The whole enterprise is awash in a combined farcical obviousness and drippy sentimentality to induce more audience groans than laughs.
Blow Dry (2001)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:63
Fresh:12
Rotten:51
Average Rating:4/10
Consensus: Heartwarming, but over-the-top and too formulaic.
Theatrical Release:Mar 9, 2001 Limited
Synopsis: The British Hairdressing Championship is coming to the small Yorkshire town of Keighley. The Mayor (Warren Clarke) is ecstatic--but initially the townspeople are underwhelmed. The exotic models and... The British Hairdressing Championship is coming to the small Yorkshire town of Keighley. The Mayor (Warren Clarke) is ecstatic--but initially the townspeople are underwhelmed. The exotic models and their even more exotic hairdressers arrive--among them reigning champion, Ray Robertson (Bill Nighy). The Mayor is disappointed when there is no local entry, especially since Keighley is the hometown of ex-champion, Phil Allen (Alan Rickman). But, Phil stopped competing when his model, Sandra (Rachel Griffiths), ran off with his wife, Shelley (Natasha Richardson). Shelley has cancer, and discovering it is terminal, she tries to reunite her family--Phil, their son Brian (Josh Hartnett), and Sandra--by entering the competition. Phil refuses. However, needled by the confident Ray, Brian enters on behalf of the family. Soon, they are cutting hair together again. Director Paddy Breathnach maintains the delicate balance between the pathos of Shelley's illness and the breathtaking flamboyance of the hairdressing competition, as it goes from outrageous camp to gorgeous fulfillment. Alan Rickman is splendid--especially when the phlegmatic Phil returns to competition with flashing scissors and tattooed feet. Natasha Richardson is touching as she fights to regain her family. And Rachel Griffiths gives a powerful performance, apparently in support, until she becomes the family's fabulous golden angel. [More]
Starring: Alan Rickman, Natasha Richardson, Josh Hartnett, Rachael Leigh Cook
Starring: Alan Rickman, Natasha Richardson, Josh Hartnett, Rachael Leigh Cook, Rachel Griffiths, Hugh Bonneville, Bill Nighy, Heidi Klum
Director: Paddy Breathnach
Director: Paddy Breathnach
Screenwriter: Simon Beaufoy
Producer: Sydney Pollack, William Horberg, Ruth Jackson
Studio: Miramax Films
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Release:
Aug 14, 2001
Reviews for Blow Dry
In the end it may be nothing but hot air, but like a warming gust of conditioned wind after that cold morning shower, Blow Dry feels good (enough).
Shows a hairdresser and his wife learning how to be a family in a new way at the National Hair Championships.
The half-hearted release mirrors the efforts put in by nearly everyone involved.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 67% 67% | Bruno |
| 47% 47% | My Sister's Keeper |
| 66% 66% | Is Anybody There? |
| 82% 82% | Thirst |
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