Good Hair
Chris Rock’s Lighthearted Look at Sisters’ ‘Dos Arrives
on DVD
Good Hair
Rated PG-13 for profanity,
sexuality, drug references and partial nudity.
Running time: 95 minutes
Studio: HBO Films
Distributor: Lionsgate Home Entertainment
DVD Extras: Audio commentary by Chris Rock and producer Nelson George, and a
theatrical trailer.
DVD Review by Kam
Williams
Excellent (4 stars)
If you were raised in an African-American community, then you’re probably
very familiar with the notion of "good hair," a term that’s generally
applied to folks born with wavy locks which are less trouble to take care of
than the more tightly-curled or nappy variety. Back in the Sixties, at the
dawn of the black pride movement, the afro was embraced as an alternative to
adhering to the white standard of beauty associated with straight hair. But
the peasy natural proved to be a short-lived fad which unfortunately has
pretty much gone the way of the dashiki and the dinosaur.
Consequently, black hair care has blossomed over the years into a
multibillion-dollar industry promising sisters silky tresses via a variety
of avenues ranging from hot combs and relaxers to wigs and weaves.
Regardless of the combination picked, straight hair comes at a considerable
cost, given the toll this high-maintenance habit tends to exact not merely
financially, but also in terms of one’s time and mental and physical health.
It was this litany of concerns which caused Chris Rock to react
when his 5 year-old daughter, Lola, asked, "Daddy, why don’t I have good
hair?" Dismayed to think that she might already be struggling with a
sensitive self-esteem issue at such a tender age, he decided to do some
serious research in order to figure out exactly how to answer her sensibly.
So, accompanied by a camera crew, he embarked on an exhaustive
inquiry into the black hair care business from every angle, conducting
probing, if periodically comical interviews at beauty salons, barber shops,
conventions, factories and scientific labs all across the U.S. and overseas.
The product of that peripatetic prying is Good Hair, an alternately
jaw-dropping, informative and thought-provoking documentary featuring Rock
in a Michael Moore-like role as a witty, but never really mean-spirited
master of ceremonies.
The most alarming aspect of this entire expose’ revolves around the
widespread use of a substance known as sodium hydroxide, aka lye, aka
"creamy crack." Because sodium hydroxide can cause burning, scarring or
blindness if it comes in contract with human tissue in solutions greater
than 2%, it is no surprise that so many users suffer from scarring, scabs
and bald spots on their scalps. Thus, the sobering message Rock ultimately
delivers to his impressionable daughters is no surprise, namely, "that the
stuff on top of their heads is nowhere near as important as the stuff inside
their heads."
A "hair"-larious flick you have to laugh at to keep from crying.