Starring Johnny Depp, Amy Locane, Polly Bergen, and Ricki Lake
Directed by John Waters
Music and Lyrics by various
After the success of Hairspray in 1988, John Waters suddenly found himself in demand. Depp was also at the height of his early years as a quirky, oddly dark matinee idol in Edward Scissorshands and the TV drama 21 Jump Street. This duo with the extremely dark sensibilities came together for this campy homage to 1950's greaser culture that's a lot more subversive than either of the Grease movies. How does the story of a "square" girl who falls for a "drape" from the wrong side of the tracks in 1954 Baltimore look today? Let's begin at high school, as we meet these two with their respective cliques, and find out...
The Story: Allison Vernon-Williams (Locane) is a pretty, sweet teen who is also very bored with being "good" and wants to find out if there's more out there. She gathers the courage to approach the baddest of the "drapes," Wade "Cry Baby" Walker (Depp). Wade's known for being able to shed a single tear that makes the girls go crazy. Allison's first intrigued by him, then in love, and Wade reciprocates her feelings. He and his friends turn up at a talent show put on by the charm school run by Allison's grandmother (Bergen). This makes her obnoxious "square" boyfriend Baldwin (Stephen Mailer) jealous and worries her grandmother, who knows the real reason why Wade and his family are so badly regarded by the town.
Allison doesn't care. Wade takes her to Turkey Point, the hang-out for the drapes, where his pregnant sister Pepper (Ricki Lake) and her friends Hatchet Face (Kim McGuire) and Wanda (Traci Lords) give her a make-over that turns her into a drape's dreamboat. That night, Wade explains further into where his parents are and why the town has so much trouble with the "drapes." As they talk, Baldwin and his buddies come in to destroy the building, but they end up starting a riot and blaming it on Wade. Not only that, but Lenora Frigid (Kim Webb), who has a crush on Wade, claims she's carrying his baby.
Allison returns to the squares, but even her grandmother thinks she made the wrong decision. His friends rescue her from Baldwin's performance at a new local theme park, then bring her along to the state penitentiary to campaign for Wade's release. Baldwin's not happy and claims he'll fight...but when push comes to shove, only one of Allison's suitors is really man enough to claim her...
The Song and Dance: Every cliche of 50's teen culture is gloriously and deliciously mocked here, from the "nice kids against the greasers" to the brief chicken race that ends the film. I love that one cliche they mock here is the disapproving parents. Actually, none of the adults really seem to have problems with their kids' lifestyles, even the more "square" parents of Wanda and Hatchet Face. I love that they defy a big stereotype by having Allison's grandmother and even the judge eventually come around and understand Allison and Wade's feelings for one another.
Some of the performances are really fun, too. Depp gleefully mocks his dark image as the favorite matinee idol of goth and "bad" girls. Locane is sweet and wide-eyed in her white or pastel dresses...until they get her into tight "drapes" blouses and capris, and then her inner tiger is unleashed. Susan Tyrell and Iggy Pop are hilarious as Wade's aunt and uncle who run Turkey Point and more-or-less take care of him.
Favorite Number: We open with "Women In Cadillacs" as we see what about the Drapes and their culture attracts meek Allison. Baldwin and his friends get the extremely boy-band-50's "Sh-Boom" at the talent show and "Mr. Sandman" with Allison at the opening of the Enchanted Forest Amusement Park. Allison's song at the talent show is the squeaky ode to "A Teenage Prayer." She turns up the heat with her duet with Wade at Turkey Point, "King Cry Baby." Wade and the prisoners at the jail bemoan why they're "Doin' Time for Being Young" while "Teardrops are Falling." "Please, Mr. Jailer," laments Allison and the drapes at the prison as they fight to get him released. The film ends with Allison, Wade, and the drapes reunited as "High School Hellcats."
Trivia: Baldwin and his group the Whiffles originally had two more numbers, "Chicken" and the 50's pop standard "The Naughty Lady From Shady Lane." They were cut for time, but occasionally showed up in viewings on USA Network in the 90's and 2000's.
Look fast for William DeFoe as the nastiest corrections officer in Maryland. Other familiar faces in cameos include David Nelson looking remarkably like his father Ozzie as Wanda's very square father and Mink Stole and Troy Donahue as Mona's parents.
This also became a Broadway musical in 2008...but unlike Hairspray, it barely lasted two months. It's turned up overseas and occasionally on regional stages since then.
Depp was dubbed by James Intveld, Locane by Rachel Sweet.
What I Don't Like: For all the goofy melodrama spoofs and Waters' fondness for gross-out humor, at times this seems like nothing more than another 80's-early 90's slobs vs snobs movie done up in 50's trappings. Also unlike the musical version of Hairspray, this isn't really for kids. The F word is dropped (hilariously by Wanda's parents at one point in the courtroom), there's a lot of references to female anatomy, and there's violence with the riot and the chicken game in the end. Frankly, most of the characters come off as aloof as Depp himself. It's hard to relate to any of them, even Allison, like many audiences would Tracy and Penny in Hairspray. There's also the dubbing on Depp and Locane. (Though if you've heard Depp sing in Into the Woods, you'll understand why he was dubbed.)
The Big Finale: If you love other 50's spoofs like the Grease films or are a fan of Depp or Waters and his black comedies, this is worth checking out for the wild numbers and cast alone.
Home Media: Easily found in all formats. The DVD often turns up for under $10. It can currently be found streaming for free with ads on Tubi.
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