In this 1988 offering from director John Waters, our heroine is teenager Tracy Turnblad (Ricki Lake). Although, in her own words 'pleasantly plump', Tracy achieves her ambition of joining the regular dancers on The Corny Collins Dance Show, which airs daily in her hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. Tracy uses her new-found fame to champion the cause of racial integration and, along the way, finds True Love with a handsome fellow-dancer, as well as winning the coveted title of Miss Auto Show 1963.

A camp, cult classic, starring Divine as Tracy's frumpy mother, Edna, Hairspray features a soundtrack crammed with rock 'n' roll classics, as well as featured appearances by Sonny Bono, Debbie Harry, Pia Zadora and, in his first screen appearance, Sports Night's Josh Charles as one of the Corny Collins dancers.

In 2002, the film was adapted into a Broadway musical - see separate entry for Hairspray.

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