Hairspray

In 1962, overweight 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad lives in Baltimore. She and her shy best friend Penny Pingleton frequently watch The Corny Collins Show, a local teen dance television show broadcast live on the WYZT station. Several of the dancers on the show, including lead dancers Amber von Tussle and her boyfriend Link Larkin, attend Tracy and Penny's high school. Amber's mother Velma, the station's manager, ensures that her daughter is prominently featured and only allows African-American dancers to appear on the show's monthly "Negro Day", hosted by local R&B disc jockey "Motormouth" Maybelle Stubbs. Corny reveals that one of the dancers on the show will be taking a nine-month leave of absence, so Link announces auditions for a replacement to be held at the WYZT studio the next day. Ecstatic, Tracy skips class to attend the audition, but Velma rejects Tracy for both her size and support of integration. While in detention for cutting class, Tracy discovers the "Negro Day" youths practicing in the detention room and befriends Maybelle's son, Seaweed. While leaving detention, Tracy inadvertently meets Link and dreams of a life with him. At a record hop, Tracy's dance moves, taught to her by Seaweed, garner Corny's attention, so he chooses her to join the cast. Tracy quickly becomes one of Corny's most popular performers, threatening Amber's chances of winning the show's annual "Miss Teenage Hairspray" pageant the following month and her relationship with Link, who grows fonder of Tracy. When Tracy is enlisted as the spokesgirl for a plus-size fashion boutique, she persuades her agoraphobic mother Edna to accompany her there as her agent, where both receive makeovers, sharply boosting Edna's confidence. Tracy introduces Seaweed to Penny, and they become smitten. Later, Seaweed and his younger sister Little Inez bring Tracy, Penny, and Link to a party at Maybelle's store. Amber anonymously calls Edna and divulges Tracy's whereabouts. Edna rushes to the store and attempts to take Tracy home immediately, but Maybelle convinces her to stay and take pride in herself. After Maybelle sadly informs everyone that Velma has canceled Negro Day, Tracy suggests they march for integration. Link, unwilling to endanger his career, apologizes to Tracy and explains that he is scheduled to sing in front of talent scouts at the pageant. Edna returns to her husband Wilbur's shop, but Velma gets there first and tries to seduce him. Though he remains impervious to Velma's advances, Edna arrives to see Velma forcing him into a compromising position and furiously storms out. After accusing Wilbur of infidelity and changing the locks, Edna forbids Tracy to be on the show, but changes her mind after reconciling with Wilbur. The next morning, Tracy sneaks out of the house to join the protest, which is halted by a police roadblock. The protesters engage in a brawl, while Tracy runs to the Pingletons' home, where Penny hides her in a fallout shelter. However, Penny's staunchly religious mother Prudy reports Tracy to the police and ties Penny to her bed for "harboring a fugitive". Having been bailed out by Wilbur, Seaweed and his friends help Tracy and Penny escape. Link visits Tracy's house to find her, realizing that he loves her. Seaweed and Penny also acknowledge their love during the escape. With the pageant underway, Velma assigns police officers to guard the WYZT studio to prevent Tracy from entering and rigs the pageant tallies to guarantee Amber's victory. Penny arrives at the pageant with Edna, while Wilbur, Seaweed, and the Negro Day youths help Tracy infiltrate the studio. Link breaks away from Amber to dance with Tracy; later, he pulls Inez to the stage to dance in the pageant. Amber's attempt to reclaim her championship crown fails. Inez wins the pageant after a late surge of support, successfully integrating the program. Edna mans a camera to film Velma revealing her rigging scheme to Amber, resulting in Velma's dismissal. The set turns into a celebration as Tracy and Link cement their love by kissing.

Plot from Hairspray (2007 film)CC BY-SA 4.0