Counting Down My Favourite Flicks: "Hairspray" Quiz

Answer: Baltimore

The 2007 film, "Hairspray", is a remake of John Waters' 1988 film of the same name. Set in Maryland's largest city, Baltimore, the film follows the loveable, plump Tracy Turnblad, whose dream it is to become a famous dancer. The film opens with an upbeat number named "Good Morning Baltimore", which shows Tracy at her bubbly best, bursting into song and eager to start the day ahead.

Answer: Nicest

"The Corny Collins Show" is hosted by none other than Corny Collins himself, (played by James Marsden), who also has a group of teenage singers and dancers to support him. When introducing these characters on the show, the song, "The Nicest Kids in Town" is sung, leading up to the introduction of these council members, whose names are then listed, as they are introduced to the camera.

Answer: The pregnancy of one of its stars

Due to the pregnancy of Brenda, one of the show's Council Members, a spot opens up for a new member. Determined to seize this rare opportunity, Tracy skips school in order to audition, only to have her hopes dashed by the obnoxious Velma Von Tassle. For the vindictive Velma tells Tracy bluntly that her size is an issue, as is her support of integration, and so she is rejected, Later on in detention, which is Tracy's punishment for skipping school, she meets Seaweed, who performs on "The Corny Collins Show" on "Negro Day".

He and his friends are all wonderful dancers, and soon enough Tracy is dancing alongside them, impressing them with her moves.

Answer: Penny Pingleton

Penny Pingleton, (played by Amanda Bynes), is Tracy's best friend, and is never far from her side. Usually seen sucking on a lollipop, Penny is a sheltered girl, who is controlled by her overbearing mother, Prudy, who dislikes Tracy, and thinks of her as a bad influence on her daughter.

It is as a result of her friendship with Tracy that Penny meets Seaweed, who is the son of "The Corny Collins Show's" "Negro Day" host, Motormouth Maybelle. The pair are instantly attracted to each other, and, in spite of the ignorance they know they will face, they start a relationship.

Answer: False

Fearing he'll miss his chance at stardom at the Miss Teenage Hairspray pageant, which is scheduled to take place the day after the demonstration, Link tells Tracy that he cannot join her on the march through Baltimore. However when he later discovers that Tracy is on the run, having been accused of hitting a police officer with a fence picket, he realises that he has feelings for her, and turns up at the Turnblad residence, eager to make up for his earlier cowardice. On the day of the pageant, Link throws caution to the wind, and willingly jeopardises his chances of becoming a star, by dancing with Little Inez onstage, something he does happily, in an attempt to show his support for integration.

Answer: Velma Von Tussle

Midway through the film, Velma Von Tussle sets out to seduce Tracy's father, in an attempt to cause chaos in the Turnblad household. Her aim is to get Edna to ban her daughter from appearing on "The Corny Collins Show", which will then ensure that Velma's own daughter, Amber, secures the coveted title of Miss Teenage Hairspray. Though Wilbur, (Tracy's father), is oblivious to Velma's outrageous flirting, the latter gets lucky when Edna walks in on them unexpectedly. Seizing her opportunity, Velma grabs a stunned Wilbur, thus giving the impression that they have been caught in an illicit clinch.

Answer: A joke shop

Wilbur Turnblad, (played by Christopher Walken), is the proud owner of a joke shop called the Hardy-Har-Hut, which is located below the Turnblad's apartment. He is a kind and easy-going person, who is refreshingly naïve, and so when Velma Von Tussle, (played by Michelle Pfeiffer), tries to seduce him, he does not respond in the way she expects him to.

Indeed despite Velma's outrageous flirting, Wilbur is oblivious to it. In fact in the end, Velma is forced to literally throw herself at him, which she does, just in time for Wilbur's wife, Edna, to walk in on them. Needless to say, despite doing nothing wrong, poor Wilbur ends up having a lot of explaining to do.

Answer: I Can Hear the Bells

From the very beginning of the film, it is made clear that Tracy has a crush on Link, who is the lead male dancer on "The Corny Collins Show". Therefore when she bumps into him in school, it sparks one the most memorable songs in the film, "I Can Hear the Bells". Turning to her imagination, Tracy fantasises about not just being in a relationship with Link, but also marrying him.

At this point he is still attached to Amber Von Tussle, but it isn't long before Link begins to see Amber for who she really is - a mean, spiteful and bigoted person.

Answer: Amber

Prior to Tracy joining "The Corny Collins Show", it is spoiled teenager, Amanda Von Tussle, who is the star of the show. Helped by her mother, Velma, who just happens to be the manager of WYZT, the television station that airs "The Corny Collins Show", Amber seems destined for stardom, at least until Tracy Turnblad turns up. Like her mother before her, Amber too is racist and weightist, but by the end of the film she and Velma do finally get their comeuppance, and both are eventually brought down to earth with a bang.

Answer: Miss Teenage Hairspray

Seaweed's sister, and Motormouth Maybelle's daughter, Little Inez, is the one who wins the coveted Miss Teenage Hairspray title at the end of the film. For after Tracy succeeds in making her way to the stage, (despite being banned from it by Velma), the show is taken over by a variety of people, who would otherwise have been kept away by Amber's obnoxious mother.

At one point, even Tracy's mother takes the stage, as do the wonderful dancers from the show's "Negro Day". Moreover at the end, Corny announces the fact that the show is officially integrated, putting an end to "Negro Day", once and for all.