MovieChat Forums > Hairspray (1988) Discussion > Things I've noticed upon repeated viewin...

Things I've noticed upon repeated viewings

posted 17 years ago by SilverCreedWolf
4 replies | jump to latest

Nadine, the black girl that auditioned with Tracy and Penny for the Corny Collins Show. I'm wondering if there was a small subplot that ended up on the cutting room floor regarding this character. Did you notice the look on her face when she saw Tracy, Link, and Penny enter Motormouth Maybelle's record shop? Was she really that upset about Tracy being chosen over her, or am I reading more into this than what John Waters intended? But it's something that stands out for me whenever I watch this.

Then we have the members of Council. I've started watching the background in a lot of the scenes, and it seems that there was a split between who was siding with Tracy and who was siding with Amber, and it wasn't pleasant. Perhaps a missed subplot opportunity, or, one that ended up on the cutting room floor. If anyone knows, let me know! LOL!

Of course you have to realize that I've seen this thing so many times that I could say the dialog right along with the characters... I just thought it would be interesting to mention some of the things in this film that might go unnoticed by those too engrossed in the man plotline. Feel free to add others I may not have noticed or left out.

JOE TYRIA
Creed Wolf Productions
Silver Creed Wolf Music (BMI)
[email protected]

[–] qme4good 17 years ago

i noticed nadine giving link and tracy dirty looks and shaking her head as they did the dirty boogie. i dunno what that was about. i was reading portions of the original script on Google Books and right after the Town Without Pity dance scene there's a part with tracy and fender making out in his car and amber sees them. then these leather clad, dancer hating hoodlums pull up and shout insults at them and tracy sprays hairspray in their eyes. this explains the scene where amber is gossiping with her friends at school. it turns out some of what she said was actually true, the nude part wasn't though.

i noticed something else. in the lady's choice scene there appears to be another fat girl on the show. she's got blonde hair and a blue sleeveless dress and yellow beads around her neck. she appears in the shot right after amber throws the friendship ring to the floor.

if you bought the script it would probably answer your questions. from the samples that i've read i can see that there's lots of scenes that were either deleted or never filmed. it comes with the scripts to female trouble and pink flamingos too i think.

[–] Theora23 17 years ago

Was she really that upset about Tracy being chosen over her, or am I reading more into this than what John Waters intended?

I thought she was mad that she couldn't get on the white Corny Collins council, but that white kids from that same council could just come hang out in the black kids' record store. If I were feeling rejected, I'd be mad if I was then 'invaded' by people from the same clique that wouldn't let me in. I think she got over it by the end, though, after they proved that they weren't just coming to be tourists or to steal dance moves. :-)

[–] Jack2979 17 years ago

I have always noticed that there would be no way that Tracy could fit into that little car at the auto show if she was there. It is stupid, but for some reason I notice that every time I see this movie.

Caesar doesn't work with morons.

[–] angela_bees 9 years ago

I'm surprised Amber didn't throw up driving round and round like that. Look what happened on the merry-go-round.