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With nothing more than the slightly sudsy
shampoo girl Lynn in tow (who also tells Christophe to put it where the
hair spray can don’t shine), Gina finds herself what is probably the
most rundown salon in Atlanta (obviously still in ruins from Sherman’s
march) and proceeds to make her dreams come true. The good news - some
willing (and quite eccentric) stylists who come with the salon, the most
intriguingly kaleidoscopic group of clientele and for just a little bit
of romantic friction, one sexy electrician named Joe.
Starting with a stylish make over for the
salon, Gina soon finds herself elbow deep in coloring solution as she
tries to bring the stylists over to her way of thinking, win over the
old timers with her new ways and above all, get old society gals from
Christophe’s to cross over the tracks and integrate the
neighborhood...and all of it with one raucous round of laughter after
another.
The casting is as eclectic as the
characters themselves. The Queen is nothing short of regal as Gina. With
a diva attitude and a rapid fire delivery that is only surpassed by her
comedic visuals, who could not want to dish the dirt with the girls on a
Saturday afternoon at the salon. Alicia Silverstone as the squeaky clean
naive country bumpkin Lynn is a perfect counterpart to Latifah. Always
under-rated as a comedienne, Silverstone more than proves her mettle and
shines; eliciting laughs with every look and syllable uttered. Alfre
Woodard is a hoot and a holler as the Maya Angelou quoting Miss
Josephine while Andie MacDowell is chaotically charming as society maven
Terri Green. But, complete with one of the worst perms in history
(although my mother has given me worse), it’s Kevin Bacon who steals
every scene as the Euro-trash Jorge Christophe. From the moment he hits
the screen, your sides start aching with laughter. And I would be remiss
not to mention some delightful li! ttle cameos by Della Reese as Mrs
Towner and the once cute as can be Rudy Huxtable, Keshia Knight Pulliam,
as Darnelle.
Written by Kate Lanier and Norman Vance,
Jr., the plot is essentially formulaic and cookie-cutter but manages to
rise above the average and mundane with some rather risque and spiced up
dialogue, some brassy broads (and brawn) and the skilled eye of director
of Bille Woodruff. "Beauty Shop" could have been just another
ho-hum new release that hits DVD the following week, but thanks to the
chemistry of the cast and the good sense of Woodruff to see that and run
with it, and nailing the entire beauty shop experience and concept to a
tee, we have a sure fire winner that capitalizes on its assets. Another
asset is the beauty shop itself. Without such a well-known commodity as
a back drop to the daily dish-the-dirt sessions, a lot of the punch
would have been punchless. And the setting of Atlanta, integrating the
remains of the old South with the new hip-hop is worth its weight in
hair clips! One downfall - a slow start with some uneven pacing that
doesn’t find its footing until! just about halfway into the film. A
big plus - the second half more than makes up for the any flaws early
on.
So come on - pull up a chair, put your
head back and join in the fun and frolic of "Beauty Shop." It’s
guaranteed to shampoo your troubles away.
Gina Norris: Queen Latifah
Lynn: Alicia Silverstone
Jorge Christophe: Kevin Bacon
Terri Green: Andie MacDowell
Miss Josephine: Alfre Woodard: Terri
Green
Directed by Bille Woodruff. Written by
Kate Lanier and Norman Vance, Jr. based on a story by Elizabeth Hunter.
Rated PG-13.
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