Blow Dry (2001)

In 2000, a small town hosts The British Hairdressing Championship, where a former 2-time winner, his son, his run-away wife and his runaway wife's lady lover reside (not all on speaking terms).

Director:

Paddy Breathnach

Writer:

Simon Beaufoy

Stars:

Alan Rickman, Natasha Richardson, Rachel Griffiths

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alan Rickman	...	Phil Allen
Natasha Richardson	...	Shelley Allen
Rachel Griffiths	...	Sandra
Rachael Leigh Cook	...	Christina Robertson
Josh Hartnett	...	Brian Allen
Bill Nighy	...	Ray (Raymond) Robertson
Warren Clarke	...	Tony
Rosemary Harris	...	Daisy
Hugh Bonneville	...	Louis
Heidi Klum	...	Jasmine
Peter McDonald	...	Vincent
Michael McElhatton	...	Robert
David Bradley	...	Noah
Ben Crompton	...	Saul
Ann Rye	...	Margaret, Farmer's Wife (as Anne Rye)

Storyline

The annual British Hairdressing Championship comes to Keighley, a town where Phil and son Brian run a barbershop, and where Phil's ex-wife Shelly and her lover Sandra run a beauty salon, yet Phil and Shelly haven't talked in the ten years since she bolted. Shelley's just found out her cancer is terminal, and Ray Roberts, the reigning underhanded hairdressing champion, blows into town taunting Phil for retreating from competitive styling into barbering. Roberts also brings his daughter, Christina, who remembers Brian from when she was a little kid (as does he her). Everything's set: Brian decides to enter the competition with his mom and Sandra. Will Phil join in? Ray wants to win at any costs. Will Christina go along?

---

Plot Keywords:

bride and groom figurine | hair clippers | barber shop | hair salon | bed and breakfast | 

---

Taglines:

Love Is In The Hair

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language and brief nudity

Details

Country:

USA UK Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 March 2001 (UK)

Also Known As:

Coup de peigne

Filming Locations:

Batley, West Yorkshire, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$240,166, 11 March 2001, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$637,769, 8 April 2001

Company Credits

Production Co:

IMF Internationale Medien und Film GmbH & Co. Produktions KG, Intermedia Films, Mirage Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Rachael Leigh Cook turned down the role of Rogue in X-Men (2000) to make this film. She had no interest in working with CGI.

---

Goofs

Brian says that hair keeps on growing after you die. This is an urban legend that is not true, of which a cadaver barber ought to be well aware.

---

Quotes

Sandra: [singing, as Marilyn Monroe] A kiss on the lips could be quite continental, but diamonds are a girl's best -
Phil Allen: What the hell happened to you?
Sandra: The total look - Marilyn Monroe.
Phil Allen: Well, I didn't think you were the milkman.

---

Connections

References Viva Las Vegas (1964)

---

Soundtracks

You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet
Written by Randy Bachman
Published by Sony / ATV Music Publishing
Performed by Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Courtesy of Mercury Records Limited (London)
Licensed by kind permission of The Film & TV Licensing Division, part of the Universal Music Group

User Reviews

Surprisingly Good Fun

I tuned into this movie not really expecting very much. I mean, how interesting could a movie about the British Hair Dressing Championships be, anyway? In fact, what I found was a quite funny movie with enough human interest thrown in to make it a worthwhile movie.

The story revolves around a hair dressing family who have been broken apart when Shelly (Natasha Richardson) leaves Phil (Alan Rickman) for Sandra (Rachel Griffiths). Son Brian (Josh Hartnett) stays with dad Phil and works in a barber shop with his dad - quite a step down for Phil, who used to be one of the best British hair dressers. The family is brought back together when the Hair Dressing Championships come to their home town, and Phil, Shelley, Sandra and Brian pool their resources to beat their rivals.

It's all quite well done, and the hair styles are - well - unbelievable in some cases. But there's also the backdrop of Sandra's illness that she's hiding from her lover Shelley.

All in all, although I'm not at all interested in hair dressing, I throughly enjoyed the time I spent watching this. Give it a try. You'll like it.

6/10