The Movie: Hairspray (1988)
What Is It?: John
Waters sacrifices the shocks and scatology to go mainstream, and lo and behold,
the master of ironic schlock makes a sincerely lovely film with a message of
equality, empowerment, and dancing. Ricki Lake becomes the star of a teen dance
show and Divine shuns the clown makeup and cha-cha heels to play her schlumpy
mom with subtlety. Proof that the King of Filth is just a big, old softy.
Why Today?: Today
is Beautician’s Day.
