Good Hair

2009
6.9| 1h35m| PG-13| en| More Info
Released: 23 October 2009 Released
Producted By: HBO Films
Country:
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: http://goodhairmovie.net/
Info

An exposé of comic proportions that only Chris Rock could pull off, GOOD HAIR visits beauty salons and hairstyling battles, scientific laboratories and Indian temples to explore the way hairstyles impact the activities, pocketbooks, sexual relationships, and self-esteem of the black community.

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Director

Jeff Stilson

Production Companies

HBO Films

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Good Hair Audience Reviews

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
Murphy Howard I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.
Rexanne It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.
fernandes_b I learned a lot from the documentary, but I thought it was sexist in all the talk about men financially supporting women's weaves. They said black women were "expensive" or "high maintenance". Who says men are paying for their hairdos? One of the women interviewed in the hair salon had her own business, the other was a teacher, so where did the assumption that men were paying for the hairdos came from? They didn't show any statistics to back that up.. Women are so hard-working, they are a huge part of the labor force, they don't just sit around all day getting weaves out of other people's pockets. I know the documentary wasn't about that, and I'm sure some women do get financial support for their hair, but that bothered me. Other than that, I feel this relevant issue that is connected to certain social and historical contexts and our consumer society should be more addressed in the media and Chris Rock is really doing his part.
FilmBrit I didn't quite get what and why this movie was made but it's clear that Chris Rock did it for a reason and after watching it, it was worth it.Just as you thought I knew it all, this movie came along. Being a documentary and a shocking one that is, who better to do it then Chris Rock.Seeing Chris Rock investigate and almost challenged by the trend of African American hair and it's culture and how it came about. Chris Rock fits the role (even for a documentary) perfectly.Believe it or not after watching the movie for fifty minutes into it, you'll find that Good Hair affects more then just the people but also the pop culture, lifestyle and people's finances affected by African American hair and by the end of it, you'll be sitting down almost amazed that such a massive culture exists as featured in this movie.Even thou the movie does clearly present what 'Good Hair' is about, it does feel a bit like a tidbit or accessory to watch but it's good enough to recommend.
Jim Gilligan "Good Hair" manages to both entertain and educate. As someone who has little interest in the culture of hair care among African Americans, I was intrigued by this film because it was written, narrated and executive produced by Chris Rock, a very intelligent, perceptive, and entertaining comedian. In addition, it examines the cultural aspects of the care and treatment of hair among black women as well as its importance as a mark of beauty. Black women endure the potential of physical injury from the chemicals used to straighten their hair, hours upon hours of treatment in order to achieve the precise look they desire, and costs well into the thousands—yes thousands—of dollars to purchase a weave. I was particularly fascinated by the bi-annual competition among hairdressers that take place at the industry trade shows—a combination of skill, spectacle, and outlandish creativity, these competitions must be seen to be believed.
foxface I enjoyed the movie Good Hair, because I felt it raised all of the issues regarding the African-American community and the thought process behind "good hair". This movie wasn't a preachy movie and introduced many concepts in a very subtle way ( the psyche of good hair, media images of black hair and acceptance/rejection of black hair in its natural state (the scene with high school girls, who tell the one girl with natural hair, she wouldn't be hired for a job and that she didn't look "together" was jarring.I felt the film did a good job of covering who controls the economics behind black hair (hardly any blacks, mainly whites and Asians) and the staggering amount of revenue ($9 billion annually) in the industry, generated by people who own less than a percent of the industry. The film looked at everyday people who get weaves, and pay serious money (the lay-away plan was sad, funny, and ingenious at the same time) and the reason they feel weaves are necessary. Calling relaxers "creamy crack"was funny and alarming at the same time. The health risks, the thought of lye and the discussion of scalp burns was right on target. The message regarding the impact of celebrity in our culture is so deep, that every day women will spend beyond their means to look like a Beyonce or Rhianna, though they don't have either of these women's financial means. The idea that straight "white" looking hair is equated with beauty and self worth was a undercurrent theme in this movie.The male point of view is represented by the rich and famous (Andre Harrell, Paul Mooney) and the barbershop. No matter what a black man's economic status is, they all were catching the same type of hell regarding not being able to touch a woman's weaved head. Rev. Al Sharpton was the exception to this dilemma, but didn't mention the limitations of having relaxed hair. Yet he did point out hair shouldn't sabotage a black woman's economic situation, but often does. Money spent on a weave could be spend on education or a 401K plan instead. Black men also feel the economic pinch the weave provides, because they often have to provide money for weave upkeep and to keep their relationship.The limitations of having a weave (no swimming, no touching the hair, can also be examined in the movie "Something New" which is also an examination of the weave culture in addition to interracial relationships between black women and white men. The question was posed do some black men deal with white women exclusively, because they can go swimming, and have their hair touched, opened up another can of worms. This movie can't explore all of the psyche behind the phrase "good hair" but does a good job of opening up the conversation.One thing the movie does is make the audience look at the children who looked too young to be putting chemicals in their tender scalps,and who seemed to be indoctrinated with the message that their hair needed to be straight in order for them to be considered pretty. That was just sad, because the people sending them those messages were their own mothers,grandmothers, and society at large. As a black woman with relaxed hair, I really have to think about the ideology, society, and the culture that has influenced the choice I've made regarding the hair choice I am making. These women are making a choice, but if they knew of the insidious nature that feeds the beast, would they or I consider a different reality, which is our natural hair?