HOME |
MUSIC EVENTS |
FAMILY EVENTS |
ART EVENTS
THEATRE |
MOVIES |
UPCOMING EVENTS
ARCHIVES |
ABOUT |
ADVERTISE |
CONTACT |
DISTRIBUTION
entertaining u newspaper: your monthly guide to entertainment
Main
|
Seen, Heard, Noted & Quoted
>>
|
|
|
by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
A Rated PG 117 min
John Waters’ 1988 film about tolerance and racial acceptance still ranks as his most accessible mainstream movie to date. After being adapted into a Broadway musical, Adam Shankman has returned Waters’ uplifting story to the screen as a musical. An unknown actress/singer, Nikki Blonsky, beat out the competition for the lead role as Tracy Turnblad–a pretty but plump girl who overcomes the prejudice of her body type to get a position on the local Baltimore teen-scene TV program, The Corny Collins show. Of course, Tracy’s coup parallels Nikki’s real life success story.
The joyous way in which Waters delivered his message about social tolerance offsets any criticism of the film being preachy. Adding the musical elements of the stage show only enhanced the story’s power to uplift its audience with clever songs and lively dancing. Tracy bravely joins the Civil Rights Movement so every day can be “Negro Day” at the studio.
Interestingly, Waters set his original story in the early 60s just as the Civil Rights movement was burgeoning. Indeed, Waters’ screenplay was making a strong statement that music and dance are a natural way of bringing races together and offering people who look different, like Tracy, a chance to shine.
In a sensitive and adorable characterization, John Travolta portrays Tracy’s mother Edna Turnblad. At first, Travolta looks funny in a fat suit playing a matronly mom. But his sincere portrayal is nuanced and free of cross-dressing clichés. After a few minutes, Travolta melds into Edna with sweetness and convincing realism. Travolta is a gas as Edna does her big dance number. Shake it baby, shake it!
Without complaining, Edna takes in laundry to supplement her husband’s Wilbur’s (Christopher Walken) gag store business next door. She rarely leaves the house and is self-conscious about her obesity. However, she is always positive about her daughter’s chances of success as a singer and dancer. Tracy is the poster child for the power of positive thinking and acting. She has a strong sense of “right is might.”
Michelle Pfeiffer portrays the scenario’s wicked witch/program producer, Velma Von Tussle with proper meanness and outrage. When Tracy suggests that every day should be Negro Day, Velma has a cow. She is trying to push her own daughter into show business by having her on the show and fixing the results of the “Miss Corny Collins Contest.” Of course, this backfires on her. Pfeiffer skillfully plays Velma without going overboard and making her a caricature.
Stealing her scenes, Allison Janey plays Penney Singleton’s Bible reading mom, who finds her daughter in a black club dancing with a “colored boy.” She ties-up her daughter with rope and makes her listen to religious music. Her boyfriend saves her and she falls for him, which, at the time, was a dangerous taboo that could have gotten them both killed. But in the context of the show, it became an acceptable reality. Outside, the streets were burning with racial conflict. In contrast, in Waters‘ imaginary TV show, tolerance and acceptance was the norm.
Yes, in Waters’ fantasy world, music and dance allow for complete integration long before it happened for real. It’s a mythical place where dancing and singing solve all the world’s problems. Queen Latifah plays Motormouth Maybelle, who dominates the black group at the dance hall. Again in this picture, Latifah displays her magnetic personality and deep well of talent.
The seamless way the music is mixed into the script allows it to happen in logical way, rather than characters just bursting out singing in the middle of a monologue. The fact that much of the action takes place at the Corny Collins Show set drives home Waters’ message with positive verve.
Shankman’s savvy direction and quality scene-craft, along with Mark O’Donnell’s musical play, greatly upgraded this film-to-musical-back-to-film adaptation. Tracy’s ever-positive attitude allowed her to overcome society’s prejudices and be accepted as she really was. It’s an inspiring story with great music and dance.
|
|
EU Critic’s Choice Awards
