The 2007 musical film starring John Travolta as a woman and based on a 1988 film is Hairspray. Set in 1962 Baltimore, it follows Tracy Turnblad, an ambitious teenager who wants to dance on a local television show and challenges racial segregation in its broadcasting and social world.
The film is adapted from the 2002 Broadway musical, which itself was based on John Waters's 1988 comedy Hairspray. Adam Shankman directed the new version, with Nikki Blonsky as Tracy, John Travolta as her mother Edna, and Christopher Walken as her father Wilbur. The cast also includes Queen Latifah, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, Brittany Snow, and James Marsden.
Travolta's casting continued a tradition of having a man play Edna. Divine portrayed the character in the 1988 film, and Harvey Fierstein played Edna in the Broadway musical. The role is built around comic performance, costume, and transformation rather than a change to the character's identity within the story.
Hairspray received three Golden Globe nominations and became a major commercial success, earning more than $200 million worldwide. Its themes combine upbeat song-and-dance spectacle with civil-rights history and a message about inclusion.