Top 10 Must-Know Facts About Hair Love

If you were on the fence about seeing “The Angry Birds Movie 2,” the film surprisingly scored much better reviews than its 2016 predecessor. For many critics, though, the highlight wasn’t their feature presentation, but rather the five-minute short that preceded it, “Hair Love.” Although it’s attached to a multimillion-dollar picture, “Hair Love” stems from humble beginnings. This little project quickly started to generate buzz after its Kickstarter campaign was launched in 2017. The production gained so much traction that it was eventually brought to the attention of Karen Toliver, the Senior Vice President of Development at Sony Pictures Animation. Toliver thus signed on as a producer, paving the way for an independently-financed short to be screened in theaters alongside a widely released animated feature.

Sometimes the simplest stories are the ones that tug at our heartstrings the most. “Hair Love” centers on a young African-American girl named Zuri, who possesses a head of hair with a mind of its own. Using one of her mother’s vlogs, Zuri attempts to tame her wild hair to no avail. Stumbling upon the twisted sight, Zuri’s dad Stephen is forced to step up in his wife’s absence. Of course, Stephen is immediately overwhelmed from the second he gazes upon the collection of hair products and he can’t simply hide Zuri’s fro under a hat. What’s cuter than dads doing girly stuff for their daughters? NOTHING, that’s what! In addition to being sweet, “Hair Love” tells a story that’s identifiable, humorous, and even powerful.

If “Hair Love” looks familiar, that’s probably because it’s based on a popular children’s book by author Matthew A. Cherry and author/illustrator Vashti Harrison. Where Harrison had already established herself with the “Little Leaders” series, this marked the debut book for Cherry. “Hair Love” proved to be a commercial success when it hit shelves in May 2019, debuting at #6 on the New York Times Best Seller List for Picture Books. The book has additionally received universal acclaim from critics. On Common Sense Media, Angela Zimmerman gave the book a rare five-star rating, calling it a “Lively, loving celebration of a dad, daughter, and her hair.” The book’s positive messages and art style have translated beautifully into this animated adaptation.

Before he was an author and filmmaker, Matthew A. Cherry made a living as an NFL wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers, and Baltimore Ravens. After retiring from football in 2007, Cherry headed to LA where he began his entertainment career directing music videos and independent films. Cherry went on to become an executive at Jordan Peele’s company, Monkeypaw Productions, where he executive produced “BlacKkKlansman.” “Hair Love” has proven to be Cherry’s greatest achievement yet, serving as its co-director, writer, and producer. A couple years ago, NBA All-Star Kobe Bryant shared an Academy Award victory with Glen Keane for their animated short, “Dear Basketball.” We wouldn’t be surprised if Cherry became the next former athlete to win an animation Oscar.

From “This Is Us” to “Dear White People,” the subject of natural hair has been getting a lot more attention in mainstream media as of late. There are even entire YouTube channels dedicated to natural hair care. Lots of people with naturally curly or kinky hair rely on these videos for assistance, as well as acceptance. “Hair Love” helps to normalize a hair type that has often been maligned and deemed “less-than.” Cherry was already following several natural hair pages on Tumblr, inspiring him to make Zuri’s mother Angela a vlogger. The filmmakers were also inspired by viral videos of dads doing their daughters’ hair, because let’s be honest, that’s WAY funnier than watching Mom do it.

Although Cherry doesn’t have children of his own, he found it interesting that the media rarely explores the relationships between black fathers and their daughters. In various movies and shows, African-American dads are depicted as absentee parents. According to a 2014 CDC study, however, “African-American dads are more involved with their children on a daily basis than fathers from any other racial group.” Their study additionally noted that nearly half of the black fathers who don’t live with their children are still highly involved in their lives. The viral videos that influenced “Hair Love” only enforce these statistics. Through this short, Cherry hopes to not only shine a spotlight on an underrepresented dynamic, but to also “show a positive image of black fathers and their daughters.”

Cherry might not come from an animation background, but the same can’t be said about co-directors Everett Downing Jr. and Bruce W. Smith. Downing Jr, was an animator for a few Pixar films, including “Ratatouille,” “WALL-E,” and “Up.” Smith co-created Disney Channel’s “The Proud Family,” in addition to working in the animation departments for “Space Jam” and “The Princess and the Frog.” Among the film’s executive producers is Frank E. Abney III, who helped animate 2019’s “Toy Story 4.” Another executive producer is Peter Ramsey, who became the first African-American to direct a multimillion CG animated feature with “Rise of the Guardians.” Ramsey went on to co-direct “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” making him the first African-American to win a Best Animated Feature Oscar.

One of the most glowing reviews for the “Hair Love” book came from Jordan Peele, who wrote, “Matthew leads the ranks of new creatives who are telling unique stories of the Black experience. We need this.” Based on that endorsement, we can see why Peele wanted to executive produce the film. Along with Peele, Yara Shahidi of “Black-ish,” Gabourey Sidibe of “Precious,” Gabrielle Union of “Bring It On,” and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat all helped produce “Hair Love.” The short even attracted voiceover talent in Issa Rae, who plays Zuri’s mother. Before she was the creator and star of HBO’s “Insecure,” Rae broke out with her YouTube series “Awkward Black Girl.” So, it’s only fitting that she’d be voicing a vlogger here.

As mentioned before, “Hair Love” was financed through the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, much like another animated short about representation, “In a Heartbeat.” Initially, the filmmakers set the project’s goal at $75,000. Upon reaching that milestone, the goal was stretched to $125,000 and then $200,000. By the time the campaign was over, “Hair Love” had raised nearly $300,000 with just under 5,000 backers. This is more than any short film – animated or live-action – has accumulated through Kickstarter. The increased budget definitely shines through in the final product, which showcases some of the most expressive animation we’ve seen in a modern theatrical short.

Although its story may seem straight-forward on the surface, the film encompasses relevant themes about parental roles, the portrayal of black families, and - of course - the frustration that comes with grooming natural hair. Above all else, though, it’s about loving and accepting yourself. Even if you took hair out of the equation, this short will resonate with anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider or struggled with any aspect of their appearance. “Hair Love” teaches its audiences that whatever you have, it is beautiful and it deserves to be seen and celebrated! Likewise, Cherry’s wonderful film and Zuri’s fantastic hairdo are definitely worth embracing.