Hairspray
“The world was in a mess... but their hair was perfect!!”
'Pleasantly plump' teenager Tracy Turnblad achieves her dream of becoming a regular on the Corny Collins Dance Show. Now a teen hero, she starts using her fame to speak out for the causes she believes in, most of all integration. In doing so, she earns the wrath of the show's former star, Amber Von Tussle, as well as Amber's manipulative, pro-segregation parents. The rivalry comes to a head as Amber and Tracy vie for the title of Miss Auto Show 1963.
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Cast
121 people
Ricki Lake
Tracy Turnblad
Known for
Serial Mom
Cry-Baby
Divine
Edna Turnblad / Arvin Hodgepile
Known for
Pink Flamingos
Female Trouble
Debbie Harry
Velma Von Tussle
Known for
Videodrome
Tales from the Darkside: The Movie
Vitamin C
Amber von Tussle
Known for
Dracula 2000
Higher Learning
Sonny Bono
Franklin von Tussle
Known for
Airplane II: The Sequel
Troll
Leslie Ann Powers
Penny Pingleton
Ruth Brown
Motormouth Maybelle
Also in
Hello, Larry
Checking In
Jerry Stiller
Wilbur Turnblad
Known for
The King of Queens
The Lion King 1½
Michael St. Gerard
Link Larkin
Known for
Great Balls of Fire!
Live Wire
Clayton Prince
Seaweed
Known for
Café
Mink Stole
Tammy
Known for
Pink Flamingos
Desperate Living
Shawn Thompson
Corny Collins
Known for
Borrowed Hearts
John Waters Director · Kenny Vance Composer David Insley Cinematographer
Worldwide gross $6.7M · Budget $2M · United States release February 26, 1988
Box office
Budget
$2,000,000
Worldwide gross
$6,671,108
Gross vs. budget
3.3×
Production
New Line Cinema
Production · Studio
Stanley F. Buchthal
Production
Robert Shaye Production
Production
United States
Produced in
White Lipstick
Working title
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English · French · Russian
Release dates
United States · January 15, 1988
Premiere · Sundance Film Festival
United States · February 26, 1988
Theatrical
United States
February 16, 1988 · Premiere · Baltimore, Maryland
June 21, 2013 · Premiere · Los Angeles Film Festival
Australia
September 15, 1988 · Theatrical
Austria
October 11, 2009 · Premiere · Vienna International Film Festival
Brazil
July 8, 1988 · Theatrical
April 24, 2026 · Limited theatrical · Museu da Imagem e do Som ("Mostra John Waters 80 Anos")
Czechia
March 1, 1994 · Physical
France
June 8, 1988 · Theatrical
Germany
February 1, 1988 · Premiere · Berlin International Film Festival
June 1, 1988 · Premiere · Munich International Film Festival
August 4, 1988 · Theatrical · West Germany
Ireland
November 11, 1988 · Theatrical
Poland
November 11, 2021 · Premiere · American Film Festival
Sweden
July 15, 1988 · Theatrical
United Kingdom
July 1, 1988 · Theatrical
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Some details come from TheTVDB.