Quick Movie Review: Good Hair (2009)

Good Hair (2009)

Bottomline: Fascinating but sloppy documentary.

Where Can I See This? It’s available for rent on DVD.

QMR Opinion: You learn something new every day. I would never ever had thought I would be so enthralled by a documentary dedicated to getting the inside scoop on black women’s hair. Chris Rock has two daughters, and he decided to look into the culture of black hair. So he hosts this documentary that does exactly that – looking in depth at the world of black hair and black hair products. And let’s just say I am amazed. The documentary is at its best when it stays focused on its stated mission. So the interviews with a number of prominent African-American entertainers and others (including everyone from Maya Angelou to Rave Symone to the Rev. Al Sharpton) are utterly spellbinding. Then we get a look at the multi-million dollar world of black hair products. We learn about weaves and how incredibly expensive they can be. The doc goes off the rails when it gets too focused on a hair styling competition in Atlanta and then there is a particularly awkward moment in a barber shop where the men go far afield and begin joking about sex with white women. Some honest editing could have fixed those issues and made the whole doc tighter and even more fascinating. But I was completely taken in and learned more about black hair, black hair culture and black hair products than I ever have.