Hairspray

Busting onto the screen with a catchy ditty called “Good Morning Baltimore,” Tracy Turnblad (engaging newcomer Nikki Blonsky) declares her love for her city, singing, and dancing while strutting her stuff down the streets of Baltimore circa 1961. She’s a happy girl with a healthy appetite who can dance better than the kids on The Corny Collins Show, a local TV program made up of white teenagers with perfect teeth and perfect figures. Tracy’s given the chance to prove she has what it takes when one of the show’s female dancers is forced to take a nine-month leave of absence

During tryouts Tracy is put down and told off by the horrid station manager Velma Von Tussle (Pfeiffer) and her equally self-absorbed daughter, Amber (Snow). Even Tracy’s mother Edna (Travolta in one of the most interesting roles of his career) doesn’t believe someone of Tracy’s size (she’s beyond pleasantly plump) will ever have a chance at landing a spot on a TV series. But Tracy’s been taking lessons from the black kids she hangs out with in detention and her far-out moves help win her the job.

Tracy quickly figures out that what’s going on on the show isn’t fair and shouldn’t be tolerated. Velma’s more than just an obnoxious loudmouth; she’s a racist who won’t allow Corny Collins to integrate the show and only reluctantly puts up with the ‘Negro Day’ broadcasts. One day a month Motormouth Maybelle (Queen Latifah) takes over for Corny (James Marsden), spinning records and hosting talented dancers who don’t conform to Velma’s ‘whites only’ standards. Taking up the cause, Tracy proudly proclaims that every day should be Negro Day and joins Motormouth Maybelle and her friends to work on ending segregation – at least at the TV station.