It's 1960s Baltimore. Tracy Turnblad (Ricki Lake) and her best friend Penny Pingleton (Leslie Ann Powers) are obsessed with The Corny Collins Show and audition for the all-white local TV show. Blacks are relegated to Negro Day. Tracy becomes a hit infuriating queen bee Amber Von Tussle (Colleen Fitzpatrick) and her stage mom Velma (Debbie Harry). Amber's father Franklin Von Tussle (Sonny Bono) owns Tilted Acres amusement park. Tracy befriends the black students in school and record store owner Motormouth Maybelle. She starts dating Maybelle's son Seaweed and joins an effort to integrate the show.
It's campy fun. John Waters keeps his weird indie extravagances in check to bring something a little more mainstream. He dives into issues that are near and dear to his heart. The deliberate corn is endearing although it could use more outright laughs. This is a really sincere and touching movie. The actors led by Ricki Lake are mostly good.
It's campy fun. John Waters keeps his weird indie extravagances in check to bring something a little more mainstream. He dives into issues that are near and dear to his heart. The deliberate corn is endearing although it could use more outright laughs. This is a really sincere and touching movie. The actors led by Ricki Lake are mostly good.