'Fat and old, but not boring'

The star is Tracy Turnblad (acted enthusiastically by Nikki Blonsky) who is obese, short and stout, but loves to move and dance, and is particularly thrilled by Negro music and steps. Tracy's father is Wilbur Turnblad (Christopher Walken, who steps out of his evil characterisations in many films), whose dream is a joke and magic store; he has it on an urban corner, and they all live above it.

Wilbur says: "This heart beats only for size 60", referring to the love of his life. She is Tracy's mother Edna Turnblad (John Travolta), who is so large and she has been so embarrassed by the consequences of her untamed appetite that she has not been out of the house since 1951. "The neighbours haven't seen me since I was size ten". Tracy tries to tell her that "people out there are different ... the world has changed".