Good Hair

2009
Director: Jeff Stilson

Plot: Chris Rock explores the wonders of African-American hairstyles.

Good Hair Makes for Light Fun
by C. True

Chris Rock makes for a great narrator and interviewer in Good Hair, and the documentary works mostly due to his approach to the topic at hand. He comes at his subject of black women and their hair with an attitude of curiosity and playfulness. It reminded me of my big brother’s bewilderment with some of my fashion statements during my youth and his ability to poke fun without being cruel or mean. Chris Rock is also generally confused and amused at the same time at his subject as well as the people he interviews and it makes for the right tone of funny without condescension. This isn’t a movie just for black people and it also isn’t a movie about black people for white people. It’s a project Chris Rock claims to have started after his young daughter asked him in tears one day why she dosen’t have good hair. So Chris Rock seems to have gone out to answer at least three important questions. 1) What is good hair? 2) What are the techniques for obtaining good hair? 3) How far does the quest for good hair go?

The documentary starts introducing contestants for hair styling competition at the Bronner Brothers International Hair Show in Atlanta. In this completely over-the-top competition stylists must cut and style at least three people during the performance, they must present a coherent theme in the performance and they can have no more than 10 people on stage at any time. Editing of the film makes a fun surprise by holding back on introducing the most feared competitor at Bronner Brothers to reveal that he is in fact an effeminate white guy named Jason Griggers, who learned how to do black hair in a beauty school. Although all the contestants are odd Jason is definitely one of a kind. He allows Chris Rock to film a botox session in preparation of the show and while everyone else practices their performances with great seriousness and dedication Jason never bothers rehearsing his performance, such is his confidence in his hair-styling ability, not to mention showmanship. After the introduction of the competitors in the hair show Chris Rock begins by investigating the common usage of hair “relaxers”, asking what are they and should we really do this to a three-year old. He interviews various black celebrities including Maya Angelou who is as cute as a bug in a rug. When Chris Rock asks her how old she was when she had her hair relaxed for the first time she indicates it wasn’t until she was 70. Chris starts to exclaim “So you went your whole life without…” to be cutoff by an adorably indignant Angelou exclaiming right back “Not my whole life, I’m not dead yet!” Rock also has some expert witnesses to interview including a chemist who is shocked to find out the hydrogen peroxide is put on people’s head as a “relaxer” everyday. He demonstrates the chemicals ability to eat through a soda can and suggests its relaxing characteristics are due to its ability to break down proteins, not something you’d necessarily like on to put on your head. After relaxers Rock delves into the mysterious and pricey world of weaves questioning salons on price and layaway plans and the technique for sewing it on. He also spends time investigating where this hair used in weaves comes from. It’s India where girls frequently shave off their hair, which is culturally viewed as a sign of vanity, at temples. This free temple-hair which sells for big bucks in LA wouldn’t be enough to satisfy the American market and the funniest interview of the film is with a Hair Black Market Expert in India. When Rock asks how one illegally acquires hair the “expert” gives him a condescending look and replies “Girls sleep right?” and goes on to elaborate on his late night hair-snatching escapades. The movie ends of course with the Bronner Brother’s Hair Competition and it is as elaborate and at times ridiculous as expected. Although Rock gets into racial issues from time to time (no one wants their weave made out of black hair, and there are few black-owned companies in the hair market) the general tone is light-hearted and makes for a silly and fun hour and a half.