Good Hair

As the debate between black women who swear by their relaxers and weaves and those who are staunchly against such ideals of beautification is an unwinnable one, comedian Chris Rock largely steers clear of the discussion in his recent film, Good Hair. Instead, the notoriously blunt social commentator relies on a question raised by his daughter and her perceived lack of "good hair" to launch an investigation into an industry of hair products that, while used almost exclusively by blacks, is only about ten-percent black-owned. Against the backdrop of Atlanta's massive annual Bronner Brother's Hair Show, Rock delves into the length to which women will go to keep their hair tight, following a trail of burnt scalps and blown rent cheques all the way to India, the primary source of "black" hair with bounce. Through an interesting jaunt, many of the film's more revealing and, at times, hilarious moments come through the comedian's interviews, with Rock taking a seat in the pews of America's great chapel of black social commentary: the barber shop. Seeing the faces of the downtrodden men who have to make the choice between three square meals and the wife's weave payments, though likely not a representative portrait, is priceless nonetheless. The many celebrities who sit down and confess their hair secrets and horror stories ― from Nia Long, Melyssa Ford and Raven Symoné to Ice-T and Al Shapton ― make for further comic relief, but the DVD's most redeeming moments are saved, oddly enough, for the audio commentary, the disc's sole additional content. It's here that Rock and co-producer Nelson George (apart from breaking down interesting changes in the film's direction and the many golden moments that didn't make the final cut) offer up their true feelings on the topic. While it's far from enough to warrant picking up the DVD if you've already seen the theatrical release, that commentary definitely helps to view the film in a new light.