Good Hair (2009)

Chris Rock explores the wonders of African-American hairstyles.

Director:

Jeff Stilson

Writers:

Lance Crouther, Paul Marchand (ghostwriter)

Stars:

Chris Rock, Maya Angelou, Al Sharpton

5 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Tanya Crumel	...	Herself - Hair Battle Contestant
Kevin Kirk	...	Himself - Hair Battle Contestant
Jason Griggers	...	Himself - Hair Battle Contestant
Maya Angelou	...	Herself
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marvet Britto	...	Herself
A'Lelia Bundles	...	Herself
Vanessa Bell Calloway	...	Herself
Eve	...	Herself
Farrah Fawcett	...	Herself (archive footage)
Melyssa Ford	...	Herself
Meagan Good	...	Herself
Andre Harrell	...	Himself
Ice-T	...	Himself
Cheryl 'Salt' James	...	Herself (as Salt-N-Pepa)
Sarah Jones	...	Herself

Storyline

Chris Rock, a man with two daughters, asks about good hair, as defined by Black Americans, mostly Black women. He visits Bronner Brothers' annual hair convention in Atlanta. He tells us about sodium hydroxide, a toxin used to relax hair. He looks at weaves, and he travels to India where tonsure ceremonies produce much of the hair sold in America. A weave is expensive: he asks who makes the money. We visit salons and barbershops, central to the Black community. Rock asks men if they can touch their mates' hair - no, it's decoration. Various talking heads (many of them women with good hair) comment. It's about self image. Maya Angelou and Tracie Thoms provide perspective.

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Plot Keywords:

hair | self image | sodium hydroxide | convention | chemical | 

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Taglines:

Sit back and relax.

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Genres:

Documentary | Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some language including sex and drug references, and brief partial nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 October 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hårfint

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,043,732, 9 October 2009, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$4,157,104, 28 February 2010

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chris Rock Entertainment, HBO Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Singer Jamelia covered similar territory in her 2008 documentary Jamelia: Whose Hair Is It Anyway? (2008).

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Quotes

Ice-T: ...trust me, if a woman ain't happy with herself, she's going to bring nothing but pain to every f'ing body around her.

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Connections

Featured in The Jay Leno Show: Episode #1.14 (2009)

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Soundtracks

Cigar Edie
Written by Hadley Caliman
Performed by Hadley Caliman
Courtesy of Pure/Mainstream
By arrangement with Hunnypot Unlimited

User Reviews

The hair isn't the only thing that's good!

I have to say, the topic of this documentary had me curious from the get-go because I was simply interested to see if it could possibly make a decent documentary. Well, the answer is yes, it most definitely did. Good Hair came to fruition after Chris Rock's young daughter asked him "why don't I have good hair?" Being a man, he had no idea how to answer the question but began to ask himself, what is good hair? What does good hair mean to a black woman and what does hair say about African-American identity? His search brings him to a hair convention in Atlanta, a barbershop in Harlem, a temple in India and many other interesting places. To discuss here what truths Chris Rock reveals in this documentary would ruin the element of surprise, as some of the content is actually quite shocking. However, Rock never attempts to be Michael Moore. The subject is treated with amusement and respect but never over-dramatic or heavy. Chris Rock proves to be a smart, funny guide through the black hair industry and he makes the film a joy to watch at all times. There was not one dull moment in this documentary, every point that is discussed is utterly fascinating and usually hilarious. There is a sad reality that black women's sense of beauty is based on Asian and European women's hair and that these women feel having and Afro is seen as unkempt. There are two popular alternatives. One is relaxant, which straightens black women's hair. This relaxant is a frighteningly potent chemical which strips the hair and burns the scalp, but it permanently straightens the hair. The other option is a weave, which is a fascinating concoction. A weave is a wig, literally sewn into the hair. It takes hours to fit and they are jaw-droppingly expensive. Rather chauvinistically, but still very interesting, Rock chooses to focus not on the economic ramifications of this constant expense in black women's lives, but rather the expense on black men. He asks if they worry when they meet a woman, about paying for their weaves for potentially the rest of their lives. He discusses with them the issue of touching the weave. Apparently, this is a big problem between black men and women, one man claiming he hasn't touched a black woman's hair since 1986, and he remembers that occasion vividly. Good Hair is an exceptional documentary which manages to shock, while making you laugh. It is brimming with lovable and fascinating characters and most importantly, it is infused with a sense of fun and good natured curiosity. This is delightfully insightful and incredibly entertaining. I cannot recommend this film highly enough. The random story of black women's hair is one of the most fascinating stories you'll see all year. If you don't believe me, check it out for yourself!