you guys know how to Madison?) Ah, memories.(2m)
Booklet
A nice 19-page stapled booklet. It’s made to look like a Corny Collins Show Official Fan Magazine and keeps that up with dance tips, character info, fake ads, and the like. Within that are the normal cast/crew/production info and photos, a song listing, and the essay “A Clean Teen in a Filthy World” by Jessica Kiang. Kiang talks of how Hairspray and its influence brought Waters into the mainstream, but retained his tastes and more.
(An aside before we finish: I like the 2007 one enough, but it’s also safe and toothless in the near attempts at subversion. It’s a suburb version of the edge. However, the songs from the stage show are absolutely killer and are often sung in my house. The movie version lacks the energy there as well.)
Final Thoughts
Criterion’s new edition of John Waters’s Hairspray, the 1988 original, is a fantastic upgrade to whatever version of it you’ve had in the past. A solid collection of new materials (and I’m holding onto my old one for the stuff that didn’t get ported) makes a great revisit to a well-loved classic. Put on your black cha-cha heels and dance with Hairspray to win the Auto Show queen crown.