▁to ▁look ▁stupid ▁right ▁in ▁the ▁big ▁finale ." ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁response ▁H air sp ray ▁received ▁three ▁stars ▁from ▁critics ▁Gene ▁S isk el ▁and ▁Roger ▁E bert . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁holds ▁a ▁ 9 8 % ▁" cert ified ▁fresh " ▁rating ▁on ▁Rotten ▁Tomatoes , ▁based ▁on ▁ 4 2 ▁reviews ▁with ▁an ▁average ▁rating ▁of ▁ 7 . 8 / 1 0 . ▁It ▁is ▁W aters ' ▁second - high est - r ated ▁film ▁( be hind ▁Multiple ▁Man ia cs ) ▁on ▁the ▁website . ▁The ▁critical ▁cons ensus ▁states ▁that ▁" H air sp ray ▁is ▁perhaps ▁John ▁W aters ' ▁most ▁accessible ▁film , ▁and ▁as ▁such , ▁it ' s ▁a ▁g ently ▁sub vers ive ▁slice ▁of ▁retro ▁h ilar ity ." ▁John ▁W aters ▁wrote ▁that ▁his ▁all - time ▁favorite ▁review ▁of ▁H air sp ray ▁was ▁David ▁Ed el stein ' s ▁in ▁Rol ling ▁Stone : ▁" A ▁family ▁movie ▁both ▁the ▁Brad ys ▁and ▁the ▁Mans ons ▁could ▁ad ore ". ▁ ▁Box ▁office ▁H air sp ray ▁opened ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁in ▁ 7 9 ▁North ▁American ▁the aters , ▁where ▁it ▁gross ed ▁ 5 7 7 , 2 8 7 ▁in ▁its ▁opening ▁week end . ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 1 , ▁it ▁expanded ▁to ▁ 2 2 7 ▁the aters , ▁where ▁it ▁gross ed ▁$ 9 6 6 ,