This movie is really good. It is funny and entertaining and has a good message. I would watch this movie again. It is a great movie and I think that everyone should watch it!!!!!!
Hairspray (2007)
-
Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
-
Common Sense says
Infectiously fun musical with a message.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 11 and Up
The good stuff
What to watch out for
-
Violence:
-
Sex:
-
Language:
-
Consumerism:
-
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Hairspray (2007) was written by Sandie Angulo Chen
Parents need to know that this musical adaptation of the Broadway hit will appeal to tweens thanks to stars like Amanda Bynes and High School Musical's Zac Efron. It's a bit tamer than the John Waters original -- there's less cursing and fighting -- but the themes are the same: accepting people's differences, whether because of their looks or their skin color. Kids younger than 11 will miss much of the meaning while still being entertained by the characters and the production. Some of the song lyrics are a tad sexually suggestive: "I won't go all the way/but I'll go pretty far" and "The darker the berry/the sweeter the juice" are just two examples. Since it's set in the early '60s, African Americans are called "Negroes" (and, in one case, "lawn jockeys"). There are a lot of weight-based insults and one case of parental abuse: Mrs. Pingleton literally ties Penny to her bed and calls her a "devil child." In one scene, three "bad girls" are shown smoking in the school bathroom, while adults sit in a smoke-filled teachers' lounge.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about prejudice and racism. Mrs. Von Tussle assumes that Tracy isn't talented because of her size, but Tracy proves her wrong. Tracy's determination and self esteem are strong despite her weight. How are overweight kids discriminated against today? What about minorities? Even though there's no more segregation, do kids of color get picked on for being different? Kids: What does Tracy teach us about judging people (and their abilities) by their looks? Families who've seen the original (or the Broadway show) can also talk about how this movie is similar to -- and different from -- the other incarnations.
Have you seen it? Review It!
More on Hairspray (2007)
What’s the Story?
HAIRSPRAY starts with an infectious song -- "Good Morning Baltimore" -- that sets the cheery tone of Adam Shankman's feature-film adaptation of the Broadway adaptation of John Waters' campy 1988 comedy. The update, also set in 1962 Baltimore, has slightly less kitsch than the original -- but, thanks to the fabulous soundtrack and adorable cast, even more charm. Newcomer Nikki Blonsky makes heroine Tracy Turnblad zaftig and adorable. Tracy doesn't let her plus-sized body keep her from dancing like a pro, trying out for the local TV station's American Bandstand copycat The Corny Collins Show, and crushing on the show's dreamy hunk Link Larkin (High School Musical star Zac Efron). Her favorite episodes aren't the lily-white ones hosted by Corny (James Marsden) but the "Negro Day" specials hosted by Motormouth Maybelle (a big and blonde Queen Latifah). When Tracy finally lands a spot on the show -- much to the chagrin of skeletal station manager/racist ice queen Velma Von Tussle (Michelle Pfeiffer) -- the first thing she tells Corny is that she wishes "every day could be Negro Day." Tracy develops such a faithful following that she convinces her oversized mom, Edna (John Travolta in layers of drag), to leave the house for the first time and be her manager.
Is It Any Good?
Director (and choreographer) Shankman, who's best known for formulaic romantic and family comedies, has done what 2005's The Producers utterly failed to do: capture both the essence of the Broadway show's magic and the original film's timeless camp value to create a memorable movie musical. (Oh, and that cutie pie Efron definitely helps, too.)
Travolta should consider his role a gift, since he's more enchanting as Mrs. Turnblad than he's been on screen in more than a decade. And as Mrs. Turnblad's husband, Wilbur, Christopher Walken again perfects his mastery of slow talking and soft shoeing. Waters himself couldn't have cast a better mom and pop odd couple. Some of the best songs and moves belong to the "Negro Day" dancers, like smooth-talking Seaweed (Elijah Kelly, who deserves an Efron-esque following of his own after this stand-out performance). And Queen Latifah's ballad "I Know Where I've Been" touchingly accompanies a civil-rights march calling for on-air desegregation.
Movie Details
Studio: New Line Cinema, Director: Adam Shankman
Run time: 120 minutes
Theatrical release: 07/19/2007, DVD release: 11/20/2007
MPAA Rating: PG for language, some suggestive content and momentary teen smoking.
Run time: 120 minutes
Theatrical release: 07/19/2007, DVD release: 11/20/2007
MPAA Rating: PG for language, some suggestive content and momentary teen smoking.
Our Members Say
See all 107 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
-
I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Great movie!!!!!!
-
I rate this title on for age 7 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
- Excessive consumerism
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
-
I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it
- My highlights are:
Great Movie for Kids
Great movie. Brilliant. Our kids (9 and 6) loved it! We've seen it at least 6 times. Singing and dancing are great and overall message terrific. There's some behavior which you wouldn't condone but there's good reason for it in the movie. This and High School Musical are our kids favorites!
-
I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- My highlights are:
I love this moive:) it has a few bad words but not much. there is some kissing but thats normal:) i saw it when i was 10 and my sister was 8 and we both loved it.
-
I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My highlights are:
Just a little more hairspray...
We watched it in band, in 7th grade, and we all sang along to the songs. Great movie,Great message. Look past looks. I love the ending too!
-
I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- My highlights are:
Great, toe-tapping fun, but some innuendos
It's a superb film, but the one scene in Wilbur's shop when Velma wants to seduce Wilbur is slighlty innaproite.
-
I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
great for older kids
it's a very good movie. there isn't much violence. the only sex is mrs. von tussel coming onto mr. turnblad and different people kissing and brief and very very mild sexual references. some cursing mostly mild. teen smoking scenes as well as adults. good positive clean messages against racism. john travolta has a great funny character different from his "pulp fiction" personality.
-
I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive consumerism
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Sweet, addictive musical with a lot of heart
The character of Tracy Turnblad sets an amazing example for audiences of all ages - she stands up for African-American rights, stands up for her friends, and is an all-around good citizen. There are some mild insults about weight problems, race, and a few others. But for the most part, this movie is fun and fast-paced. It wasn't my kind of movie, but I'm sure audiences of all ages will enjoy.
-
I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
A good movie!
This movie is appropriate for the family because it has good role models(Tracy, who stands up for African-americans). It's just that teenagers were smoking in the girls' bathroom underaged and some language isn't the best for some kids. But if you tell your kids not to swear, they probably won't.
-
I rate this title for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
Don't see it!!!!!!!
Everybody loved this movie. All anyone could talk about was "HAIRSPRAY!!!" Unfortunately. When I finally saw it, I was shocked. There are so many little innuendos that you won't catch the first time you see it, and especially in songs! Since this is a dance movie, OF COURSE there are inappropriate dance moves!!!! THere's also a song on the soundtrack that makes fun of people calling them "nerds" and saying "she's got cooties"! And finally, there is a TON of racial slurs, it being a product of its time. These can only be a problem if your children don't realize what happened in the 60's. Bottom line, DON"T SEE IT!
-
I rate this title iffy for age 4 and give it
A MUST SEE!!!!!!!!
I saw this movie with a few friends my mom and my little sister back when it was in theaters and we all enjoyed it. the songs are catchy and it has an overall positive message. My bff's little sister saw the movie when it came out on dvd. her little siser is four and she loves and she also can't stop singing the songs to this day. this is a great movie that everyone should she and could learn something from.
-
I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
love it
own it LOVE IT
-
Lives in Illinois -
I rate this title iffy for age 9 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
You should think first before seeing this with a tween!
This movie is fantastic for adults, but some of the music lyrics are too sexually suggestive and are highly innappropriate for tweens who are highly impressionable and don't need to be learning about sexual matters through music lyrics.
-
I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
Good and Aporprite
This is a good movie as long as its the first 1 im now sure if its the 1st one or not! Anyonw can watch it even under 10 but its very apporrite 4 anyone!
-
I rate this title off for age 10 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
I was concerned about the sexual sugesstiveness of many of the dance moves, the difficultly of explaining to my daughter why a male actor was dressed up as a women. I went with an open mind to this movie, based on feedback from another adult. I found myself cringing through many moments, hoping that most of the innapropriate material was going over my kids heads. In spite of some positive messages, I would not let my kids see this again.
-
Lives in Florida
-
I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
Love this movie:)
one guy stuffs his pants, and a girl stuffs her shirt. but other than that, its a great movie. wayyy better than other musicals.
-
I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
Think twice about it!
It was really good. Although teens use bad language A LOT in this film, and there is some police arguments and a lot of "French Kissing", this film was a great musical, but there is a lot of bullying, as well, and Tracy and her mother are teased by their "Weight Problem" which they don't even have a big weight problem after all!
-
I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
I loved it!
It was cute and had a great message. I think 8+ is a good age. There is breif language. A story about a chubby girl who gets the guy, because she is good on the inside, A african american girl (when negros were treated unfairly) winning the prize, and freedom. The movie tell children (and adults) that no matter how you look, it's what's on the inside that counts.
Give Recommendations, Get Them, Too!
Become a member and get recommendations from other parents based on your child's age.Tell us your child's age:
Already a member? Log inOur Members Rate It
Ratings at a Glance
| 50% | of parents say it gives kids positive messages |
| 50% | of parents say the sexual behavior isn't age appropriate |
Have you seen it?
For Your Family
Get age-based recommendations for your kids:
Customize based on your child's age
