HAIRSPRAY is a likable, well executed musical but the performance of John Travolta in the role of Edna is so ineptly handled and so uncomfortable to watch, that it knocks a decent little movie down at least one star in the ratings. Everyone else equips themselves nicely. Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad fits the fat suit well (actually I think that's her real figure). She makes you forget very quickly about Ricki Lake's enjoyable turn in the John Waters film of the same name. Christopher Walken underplays his role as Tracy's father and this actually helps the film by giving his scenes a believability not present in Travolta's scenes. Zac Efron does a nice job as the young dance show stud who is cool enough to cross racial lines and look beyond appearances in order to pursue true cool. The musical numbers are all expertly staged by director Adam Shankman. James Marsden is only a little off in his performance (perhaps he was uncomfortable with the dancing and that trailed over into his performance). This is a small criticism.
The centerpiece of the movie, however, is Travolta. This stunt casting is all about him and his presence on screen and how it will change the movie. Unfortunately it changes everything for the worse. Nearly everything he does feels phony and amateurish. Although the makeup and fat suit are undeniably a burden most actors have to overcome when playing such a role, this is not really the main problem. The problem is more that from the inflections to the strange "Baltimore" accent, every single acting choice Travolta makes is a bad one. This is a shame because otherwise this is a decent film. It even incorporates issues of racial intolerance and weight related discrimination into its script (this isn't a bad thing). The movie's dialogue and some of its scenes are occasionally racy (and that's not a bad thing either). As this is a musical, the whole affair could have been oh-so-Lion King (and that WOULD have been a bad thing). Instead there is a little hint of John Waters left in it in traces. This includes an early cameo by him as a flasher. We appreciate that. Now, if only the added value on the dvd could tell us why Travolta made the acting choices he did. I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall during that first rehearsal.