Adam Shankman's adaptation of the stage musical Hairspray, itself an adaptation of the non-musical John Watters film of the same name, stars Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad, an overweight high-school student whose only dream is to be on a local Baltimore teen dance program. While her father (Christopher Walken) tells her to follow her dreams, her mother (John Travolta in a fat suit) reminds her that she doesn't look like the girls on that show. After impressing the show's host (James Marsden), Tracy earns a coveted spot on the program, but when she becomes a popular addition to the cast she earns the wrath of the prettiest girl in school - a girl whose mother just happens to operate the local television station. Soon Tracy learns about racial tension when everyone learns of the budding relationship between her best friend and an African-American boy. Eventually Tracy attempts to integrate the races on her favorite program.