'Hairspray': An uplifting film in more ways than one
"Hairspray" (New Line) is an uplifting, enjoyable adaptation of the hit Broadway musical based, in turn, on John Waters' 1988 film of the same title about an overweight 1962 Baltimore teenager named Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky).
Her parents, Wilbur (Christopher Walken), who owns a novelty shop, and Edna (John Travolta in a cross-dressing role), who takes in laundry, support her dreams of competing on "The Corny Collins Show," a racially segregated local dance program. The so-called "Negro Day," hosted by affable blonde-wigged Motormouth Maybelle (Queen Latifah), only airs once a week.
WYZT station manager Velma Von Tussle (Michelle Pfeiffer) aims to keep the status quo, and since she's looking to further the interests of her spoiled daughter, Amber (Brittany Snow), in the "Miss Teenage Hairspray" dance competition, does her best to undermine Tracy's efforts --- even, at one point, trying to seduce the clueless Wilbur.
But eternal optimist Tracy --- who cares not a jot for what people think of her bodily heft --- perseveres, and catching the eye of Collins (James Marsden), appears on the show and proves a hit. She also wins the admiration of school hunk Link Larkin (Zac Efron), and talks her reclusive mother into finally leaving the house, and getting a makeover at the dress shop of Mr. Pinky (Jerry Stiller, the earlier film's Wilbur).
With the help of Maybelle and the African-American kids at her high school, including Maybelle's son, Seaweed (Elijah Kelley), whose kid sister, Little Inez (Taylor Parks), turns out to be a dance whiz herself, Tracy determines to integrate the show. Her best friend, Penny Pingleton (Amanda Bynes), falls for Seaweed, underscoring the integration theme. (Penny's disapproving and fanatical mom, Prudy --- Allison Janney of "The West Wing," is the source of a mildly irreverent sight gag.)
Maybelle's stirring civil rights number --- "I Know Where I've Been" --- is sung during a torch-lit protest march to the TV station and provides the film's most serious, genuinely moving sequence.
With a screenplay by Leslie Dixon (adapted from the stage script by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan), director Adam Shankman keeps the pace moving and maintains a sensible balance between heightened realism and more fanciful elements.
There are impressive performances from a well-chosen cast, led by lovable newcomer Blonsky. As with the stage interpreters of the role, Travolta admirably plays it straight, though the fat suit needn't have been so exaggerated. His and Walken's old-fashioned vaudeville number is a highlight, but Mark Shaiman and Scott Wittman's songs are all exceedingly well performed.
The film is rife with themes of racial tolerance, anti-discrimination and self-respect. And there are positive pro-family messages in the supportive relationships in the Turnblad and Maybelle households.
Above all, underdog Tracy's fierce determination to do "what's right" makes the film as meritorious as it is entertaining.
The film contains some crass expressions, innuendo, mild sexual banter and irreverence, and brief teen smoking, making this best for older adolescents. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II --- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG --- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
---Harry Forbes
'Sunshine': Powerful, credible
This is a powerful piece of filmmaking, all the more creditable that, with all its marvelous technological effects, it was produced in East London studios, a more than respectable effort when compared with Hollywood craft.
"Sunshine" (Fox Searchlight) is a contemporary science fiction tale, a kind of "2057: A Space Odyssey," this time set a half-century in our future. It should give great satisfaction and pleasure to science fiction aficionados. Those who find space films too technical, too frightening or too different from our mundane experiences may find it somewhat bewildering and overwhelming.
What director Danny Boyle has done is to make a fresh narrative that is a compendium of the film tradition of space exploration, including "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Contact" and "Alien." Whereas "2001" was something of a cinematic poem with some mystical dimensions and religious implications, "Sunshine" is more of a narrative humanist film, although mystical and religious questions are raised.
One of the main effects of the film will be to ask its audience to respond with a profound sense of awe, sharing the crew's contemplation of space and the sun. There is admiration for the wonders of creation and the workings of such an enormous system of planets, suns and galaxies.
The basis of this story is that in 2057 our sun is dying. Already a failed expedition has tried to regenerate the sun. Now a second expedition is on its way, towing a payload the size of Manhattan. There are eight members of the Icarus II (an ominous name for an expedition when we remember that the mythical Icarus flew too near the sun, melting his wings and falling to earth).
By 2057, nations have combined to send this mission so there is an Asian contingent from Japan (Hiroyuku Sanada), Malaysia (Michelle Yeoh) and China (Benedict Wong, a Briton). The rest (from accents) are American although, among the stars, Cillian Murphy is Irish, Rose Byrne an Australian and Cliff Curtis a New Zealander. Chris Evans and Troy Garrity (Jane Fonda's son) are the genuine Americans.
The psychological dimensions are important. Despite training, human tensions strain relationships. Male competitiveness erupts. Human error in crisis also takes its toll. Then there is the responsibility of trying to save the human race, especially in the experience of approaching the sun, its light, heat and energy. The crises also send the crew into their deeper selves, their consciences, fears and heroism.
Just as astronaut Dave in "2001" had to contend with a malevolent computer and then journeyed through the psychedelic dimensions of space, finding the monolith that symbolized the presence of the transcendent, so Capa (Murphy), the physicist, experiences the worries of computer failure but also the haunting presence of the commander of the previous expedition (Mark Strong).
Capa's heroic journey takes him --- and us --- into the very heart of the sun in the hope for new life on earth.
With violence and strong language, the USCCB classification is L --- limited adult audience. The MPAA rating is R --- restricted.
---Rev. Peter Malone, MSC Harry Forbes is director of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Fr. Peter Malone of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart order in Australia is former president of Signis, the World Catholic Association for Communication, and author of more than 25 books on film studies. More reviews are available online at www.usccb.org/movies.
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