A scene from “Good Hair”.
Chris Rock’s much-anticipated documentary about the complex relationship between black women and their hair had a limited-release opening Friday, so while we wait for the nationwide release, we’ll offer you a few snippets from CurlTalkers and national reviewers. We’ll have a full review shortly after the movie opens nationwide on October 23.
CurlTalker KsLiZCuRlZ: “I am 14 and have natural hair. I think the movie didn’t promote relaxers at all. It actually made fun of it in a way. Everything it said is true. Relaxers do burn hair and scalp, black girls do get weaves, black girls are afraid of getting their hair wet.and OMG DONT TOUCH A BLACK GIRLS HAIR. Its not true with all, but you just don’t take the chance. He made it clear that he thought what he heard was ridiculous. I laughed a lot and sometimes me and my friends took a serious note. At the end we walked out saying ” I will never get a relaxer or weave” All because of what we saw. I LOVED IT.”
CurlTalker Curlygoddess: “It is a definite must see even though most of us already know the facts. I think it will open the eyes of rest of America as well as create open dialogue about the topic to make a lot of black women think about the things they do to their hair and why they do them.”
The New York Times film critic Jeanette Catsoulis: “Though “Good Hair” embraces the pain, digging gingerly into wounds both political and personal, the film feels more like a celebration than a lament. Spirited, probing and frequently hilarious, it coasts on the fearless charm of its front man and the eye-opening candor of its interviewees, most of them women — including the actress Nia Long and the hip-hop stars Salt-n-Pepa — and all of them ready to dish.
“In fact, one of the happy consequences of “Good Hair” should be a radical increase in white-woman empathy for their black sisters. Whether in thrall to “creamy crack,” a scary, aluminum-dissolving chemical otherwise known as relaxer (what it’s really relaxing, observes Mr. Rock astutely, is white people”>, or the staggeringly expensive and time-consuming weave (often available on layaway plan”>, the women in the film bare heads and hearts with humor and without complaint.
Los Angeles Times film critic Betsy Sharkey: “The documentary “Good Hair” (is”> an amusing, poignant and surprisingly candid look at the topic with a disarming Rock coaxing answers and opinions from an eclectic cross section of African Americans, including Maya Angelou, Al Sharpton, actresses, models, stylists and everyday patrons of barber shops and beauty parlors around the country.
“The documentary uses comparison rather than condemnation to make its key points. ….Rock interviews a scientist analyzing the ingredients found in typical straightening products. The demonstration shows they can eat through a soda can in a few hours. That’s followed by conversations with girls as young as 5 having their hair straightened. No, they don’t like the process, but they love the result. We can connect the dots.”
The Associated Press film critic Jesse Washington: “Chris Rock sheds new light on this old story through a poignant mix of interviews, investigation and his trademark satire.
“Rock is the perfect “Good Hair” host. His ad-libbed quips and silly-serious questions put interview subjects and viewers at ease with this sometimes painful reality, keeping them laughing instead of crying. And when Rock ventures into a hair store trying to sell some kinky “black hair” to the Asian owner, his comedy cuts to the root of the issue in a way Ken Burns never could. ‘Everyone want straight hair,’ the owner says. ‘It look more natural.’ “
