'Beauty' Queen Latifah Splits Hairs
Actress Balances Raunchy Comedy With Humor 'For Everyone'
The controversy only grew when other black leaders stepped up to defend the film. In a sharp rebuke to Jackson and Sharpton, the NAACP nominated "Barber Shop" for a 2002 Image Award, with organization President Kweisi Mfume dismissing the controversy.
"I thought it was a funny scene," he said, noting that Eddie was shouted down by the other barbers and customers when he made his controversial remarks.
In the end, "Barber Shop" spawned a reasonably successful sequel, which introduced Latifah's character and set up "Beauty Shop." The controversial scene remained on the DVD, and the Image Award went to Denzel Washington's directorial debut, "Antwone Fisher."
The biggest surprise was how much impact a little comedy about a bunch of guys shooting the breeze could have.
Now, it's Latifah's turn to stir things up, and she's not only the star, she's one of the producers. "Beauty Shop" isn't sprinkled with shocking political jibes. But Latifah does bring a black woman's perspective to the screen.
She plays Gina, a hairdresser at an upscale Atlanta salon who opens her own shop just to get away from her flamboyant boss, who takes credit for Gina's work and criticizes her one to many times.
As the boss, Kevin Bacon is nearly unrecognizable in long blond locks and comically tight shirts. But he's clearly having the time of his life, sashaying across the sets and asking the ladies, "So when you get zee breast implants, huh?" Bacon had everyone on the set cracking up.
"It was hard to stay in the scene and not waste film," Latifah says. "He has that tight walk and tight butt, and he has that kind of puzzled, but aggravated look on his face … And that hair!"
Fed up, Gina takes a loan, opens a shop on a shoestring budget, and several salon workers follow her.
As the shampoo girl, Alicia Silverstone is the only non-African American on Latifah's crew, and she plays the part with pronounced whiteness. That's when "Beauty Shop" kicks into high gear with lots of loose talk, just like the guys did in "Barbershop."
