Chris Rock has a new documentary, titled Good Hair, coming out on Friday, and can you take a guess of what it’s about… Hair! A better description is Chris Rock’s journey across the United States and into India, to shine a light on all the things black women are willing to do to their hair to get it to look the way they want it. Why are women spending everything they have to have what they think of is “good hair?” From weaves to relaxing and the fear of wearing it natural, Rock takes us for a ride leaving us with the real question: Is his movie about hair is any good?

Check out the players, the plot, the good, and the bad…

The Players

• Director: Jeff Stilson
• Writers: Chris Rock, Jeff Stilson, Lance Crouther, and Chuck Sklar
• Producers: Chris Rock, Nelson George, and Kevin O’Donnell
• Starring: Chris Rock, Nia Long, Raven Symone, Salt N Pepa, Ice-T, Reverend Al Sharpton, Dr. Maya Angelou, Eve, and Paul Mooney

The Plot

Good Hair is a hilarious documentary led by Chris Rock that sheds light on the emotions, time, and pain black women go through to get “good hair.” The film is a mixture of interviews with barber shop patrons, people in the hair industry, and various celebrities all talking about their experiences with hair. The film highlights the dangerous chemicals that are regularly used to relax black womens’, and many times young girls, hair to achieve what the soft look. It moves onto the discussion of weaves and where the hair is coming from.

The Good

• The Humor: The movie was definitely very funny because it didn’t rely on Chris Rock to deliver the hilarity (although he definitely added to it), it had it on it’s own. The funny moments came from people being interviewed, their personalities and stories about their hair. There was an amazing story behind how Pepa, from Salt-N-Pepa, achieved her famous look from the “Push It” video, which will have you rolling on the floor, along with a number of unexpected one-liners.
• It’s Focus: When it comes down to it, you can talk about weaves and bad perms for days and it would be hilarious, but you’ve got to have a story to tell and they did. Beneath the humor, they were focused on a real message. The movie did not stray from what they were discussing and it was interesting from start to finish.
• It Mixed it Up: The film included a diverse group of interviewees, including Raven Symone, Nia Long, Dr. Maya Angelou, Ice-T, Reverend Al Sharpton, girls in high school, and various people in barber shops across the country. It literally went everywhere and talked to everyone. It dealt with worldwide issues such as Indian hair and the growing market for it, shows how far these issues go. As well as the more personal effects of the problem, such as woman’s weaves destroying relationships due to money problems and a lack of intimacy.
• Chris Rock: Chris Rock was a great interviewer. He did not overshadow the people, he was respectful, and added in the touches of humor when they were most needed. Bravo.
• Reverend Al Sharpton: Normally we hear Al Sharpton talk about African-Americans in society and his political messages, but this time he talks about his flowly locks. Oh my, there were some amazing pictures of him in his younger days. That man had a ‘do like none other.

The Bad

• Not enough Jheri curls: If you are going to talk about Black people and their hair, it is imperative you talk about the Jheri curl. There was nothing! Only one guy at the very end who had one! However, in the interview with Chris Rock, there is a whole section that talks about the Jheri curl which will hopefully be on the DVD.
• Too much about the hairstyling battle: Throughout the movie, it continuously went back to the hairdressers and the show they put on at the convention in Atlanta. The movie would be in the middle of one section, then it would cut back to these four hairdressers. After a while, it really wasn’t that interesting, and the personalities were a little boring. It was just a little too much and they could have trimmed down that section.

Overall

Overall, the movie was hilarious and really informative. It might not sound like something an average person would care about, but it is fun to watch and informative. Honestly, I had no idea how much time, money, and pain went into a black woman’s hair. The only part that was a misstep was too much of the movie focused on the hairstyling battle. Otherwise, I would highly recommend it.

Rating: 7.9/10

Good Hair will be on a limited release on October 9, then in wide release on October 23

Watch the trailer…