Hairspray

This topic contains:

• overall comments and recommendations
• details about Hairspray's classification and consumer advice lines
• a review of Hairspray completed by Young Media Australia (YMA) on 10 September 2007.

Overall comments and recommendations

About the movie

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) and the associated consumer advice lines.

YMA review

This review of the movie Hairspray contains the following information:

• a synopsis of the story
• themes
• use of violence
• material that may scare children
• product placement
• sexual references
• nudity and sexual activity
• use of substances
• coarse language
• the movie's message

A synopsis of the story

Hairspray is a lively musical set in 1962 Baltimore, USA, at a time of racial segregation. Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) is a refreshing teenager whose favourite pastime is watching the Corny Collins show, a singing and dancing television programme which showcases high school students. When a position on the show becomes available Tracy goes to audition but because she is rather overweight she is laughed off the set.

Tracy shows great courage and determination in overcoming both social and racial prejudices to gain her spot on the Corny Collins show and achieve racial integration on the programme as well. She also endears herself to the audience, much to the horror of former favourite Amber Von Tussle (Brittany Snow) and her mother Velma, (Michelle Pfeiffer) the producer of the show. Velma does her best to get rid of Tracy but this backfires spectacularly.

Themes

Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.

Racial and social prejudice; Body image

Use of violence

Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.

Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.

There is some violence and accidental injury in this movie including:

• Girls push and shove each other in the rush to get out of school.
  • Amber frequently gets knocked over and pushed on the dance floor.
  • Tracy pushes some girls out of the way.
  • Tracy gets knocked down by a basketball.
  • A protest against racial segregation gets rather aggressive and Tracy hits a policeman with her board.
  • Tracy’s mother Edna (John Travolta) throws something at her husband Wilbur (Christopher Walken)
  • Tracy’s friend Amanda’s mother is very intolerant and ties her daughter to her bed when she finds out she’s been dancing with ‘coloured’ people. She calls her a ‘devil’s child’.
  • Amber falls from a chair, which is high up on the stage.

  Material that may scare children

  Under eight

  Children under eight are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations, the death of a parent or child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.

  In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children under the age of five, including the following:

  • The scene where Amanda’s mother ties her to a bed and waves a cross over her could be disturbing for young children.

  Aged eight to thirteen

  Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.

  In addition to the above mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children aged eight to thirteen, including the following:

  • Some children in this age group may also be disturbed by the scene where Amanda’s mother ties her to a bed and waves a cross over her, calling her “devil’s child”.

  Over the age of thirteen

  Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.

  Children in this age group are unlikely to be disturbed by anything in this film

  Product placement

  None of concern

  Sexual references

  There are some sexual references in this movie, including:

  • A flasher opens his coat but nothing is shown.
  • Girls stuff falsies in their bras and a boy puts one down his pants.
  • Tracy sings :”I won’t go all the way but I’ll go pretty far”

  Nudity and sexual activity

  There is some nudity and sexual activity in this movie, including:

  • Edna is shown in her underwear.
  • Velma tries to seduce Wilbur and acts seductively

  Use of substances

  There is some use of substances in this movie, including:

  • There is some drinking in a pub
  • A pregnant woman is shown drinking and smoking

  Coarse language

  There is some coarse language in this movie, including:

  • Oh my God
  • Kiss my arse

  The movie's message

  Hairspray is an uplifting musical comedy/drama which is a remake of the original made in 1988. It is very entertaining, although John Travolta cross-dressing as Edna Turnblad is somewhat disconcerting.
  The main messages from this movie are that the colour of one’s skin should be of no importance; also to follow your dreams and to stand up for what you believe in.

  Values that parents may wish to reinforce include tolerance, courage, determination, fighting prejudice and the importance of good character rather than body image.

  This movie could also give parents the opportunity to discuss ways to solve problems without resorting to the use of violence.

   

   

  
  

  

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