Hairspray

The original 1988 Hairspray remains the most accessible and family-friendly movie ever made by John Waters, the cult filmmaker nicknamed the “Pope of Filth.” Not bad for a satirical nostalgia comedy that takes on bigotry, racial integration, body image, and the liberating power of rock-and-roll music. Ricki Lake stars as Tracy Turnblad, the unlikely civil rights activist on a Baltimore TV dance show that, in 1962, is still not integrated (the local black kids are only allowed on the show on “Negro Day”), with Divine costarring as her supportive mother, Edna, who stands proudly behind her outspoken daughter. Lake, who was plus-sized when she made the film, is confident, funny, and likable as a heroine whose popularity infuriates mean-spirited beauty queen Amber (Colleen Fitzpatrick) and Amber's status-obsessed parents (Debbie Harry, Sonny Bono). Hairspray features plenty of class conflict and populist energy, and Waters punctures the era's prejudice through parody and exaggeration, upending stereotypes and transforming race hysteria into hysterical humor. Funnier, warmer, and more audacious than the 2007 musical remake, it is still the only John Waters film to receive a PG rating. Bowing on Blu-ray, extras include audio commentary by Waters and Lake, vintage interviews with cast and crew, and tributes to Waters regulars Divine and Cookie Mueller. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)