Rated PG-13 - Running Time: 1:42 - Released 9/13/02
BARBERSHOP
Rated PG-13 - Running Time: 1:42 - Released 9/13/02
The fact that African-American leaders like Jesse Jackson and
Al Sharpton have publicly denounced Tim Story's nearly all-black
independent film Barbershop for its disrespectful remarks
about Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Jackson himself,
will no doubt help more than hurt box-office figures—everyone
knows controversy is the best way to sell tickets—and the
film has indeed done very well so far, having earned $21 million
in its first weekend. But after seeing the film I have to wonder
if these distinguished leaders are even getting the point. The
whole idea of the scene in question, which is explained in the
dialogue, is that a man can voice his opinions in this barber
shop without fear of reprisal, he can safely assert his views
even if they are not the popular or even the most politically
correct views, because this barber shop has established itself
as a safe haven for such expression. That's called freedom,
folks, a concept for which those same black leaders fought and
continue to fight, a concept on which this nation was based. Moreover,
the disparaging comments are simply the opinions of one character
who is hotly contradicted by almost everyone else in the room;
the script in no way implies that these are the viewpoints of
the filmmakers or of the film itself. So let me get this straight...we
don't mind hundreds of black characters being portrayed every
year in mainstream cinema as murderers, rapists, thieves, drug
and alcohol addicts, wife and child abusers, etc., but if a black
character exercises his right to voice his opinion, we object?
Regardless of the news surrounding it, Barbershop is
for the most part a funny, thought-provoking, and well-performed
film that deserves to be seen. The story, written by Mark Brown
with screenplay help from Don D. Scott and Marshall Todd, involves
Calvin Palmer (rapper Ice Cube), the third-generation owner of
the titular establishment on Chicago's South Side, which serves
not only as a barber shop, but a meeting place for a community
of regular customers who come in to exchange views and share companionship.
Though his deceased father has passed into legend for his many
years of ownership and his generosity with the poor, Calvin himself
is plagued with debts, his wife (Jazsmin Lewis) is expecting their
first child, and his last loan application fell through. Meanwhile,
in a side plot so silly it's out of place, a pair of inept thugs
(Anthony Anderson and Lahmard Tate) steal an ATM machine from
another local business. While they lug the heavy machine around
the neighborhood and try to break it open as if it were a huge
piggy bank, Calvin wrestles with his mixed feelings over his establishment,
finally selling it to a slimy loan shark (Keith David) and then
almost immediately regretting the decision.
While neither of these plot lines is particularly interesting,
the one being uninspired and the other just plain stupid, what
is really enjoyable about this movie is the interaction between
the large cast that makes up the staff and customers of the shop,
including comedian Cedric the Entertainer (The
Original Kings Of Comedy), who plays an aging barber with
some very unorthodox ideas about black history, Sean Patrick Thomas
as a conceited college boy, Michael Ealy as an ex-con trying to
stay straight, Troy Garity as a white boy steeped in black culture,
and rap singer Eve as the shop's only female employee, whose cheating
boyfriend is almost as annoying to her as whoever keeps drinking
her apple juice. These characters argue about everything from
Affirmative Action to education to romance to how to give a good
shave. While Cedric's age make-up, with fake-looking pieces of
cotton inserted in his hair, is neither convincing nor necessary,
his portrayal is often howlingly funny, and his opinions, controversial
or not, provide a side of the race issue not often seen by white
folks. As My Big Fat Greek
Wedding was a hilarious poke at Greek-American culture
that would have been offensive were it not written by a Greek,
Barbershop is valuable as a peek into the real lives and
minds of African Americans.
Word has it that Rev. Jackson made his judgment without even seeing the movie, which may explain his ignorance of the context, but whether you're interested in the film's controversy or simply a good evening's entertainment, you'll get both if you see this film. With its themes of appreciating what you have, learning to believe in something, and finding a way for all of us to exist together in peace, juxtaposed with its silly, slapsticky criminal subplot, Barbershop offers a flawed but personal look into the struggles that exist within the African-American community and man himself. ****
