Finding Hope in Hairspray

The movie Hairspray was one of my wife’s few Christmas gift wishes and, well, er uh, Santa obliged. On New Year’s Eve, we opened the DVD and huddled together with some friends to watch the story unfold on “the big screen” (okay our TV) at home. It’s hard to huddle and snuggle with this movie, though. It’s all toe-tappin’, heart-tuggin’, hand-clappin’ musical nonsense, clothed with an implausible storyline. Set in 1962 against the backdrop of the civil rights movement, it’s a kind of “March on Washington” meets “American Bandstand.” But, don’t laugh. In this movie, it works.

The cast? There’s teen idol Zac Efron, who plays, well, a teen idol. And Michelle Pfeiffer, who plays the scheming foil to every noble impulse. And John Travolta-dressed-as-a-woman, playing the heroine’s mother. And the lead, newcomer Nikki Blonsky (playing a character named Tracy Turnblad), a plus-sized teenaged vocal power-house with big hair whose seemingly endless virtue, hope-for-the-best, I’m-going-to-dream-the-impossible-dream, persona is irresistible. And don’t forget Queen Latifah, Christopher Walken, and James Marsden, too. Need I say more? Yes, yes, it’s kind of a “chick flick.” Warm and fuzzy. Boyfriends and girl-friends and silly crushes in the hall-way. Still, I was surprised,for all of that, how much I liked it; it’s all about hope.

The plot line is absurd. Would Tracy really ever be chosen to star as one of the beautiful people? Can a study hall really be the venue where the dream of integrating 60’s Baltimore is actually born? Can corrupt media moguls and bigot-ed police officers really be thwarted by a bigger “ugly Betty” and her dance moves? That’s what you’d have to believe to believe this movie. Don’t laugh. It works. The reason this movie works is because it appeals to the hope in all of us that some-how, someway, the right always prevails— and that ordinary people like you and me have the potential to be on the winning team. There’s something irresistible not just about Nikki Blonksy aka Tracy Turnblad, but about the whole idea that we can rise above the stereotypes and obstacles others put in our way.

I may not be able to sing. Or dance. Or integrate Baltimore. But I can believe the best, call out the best, and be the best beyond what others tell me. I can dream for more than I am, to discover more than I can see beyond my front door, to inspire others because I refuse to simply accept the status quo.

Wait a minute. Is there a bridge to the Bible here? Of course. Every hopeful story is a bridge to the Bible. Because hope is one of the three eternal realities the Scripture tells us will never pass away. Dreams, breathed by God, will appear impossible to those around us, but can, nevertheless, come to life. The right will trump the wrong, every time (even if it takes time). Life should be an adventure, in which we are set free and in which we help others to be free, too.

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Jim, it’s just a goofy movie. Yes. It’s also a great way to start the new year. Don’t run away from your dreams, just because they seem too far out there. Pray about them. Chase them. Reach for them. Dreams work. Never forget that.

Faith. Hope. And, Love. These three. What part of your world will you change in 2008?