In Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews sings that "a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down." The producers of Hairspray, directed by Adam Shankman and based on the Broadway musical, which in turn was based on John Water’s 1988 film, seem to have realized that and used several cupsful of sweetness to get their message across. That message concerns racism.

In the 1950s and early ’60s, practically every large American city had at least one live, late-afternoon program devoted to teen music and the gyrations it inspired. The best known of these, Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, premiered as a local show in Philadelphia in 1956, was picked up by ABC a year later, and ran for decades.

Hairspray is set in Baltimore in 1962, and its dance program is The Corny Collins Show, hosted by Collins (the amazingly versatile James Marsden). Like Dick Clark, Collins smiles through everything to keep the show running smoothly. A pleasingly plump girl, Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky), auditions for the show but is initially turned down by the icy Velma Von Tussle (Michelle Pfeiffer in an attention-getting comeback performance). Collins disagrees, and Turnblad appears on the show. Much to the consternation of Von Tussel and her own daughter, Amber (Brittany Snow), Tracy becomes such an overnight hit that her nebbish dad, Wilbur (Christopher Walken), creates a business selling Tracy memorabilia out of his curio and magic tricks shop.

The Corny Collins Show has one "Negro Day" per month. Tracy wants to abolish Negro Day, and instead have an integrated show for every broadcast. Tension escalates, and tempers finally explode at the Miss Hairspray Competition. I don’t need to tell you who wins.

Tracy’s attempts to integrate Corny’s show are treated as a side plot as our attention is willingly diverted by a string of fabulous song-and-dance numbers. Right from Tracy’s zippy opening number, "Good Morning Baltimore," an energy sizzles off the screen that sweeps away any analysis or negative thoughts in a riptide of bouncing beats, uplifted hearts, and twisting hips. The entire cast shines. My favorite scene is one in which Tracy’s mother and father sing and dance their love ("Timeless to Me"). Tracy’s mom, Edna Turnblad, is played by John Travolta, who at 53 still has his dance moves going, even in drag and in a fat suit. He plays Edna for real: as sweet as her daughter, and as feisty.

Other cast members deserve mention. Queen Latifah gets high marks as record-store owner Motormouth Maybelle, with a bearing as regal as her name, and fabulous singing. It’s the best thing she’s done since Chicago. Zac Efron, from High School Musical, who plays Link Larkin, can sing and act, looks like a young Ray Liotta, and has intense charisma. If he picks his roles well, he’ll go far. Jerry Stiller has an amusing bit as a dress-store owner, and John Waters himself has a cameo as a flasher. The entire cast seems to have had a lot of fun making this movie, and their spirit infects the viewer.

I can’t guarantee that you’ll leave the theater whistling a tune from Hairspray -- the songs, however serviceable, are forgettable. But it seems likely you’ll at least be smiling.

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