Overview
A vibrant musical journey that dances through the struggles of acceptance and dreams of fame.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- joyful
- witty
- uplifting
- family movie night
- sing along party
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as an energetic, highly entertaining musical with contagious songs, warmth, and strong comic and ensemble appeal.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Tracy uses her place on the Corny Collins Show to challenge the exclusion of black teenagers from the regular cast.
Tracy's ambitions and popularity confront the show's beauty norms, while her size is repeatedly treated as a social obstacle.
The Corny Collins Show, dance numbers, costumes, and saturated production design evoke 1960s broadcast pop culture.
The film frames segregation, beauty standards, and status anxiety through buoyant songs, broad comedy, and theatrical exaggeration.
Films like Hairspray, and why
Grease
Both are exuberant, colorful musical films blending teen romance, dance spectacle, comic performances, and a feel-good message about social acceptance.
Mamma Mia!
Both use accessible pop musicals, romantic subplots, and upbeat ensemble energy to dramatize youth culture and social change.
Dreamgirls
Both are acclaimed musical films centered on performance, ambition, racial inequality, and communal resistance to exclusion.
Billy Elliot
Both combine dance-driven comedy, outsider protagonists, romance, and an uplifting challenge to restrictive social conventions.
Movie Details
- Director
- Adam Shankman
- Release Date
- 2007-07-19
- Runtime
- 116 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (2683)
Cast
- Nikki Blonsky
- John Travolta
- Michelle Pfeiffer
- Christopher Walken
- Amanda Bynes
- James Marsden
- Queen Latifah
- Brittany Snow
- Zac Efron
- Elijah Kelley
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Hairspray about?
- A buoyant Baltimore teenager turns a television dance-show dream into a colorful campaign for integration, acceptance, and self-confidence.
- What is Hairspray like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hairspray as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Hairspray violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Hairspray.
- What did critics think of Hairspray?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as an energetic, highly entertaining musical with contagious songs, warmth, and strong comic and ensemble appeal.
- Which films are like Hairspray?
- Films with a similar feel include Grease, Mamma Mia!, Dreamgirls, and Billy Elliot.
- How long is Hairspray?
- Hairspray runs 116 minutes.
- Where can I watch Hairspray?
- In United States, Hairspray is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
