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Felt issues were outdated. Movie should have been released 10 years earlier. Still cute movie.

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This article contains spoilers.
Black women's hair is, and has been policed by everyone, from our family members, to our men, to white people, to the extent that hair has been used as a political statement to fight against what is deemed professional or beautiful. Just last month, we saw a 12-year-old boy banned from a school in Fulham for not cutting his dreadlocks off.

With the release of Netflix's latest original movie, Nappily Ever After , an adaption of Trisha R. Thompson's novel of the same name, conversations have erupted around the film on black twitter dividing opinions along the way.

A romantic comedy, though outdated, far-fetched and little predictable at times, Nappily Ever After is still light-hearted and comedic in depicting the story of a woman's path to navigating societal beauty standards placed on her. Although it would have been great had it been released earlier, as the natural hair movement has been around for over a decade now, it is still relevant to the struggles of black women today around the world in regards to our hair.

It's common to be hit with the familiar line from older parents and relatives "so when are you going to do your hair?"

The movie was Directed by Haifaa Al Mansour, Saudi Arabia's first female director, famous for her radical movie , which brought the 44-year-old director international acclaim. In Nappily Ever After , the protagonist, Violet (Sanaa Lathan), has the perfect job, perfect house, and seemingly perfect life. She does, however, have issues with control, and gains her self-worth by the straightness of her hair, whilst also being obsessed with upholding everyone else's idea of perfection for her life.

The story opens with an 11-year-old Violet jumping into a pool after being challenged by a boy much to her mum's disapproval, to then be ridiculed by the same boy and others when her hair reverts to its natural state. Throughout the movie we witness her overbearing mother (Lynn Whitfield) whose preoccupation with appearance and what it is to be ladylike and feminine is inherited by Violet. This feeds into the notion that black mothers are the principal shapers of our identity as black women, therefore passing on their positive and negative views of self onto us.

Paulette's views highlight the generational issue of this ingrained mentality that natural hair is unacceptable, unprofessional and undesirable during a time in which relaxers and wearing wigs was the norm. Many naturals will know, when wearing their hair in its natural state for the first time, it's common to be hit with the familiar line from older parents and relatives "so when are you going to do your hair?"

Like this, there are many other relatable moments in the movie - young black girls being at the mercy of the hot comb, curly perm or relaxer are seen through young Violet's detailing of her hair routine. Other examples include the fear of sweating during intimacy or physical activities shown through Violet not allowing Clint (Ricky Whittle) to touch her hair during a sexual encounter.

Will comes out with some questionable lines such as: "didn't the hum of the clippers (after Violet's big chop) sound like Harriet Tubman calling you to freedom?" Please kindly leave Harriet Tubman out of this.

The climax however comes when Violet's life slowly begins to go downhill after her breakup from her boyfriend, and in a drunken moment shaves off her hair. It is only then that she is forced to face the person hiding underneath the hair that she used a crutch for her insecurities. Lathan acts out perfectly the whirlwind of emotions that come with cutting away something seen as so intrinsic to many women's identities.

The storyline, however, feels underdeveloped in some places, with some scenes seeming unrealistic; the character of Will, the 'woke yet judgemental' hairdresser (Lyric Benet) who Violet starts seeing after her breakup, comes out with some questionable lines such as: "what brothers want is a woman who is real" (lol okay bro); and "didn't the hum of the clippers (after Violet's big chop) sound like Harriet Tubman calling you to freedom?" Please kindly leave Harriet Tubman out of this.

Moreover, Violet's strange codependency on her mother doesn't feel believable at times. It's unclear whether she couldn't straighten her own hair (there's also such as thing as relaxer just putting it out there) or if her mother arrived at her house at 5am to do it for her was intended to be a bonding moment. We need answers.

The conclusion was somewhat subversive - not your usual happy ending for a romcom. Instead of finding a man who loves her, she chooses to love herself and the person she is growing into - a liberated, self-independent, happy woman. If you were looking for something thought-provoking, you might be better off watching Jeff Stilson's 2009 documentary, . Nonetheless, Nappily Ever After is a light, witty and humorous portrayal of a woman reclaiming her own identity - and for that, I would recommend watching.
Nappily Ever After is now available on Netflix.

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'Nappily Ever After' review: relatable, but not revolutionary | gal-dem

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This article contains spoilers. Black women's hair is, and has been policed by everyone, from our family members, to our men, to white people, to the extent that hair has been used as a political statement to fight against what is deemed professional or beautiful.

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review is negative toward movie. Good ingredients, just didn't work. Romance lost in telling hair story.

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By the end of its animated credits, I understood that Netflix's latest romantic comedy, Nappily Ever After based on a novel by Trisha R. Thomas, was trying to offer the charm of beloved 1990s black romantic comedies and dramas like The Best Man, Love Jones, and Waiting to Exhale. Directed by Haifaa al-Mansour, the film aims to be a frothy, uplifting confection, acknowledging the unique mores black women navigate and admiring their resilience. It isn't meant to reinvent the genre or challenge viewers' ideas - it's cinematic comfort food. Unfortunately, instead of coming across as a warm throwback, Nappily Ever After is a romantic comedy saddled with a reductive understanding of black womanhood without enough cast chemistry or beauty to distract us.

When we first meet Violet Jones (Sanaa Lathan), a high-strung marketing exec obsessed with embodying everyone else's idea of perfection, she's slipping out of bed to do her makeup and have her marriage-obsessed mother (Lynn Whitfield) flat-iron her hair - all before her handsome boyfriend, Clint (Ricky Whittle), wakes up. But Violet is headed toward a breakdown even if no one else realizes it. When she gets a puppy instead of a marriage proposal from Clint (how she's angry about getting an adorable puppy I'll never understand), Violet unravels. She leaves Clint, shaves her head after several botched makeover attempts, rethinks her career, sparks a flirtation with a hairdresser, Will (Lyriq Bent, recently seen in Netflix's She's Gotta Have It), and decides to mentor his gratingly precocious daughter, Zoe (Daria Johns).

Nappily Ever After has some of the necessary ingredients for a good romantic comedy. Sanaa Lathan has the screen presence for it, as films like Something New and Love and Basketball prove. And creating a modern romantic comedy - one that blends the clashing class dynamics and physical comedy of screwball films that gave us pairs like Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn - with a sincere interest in putting a black woman's emotional life at the center is admirable. But by the time Violet is screaming at Will during their first encounter at his salon, after a mishap leaves chunks of her hair missing, I wasn't sure who Violet is and if the filmmakers want us to like her in the first place.

Who really is Violet, outside of the expectations of perfection placed on her? What follows is meant to depict Violet answering that question for herself. But the film never truly digs into the character- she's a tabula rasa meant to reflect various tangled debates amongst black women about their hair and other vulnerabilities. During their breakup scene, the critique that most riles Violet is when Clint says their two-year relationship was like one, long first date. Violet always came across as a perfectly refined check list, not a full- bodied woman. By the end, that still holds true. Nappily Ever After draws a distinct connection between hair and identity for black women. When Violet changes her hair, her personality changes as well. With a new chestnut wig, she's a facsimile of herself; with a blunt platinum bob she tries to be a sex kitten. No new identity or hairstyle fixes the fissures within Violet's emotional life. Fed up and drunk after a run-in with Clint, she shaves her head in the film's standout scene. It's meant to be a cathartic, moving turning point, but it comes across as a strange spectacle. Lathan overshoots the emotional dimension of the scene, making Violet seem crazed and manic, not triumphant. The film lacks the texture, intimacy, and warmth to communicate how hair can be art for black women, not just a pathology.

The opacity of the lead character prohibits Nappily Ever After from being a great film, but if there were some charming set-ups, it would still be a worthwhile Saturday afternoon experience. Unfortunately, Lathan shares no chemistry with her leading men. Worse yet, they are as much stock characters as she is, designed to extol talking points that drag the film into infuriating territory. Will is the worst of the two. He's positioned as a balm to Clint's image obsessed life - which is especially apparent once we see him interact with his parents. But Will is often condescending toward Violet, acting as if he knows the reality of a black woman better than she would know herself. At one point he compares giving black women relaxers to making him "feel like a vet putting down an animal," a comparison that is somehow both nonsensical and insulting. He commends Violet when she makes a good point during one scene by saying "Facts!" as if he's a Twitter thread come to life. There are many strange politics about class and the expectations of how to perform black masculinity (at one point Violet's mother gives Clint a withering gaze, remarking at how "unusual" it is for a grown man to have a garden) that the filmmakers never fully reckon with, and that ultimately lends the film a bitterness.

Nappily Ever After could have been a light, charming film that took seriously the toxicity of perfection, the beauty of a black woman's hair in all its forms, and a sincere consideration of a woman rewriting her own narrative. But it lacks the charm we'd expect of the films it's indebted to and the refinement to handle the political dimension of this tale. Nappily Ever After is a love story in search of a story to tell.

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Nappily Ever After Is a Well-Intentioned Misfire

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By the end of its animated credits, I understood that Netflix's latest romantic comedy, Nappily Ever After based on a novel by Trisha R. Thomas, was trying to offer the charm of beloved 1990s black romantic comedies and dramas like The Best Man, Love Jones, and Waiting to Exhale.

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review feels the movie lacks something special. Not really a romantic movie. Book didn't translate to screen.

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Review: 'Nappily Ever After' has a muddled message - The Diamondback

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The Netflix film loses its way along the inspirational story line.

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This is the list of songs from the movie. Great songs like 'I'm gonna make you love me' Diana Ross. Some of the songs are from newer artist.

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Netflix is continuing its foray into rom-coms and one of the latest is Nappily Ever After, which was released on September 21. The film follows a woman named Violet (Sanaa Lathan), who has tried to be perfect her entire life, including having the perfect hair, but after some major changes go down, decides to shave it all off. The movie shows Violet going through many ups and downs and the songs in Nappily Ever After mirror that journey - some of them very literally.

While an official soundtrack has not be released (at least not yet), all of the songs are, of course, listed in the end credits of the movie. They've also been rounded up by users on Tunefind, including - for many of them - descriptions of the scenes in which the songs played. Those who watched the movie have also been asking questions about particular tracks and moments in the comments section on the site, with other viewers providing them with the answer. So while the end credits are certainly helpful, if you need to know what was playing when Violet took Will to her mom's cookout, then the people of Tunefind have your back.

The soundtrack for Nappily Ever After spans different genres, but the songs all speak to what happens in the film, and some of them do that more literally than others. For instance, "Doing Me" kicks off the movie with: "Sometimes I wear my hair down to my back/ Or I cut a bob and do it into single plaits/ And if it's the summertime maybe do a weave/ Always change my style depending where my head is at."

But there is much more music to come after that, so below is a list of all 26 songs that play in the movie, along with the YouTube videos when they were available. (If you watch on the actual YouTube site, you'll see plenty of " Nappily Ever After brought me here" comments.)

Ray BLK - "Doing Me"

Estelle - "Woman's World"

Greg Campbell/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

The APX - "Lose Yourself To The Groove"

The California Honeydrops - "A Higher Degree"

Jonathan O'Hara - "Sand Bath"

Lianne La Havas - "Ghost"

Blair Bielawski - "Carla"

Sage The Gemini - "Lituation"

Blaq Tuxedo - "Steeler"

Eryn Allen Kane - "No Good"

Theo Wargo/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Diana Ross & The Supremes and The Temptations - "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me"

The Cinematic Orchestra - "To Build A Home"

Anthony Perry and Jared James Nichols - "Home"

Iman Europe, Zyah Belle - "Simple Thangs"

Carmen Rodgers - "Stay"

Esthero - "Black Mermaid"

Sidebe - "Maybe"

Tank and the Bangas - "Eggs Over Easy"

Jerome Fletcher - "Here We Are"

TT The Artist - "Bass Drop Bigga (feat. Hands Up!)"

Alina Baraz - "Electric"

PJ - "Something New"

Craig Hlady - "Strolling Down The Avenue"

Birdy - "Keeping Your Head Up"

The Wayne Wilentz Quartet - "The Terrace"

Jamila Woods - "Holy (Reprise)"

If watching Nappily Ever After left you with unidentified songs stuck in your head, at least now you can live in peace, knowing exactly what each song is without having to type a bunch of scrambled lyrics into Google.

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If You're Obsessed With The Music In Netflix's 'Nappily Ever After', You're Not Alone

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Netflix is continuing its foray into rom-coms and one of the latest is Nappily Ever After, which was released on September 21. The film follows a woman named Violet (Sanaa Lathan), who has tried to be perfect her entire life, including having the...

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Nappily Ever After has been nominated for 4 awards in 2019. Though no wins, the exposure was great. Young actress, Daria Johns, is getting good exposure.

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Nappily Ever After Awards and Nominations

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This is an interview with the Los Angeles Sentinel. Tracey talks about what it took to make this movie.  Tracey is a Yale graduate.

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Anyone thats been working inside Hollywood's inner circle for the past two decades has either worked with or heard about producer Tracey Bing. Besides praising her solid business acumen -the product of a first-rate education received at Yale University and Harvard Business School-it was her superlative taste level and her ability to maneuver the creative and business side that really made the bees in the beehive buzz. And oh yes, Bing is an African American woman and in the entertainment industry which is [sadly] run by White males who have historically cared very little about telling our stories or helping to groom qualified executives to sit at the proverbial table, her success is another example of yes you can, damn it!

The minute that Ms. Bing strolled into the lobby of the dimly lit NOMAD Hotel in New York for our meeting, I felt a jolt, an instant connection a camaraderie. I was so comforted by her presence that I confessed that although I knew her name and her reputation, it wasn't until that moment that I knew she was a sister, a woman of color and a warrior, because to thrive, like she has done in this industry, simply means she possesses the same fire and skill set of the Dora Milaje (Black Panther's mighty women warriors), feel me?

As the producer of Netflix's newest romantic comedy "Nappily Ever After," starring Sanaa Lathan and directed by Saudi Arabia's first female director, Haifaa al-Mansour, she's stepped into the public relations campaign to talk about the film and I'm so glad that her very intelligent and persistent publicist reached out. "Nappily Ever After," the movie is based on the novel by the same name, written by author Trisha R. Thomas and published by Penguin Random House in 2001. The screenplay was written by Tina Gordon Chism, Lisa Loomer, Adam Brooks, and Gina Prince-Bythewood. Along with actress Sanaa Lathan in the lead, Violet, the comedy also stars Ernie Hudson, Lyriq Bent, Lynn Whitfield, Ricky Whittle, and Camille Guaty. Bing produced "Nappily Ever After" together with Marc Platt ("La La Land").

The plot is simple: A young, Black woman, Violet (Sanaa Lathan), has a seemingly perfect life and has perfect long straight hair, despite the effort it takes to maintain.

"Nappily Ever After" is a story that sits with a lot of woman of color, whose personal battles over hair and how to present to a world where our [hair] texture isn't considered beautiful, began early and for generations, an understanding of self-worth. Like the main character in the book, the sting of the hot comb and that aroma of burning hair and grease is as much a part of my DNA as, well, my very own biological signature.

During the summer, social media went on high alert when Sanaa Lathan showed images of her very bald head. The shudder of looking at the stunning woman sans her crown produced a mixed back of reactions, but I suspect that's just what the marketing team wanted. They wanted the folks to chat, or rather twitter and Instagram their feelings about their own hair. Did she look good, bald? Would I look good, bald? It's not a debate that will ever stop and that's one of the tremendous things about the book, and now the movie -the topic and therefore the franchise is evergreen.

A quick review of Bing's career is important, because it will give you a glimpse of what her extensive experience brings to each project. From 2003-2006, Bing was VP, production and acquisitions at Warner Independent Pictures (WIP), where she helped launch the division and was instrumental in devising the strategy for the company. While at WIP, Bing was responsible for acquiring and reformatting "March of the Penguins," which won the 2006 Oscar for Best Documentary. She also worked on many other WIP releases including George Clooney's "Good Night, And Good Luck," "The Painted Veil," "Paradise Now," and "Before Sunset." While she was there, WIP became the first film company ever to get Best Picture, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Documentary nominations in the same year for "Good Night, And Good Luck," "Paradise Now," and "March of the Penguins" and I lean back into that word-strategy a key component to working smart, a Bing signature.

Prior to WIP, Bing was director of acquisitions/co-productions at Paramount Classics where she spearheaded the division's activities acquiring films such as "Bloody Sunday," "Mostly Martha," and "Man on the Train" and since leaving WIP for another adventure, she opened her consulting business acquiring eOne Features ("Molly's Game," "Spotlight," "Eye in the Sky"), K5 International ("The Diary of a Teenage Girl," "Land of Mine"), Warner Bros., Fox International, PBS, and Liberty Media/Wananchi Group as client.

Now as an independent producer, Bing executively produced and packaged "Southside With You"; and executively produced the upcoming sci-fi thriller "Prospect," which premiered at SXSW this year. She is also executively producing "Alex," based on the novel by renowned French crime writer Pierre LeMaitre, written by David Birke ("Elle"), which will be directed by Louis Leterrier ("The Transporter"). Also on her development slate is the remakes of "II A Deja Tes Yeux," "Unfinished Song aka Song for Marion," and "El Futbol O Yo."
Here is an edited hour conversation with Netflix's "Nappily Ever After" producer Tracey Bing.
Los Angeles Sentinel: It's taken a moment for the movie version of Trisha R. Thomas 's book "Nappily Ever After" to get to the big screen. Where did you step into the project?

Tracey Bing: Yes, you are right. It did take a moment. In 2005, when I was VP production and acquisitions at Warner Independent Pictures, an executive from Marc Platt Productions at Universal submitted the project to me. At that time, Halle Berry was attached to the project as both an actress and producer. I really connected with the material. As a little girl, I was never happy with my hair and having been influenced by European notions of beauty that proliferated society through advertising and images that were prevalent (and one blond-haired Barbie), I begged my mom to straighten my hair. My hair was never the same.

LAS: I don't think the smell of burning hair or the damage to my ears, from the hot comb, will ever be forgotten. Sorry, I had a flashback, please continue.

TB: (Laughing)Exactly, that's why so many people connected to the story. It's an issue that's continued throughout my life. Unfortunately, we didn't end up making the film at WIP, but the story always stayed with me. And now and again, I would ask what happened with the project and whether it was made.

Five years later, I was asked to put together a slate of African American films for eOne and "Nappily Ever After" was the first film I thought of. But after several years spent getting the rights out of turnaround and developing the script, eOne's business had changed and I had to find a new home for the project. I took the film to Netflix and they said yes. The rest is history. They've been exceptional partners all the way through.

LAS:You "had me at Netflix." How did you choose the lead actress and the director, Haifaa Al-Mansour?

TB: My goal is always to work with a diverse team, both in front of and behind the camera. This is important and finding the right combination takes time. For example, two years ago when we started discussing who could play Violet, we needed someone with experience and courage. The character goes through an intense emotional rollercoaster ride. You have to really ask, who can or would lay themselves bare? We immediately thought of Sanaa. Having a producing partner like Marc Platt is an invaluable asset, but ...

LAS: But? I hear a drum roll! But ...

TB: (laughing)... but convincing an actress to shave her hair off on camera was not an easy proposition. I will not tell a lie. It took time. In terms of directors, we wanted someone fresh. Someone able to give the film a unique point of view.

Here's the thing, I am a Black woman and I felt strongly that a woman and preferably a woman of color, should direct the film, though we met with all types of candidates. Sometimes it's difficult to get a female director to do a romantic comedy, because they feel like they are being pigeonholed. I asked Rena Ronson at UTA for suggestions and she asked if I had ever met Haifaa Al-Mansour. I had not but I was a huge fan of her film "Wadjda." She [Haifaa] had just shot [the film] "Mary Shelley." The moment we met, it was clear that she had a distinctive point of view and we knew Sanaa and another cast (and crew) would respond to her. Plus, she has really curly hair and understands some of the issues our lead character endures through her own experiences in Saudi Arabia.

LAS: I noticed a few names attached to the actual screenplay including one of my favorites, Gina Prince-Bythewood. Care to elaborate on this process?

TB: The script has been in development since 2001. Over the years there have been about 6 writers. When we started working from a 2007 draft, we needed some updating because hair issues have evolved. Some people think working from a book is easier than an original idea. In truth, it's always challenging to adapt a book-to remain as faithful as possible while making the story cinematic. And you, of course, don't want to disappoint audience members who have read the book.

LAS: And then came Netflix. Some filmmakers dream of traditional theatrical distribution, but digital streaming, access to the world is a smart move. What's your experience been like?

TB: Oh boy! You are right about filmmakers and their love of a release in cinemas but since I previously brought Netflix a film called "Southside with You," which was a project they were interested in financing- although they didn't end up doing it, we made a strong connection. Later when we were looking for a home for "Nappily," I said, 'Why don't you take a look at this other project'?

And you are right, the distribution landscape has vastly changed, with major players in the so-called urban space like Screen Gems and Lionsgate diminishing their appetite for these films, and other companies like Relativity and Broad Green no longer with us. We needed to adapt our approach.

Plus, we have always seen this story as a universal one that all women can relate to. And Netflix meant that our film would reach a global audience, a variety of cultures, as opposed to a traditional theatrical approach where this film would barely play in other territories.

LAS: Again-you had me a "Netflix," but being the savvy producer that you are (audible coughing 'my new best friend' ) how did you appease the filmmaker's desire for a theatrical run?

TB: (Laughing) Well, "Nappily Ever After" started playing on Netflix on September 21st and it will also be screened at theaters, to begin, in New York and Los Angeles.

To learn more about "Nappily Ever After" go to https://www.netflix.com/ now playing on Netflix.

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"Nappily Ever After" Producer, Tracey Bing is an African American Woman Who Understands the Politics of Hollywood and Hair! - Los Angeles Sentinel

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Anyone that's been working inside Hollywood's inner circle for the past two decades has either worked with or heard about producer Tracey Bing. Besides praising her solid business acumen -the product of a first-rate education received at Yale University and Harvard Business School-it was her superlative taste level and her ability to maneuver the creative and business side that really made the bees in the beehive buzz.

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Brought out issues that face black women in the workplace. High regard for movie. Sheila O'Malley is writer. Background of those involved in producing movie.

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Nappily Ever After Movie Review (2018) | Roger Ebert

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With humor and honesty, grounded by very strong performances, "Nappily Ever After" (screenplay adaptation by Cee Marcellus and Adam Brooks) is the story of Violet's gradual - and sometimes painful - embrace of her natural hair.

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Trisha Thomas talks about Nappily series

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Trisha Thomas talks about Nappily series

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shares that her daughter is teased about her hair. Did research on Black hair in America from 1800s. Talks about why she wrote the books.

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Sanaa talks about the emotional reaction of cutting her hair. She didn't prep for it, real emotions shown. Surprised by reactions of friends/family.

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I didn't do a whole lot of other prep for that scene, because I wanted to let whatever happen happen. But I was shocked by the roller coaster of emotions I felt. The entire 10 minutes felt like a complete out-of-body experience. When I posted a photo of the results later, I couldn't believe the response. I'm pretty sure nearly every ex-boyfriend I've ever had contacted me, asking if they could come rub my head. I definitely didn't expect it to be a turn-on.

The change also affected my style. Onscreen, Violet kept wearing her power dresses. But in my personal life, when I'm not going out, I'm very a no-makeup and sweats kind of girl. At first with the bald head, I felt like a boy, so I started to dress more feminine. And when I went out at night, I always felt like I had to go a little sexier than I normally would. I'd wear a little bit more makeup, just to bring out the femininity of it. Not going to lie, I probably did a little more cleavage than usual too.

That's the crazy thing, even despite all this, I know I'm still conditioned around beauty standards. I'll still have days when I don't feel pretty because I don't have hair. I know it doesn't make sense. I'll start daydreaming about getting a weave, or think about putting on a wig. I actually have a bunch of wigs in my closet. I figured after I shaved my head for the show that I'd be wearing them a lot. But it's been a year, and I haven't once.

Honestly, after 20 years of wearing weaves and wigs, I got tired of them. There's a kind of a freedom that comes with giving them up-and not just a mental freedom but also a physical freedom. It's hot and uncomfortable to wear wigs or a weave. That's not to say that I'll never do it again because I know I will. But one of the main messages I want to get across to women is that it's not that you should only have natural hair. It's that natural hair is beautiful, and it should be an option.

What I really hope people take away from Nappily is that it's a film about falling in love with yourself but done through the vehicle of hair. For Violet, her hair evolution represents stepping outside of the box that society says she you should be in and deciding who she is on her own terms. And that's something every woman should be able to do.

Nappily Ever After airs on Netflix September 21.

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Yes, Sanaa Lathan Actually Shaved Her Own Head for 'Nappily Ever After'

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I didn't do a whole lot of other prep for that scene, because I wanted to let whatever happen happen. But I was shocked by the roller coaster of emotions I felt. The entire 10 minutes felt like a complete out-of-body experience. When I posted a photo of the results later, I couldn't believe the response.

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Ms. Collier openly addresses the relationship with Black Women and their hair. Well done. Definitely honest.

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By Zshekinah Collier

"Nappily Ever After", the Netflix Original, based on the novel by Trisha R. Thomas told an accurate story of a Black Woman's relationship with her hair. Directed by Haifaa al-Mansour, this movie reminds viewers the importance of self-acceptance and that the unrealistic standard of perfection does not always provide the results you desire. In Violet's case, perfection seriously backfired.

The movie was separated into chapters reflecting Violets life stages according to her hairstyle, starting with Straightened, followed by Blonde and ending with Nappily, a chapter that showcased the versatility of Black hair.

The first scene of the film shows that Violet Jones's (Sanaa Lathan) unhealthy obsession with hair comes from her mother (Lynn Whitfield). While the camera is panning across a 1993 pool party with Violet as a child, her adult voice over expresses a sentiment that many black women know well: that kids didn't have to worry about their appearance. "I, on the other hand had to be fixed," she said. "Once a week: wash, conditioner and hot comb until my hair was straight enough for her to run her fingers through without one snap, crackle or pop."

Fast forward to Violet as an adult; a successful advertising agent, slipping out of bed while boyfriend Clint (Ricky Whittle) is sleeping, to sneak her mom in at the crack of dawn to straighten her hair to keep up the illusion of perfection. Next, a mishap at her birthday lunch leads to an emergency hair appointment, resulting in chunks of her hair falling out and a long weave.

During her emergency trip to the hair salon, Violet meets Zoe (Daria Johns), a strong-minded, mischievous, ten year old with natural hair, along with her single father and salon owner, Will (Lyriq Bent). Zoe's character was a perfect example of how the next generation of Black girls are growing up loving their natural hair.

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Netflix's "Nappily Ever After"- An Honest Review

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By Zshekinah Collier "Nappily Ever After", the Netflix Original, based on the novel by Trisha R. Thomas told an accurate story of a Black Woman's relationship with her hair. Directed by Haifaa al-Mansour, this movie reminds viewers the importance of self-acceptance and that the unrealistic standard of perfection does not always provide the results you desire.

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Talks about 'bad hair day'. Self worth wrapped up in hair. Straightening is time consuming.

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Contra Costa Community College District - Portal Login

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Sanaa Lathan living beauty (Nappily ever after)

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Sanaa Lathan living beauty (Nappily ever after)

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Sanaa was prepared to cut her hair. She was looking at life differently. Sanaa talks about her feeling.

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Afro hair acceptance (Nappily ever after)

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Afro hair acceptance (Nappily ever after)

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Views from London, England on afro hair. The attitudes have improved towards the natural look. Self love is evident.

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Sanaa Lathan shaves off her hair (Nappily ever after)

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Sanaa Lathan shaves off her hair (Nappily ever after)

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Violet is obsessed with her hair. She feels her hair has caused her to lose her job and relationship. The concept that her hair is reflective of her rigidity.

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Love is in the hair (Nappily ever after)

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Love is in the hair (Nappily ever after)

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This movie addresses the emotional connection with hair. Sanaa Lathan was also the producer. Violet develops self love.

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Contra Costa Community College District - Portal Login