‘Nappily Ever After’ impresses, empowers
HAIR. Violet is initially distraught after she realizes that her hair is gone. However, after receiving a pep talk from a cancer-support group, which she had mistakenly been invited to, she regains her confidence. Her new attitude translates into her work as well, as she looks for more meaningful forms of advertising.
A new Netflix original film dropped on Sept. 21, 2018, and I definitely enjoyed it.
The movie follows the life of Violet Jones (Sanaa Lathan), a woman who will settle for nothing less than perfection. Her obsession with being “perfect” is easily seen in her work, love life, and most noticeably her hair.
And only straightened hair will do. In the movie, she was willing to drop $200 for a last-minute hair appointment, just to have her hair straight. But who could really blame her?
From a young age, Violet’s mom has straightened her hair, making sure to emphasize her dislike for natural curls. Of course, her mom’s attitude is only a reflection of society’s intolerant beauty standards.
But our heroine’s life gets turned upside down when her fiance fails to propose to her after two years. While her reason for dumping him was honestly nonexistent, Violet’s life did change for the better, especially when she accidentally shaves her head in a drunken rage.
After losing her hair, Violet finally learns how to be herself and not what other people want her to be. When her hair grew back, she embraced its natural form.
Even though I cannot relate to Violet’s struggles with her hair, I do appreciate the movie’s overall message.
Beauty comes in all forms, and while our society’s standards are slowly becoming inclusive, movies like this are crucial in changing our outdated views.
