Good Hair

Chris Rock Director: Jeff Stilson, Claudia Alves

Overview

In the movie School Daze, Spike Lee staged a dance number in which two bands of African-American college students debated the merits of "Straight and Nappy" hair in song, and now comedian Chris Rock and filmmaker Jeff Stilson have extended the conversation to a full-length film in this witty documentary with serious undertones. Rock says he was inspired to make the film when his young daughter asked him, "Daddy, how come I don't have good hair?" and he and Stilson examine black America's obsession with their hair as they visit the Bronner Brothers International Hair Show, an annual trade show for the African-American hair care industry which includes fierce competitions among stylists from around the country and demonstrations of new hair products and techniques. Along the way, Rock also talks to a number of African-American luminaries about their hair issues (including Maya Angelou, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Nia Long, Raven Symone, Ice-T, and Paul Mooney), researches the dangers of many common hair-straightening treatments, reveals the surprising expense of regular hair "relaxing" and weaves, and ponders what the pursuit of straight hair says about African-American cultural identity. Good Hair received its world premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/16/2010
UPC:	0031398118336
Original Release:	2009
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Lions Gate
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:35:00

Special Features

Audio Commentary with Chris Rock and Producer Nelson George; ; Theatrical Trailer; ; cc

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Chris Rock	Host
Maya Angelou	Actor
Marcus Miller	Composer
Kerry Washington	Actor

Technical Credits

Jeff Stilson

Chris Rock

Lance Crouther

Chuck Sklar

Jeff Stilson	Director,Screenwriter,Producer
Chris Rock	Screenwriter,Producer
Lance Crouther	Screenwriter
Chuck Sklar	Screenwriter
Jenny Hunter	Producer
Kevin O'Donnell	Producer
Nelson George	Executive Producer,Producer
Claudia Alves	Director
Gabriel Serrano	Sound/Sound Designer
Robert Jackson	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

It's no easy feat, this state of follicular well-being described in the title Good Hair. A comedic documentary from producer/star Chris Rock and director Jeff Stilson, Good Hair has several complementary agendas, the best of which is simply examining how much effort (and money) African-American women put into maintaining their hair. For many, it isn't actually "their" hair at all, but an expensive weave -- extensions made of real hair that may have originated in a far-flung location like India, where it may have been shaved off during a religious ceremony. Other women endure serious skin burns from the harsh chemical treatments they get to straighten their natural curls. Rock's man-on-the-street interviews with hair-industry professionals and salon customers are always funny and revealing, but perhaps even more telling are the studio interviews with celebrities, who cop to a variety of insider secrets that might undermine the illusion of authenticity they're trying to project -- an illusion that may be key to their very marketability. As frivolous as some of these extreme practices may seem, Good Hair makes it clear they're a core part of the modern identity of African-American women, necessitated by what magazines and society have decided to label "beautiful." The film is less interesting when it follows top stylists preparing to compete against each other, and all the pageantry that entails. But that portion does provide a necessary sense of forward momentum, as well as introducing some characters who are so eccentric, Christopher Guest would have to invent them if they didn't already exist. Good Hair is a funny movie, to be sure -- sometimes very funny. Chris Rock doesn't know any other way. But it's clear Rock also needs these laughs to soften a tragic reality: too many black women are conditioned to think they should loathe their hair.