Naomi Ludlow | Arts and Entertainment Editor
IMDb
Netflix released another highly raved movie that leaves the audience wanting more.
Nappily Ever After is based on the book written by Trisha R. Thomas. It follows a perfection-obsessed character, Violet Jones, as she finds what truly makes her happy.
Life isn’t meant to be perfect, and Violet (Sanaa Lathan) soon discovers this as her perfect world starts to crumble. Every aspect of her life is exactly what she dreamed of, minus a husband and children.
Violet is suffocated by her mother’s (Lynn Whitfield) expectations and uses every moment to gain her approval. Throughout the movie, Violet transitions from one style to another, each style representing a different phase of her life. A breakup with her longtime boyfriend ignites a frenzy in Violet and she wants to uncover her true identity.
This character can be relatable for any woman on the journey of finding herself. Every woman does not explicitly change her hair in order to symbolize change, but women go through different stages where they think they are happy with who they become. Reality then sets in, and women continue this process of finding themselves through life changes.
In Nappily Ever After, Violet’s true happiness comes when she is in her most natural form—being bald. She cuts off her hair, embodying the release of baggage and the first step to becoming a new woman. With the help of a male hairstylist who encourages women to be comfortable in who they are, Violet discovers this confidence within herself.
After watching this movie, some related Violet’s journey of self-discovery to their own. Others weren’t quite impressed.
“This movie was cheesy,” said Ishani Lee, a junior journalism major from Richmond, “but the end gave a twist.”
Lathan encourages women to be who they are authentically. In an interview with AfroStyle Magazine, she said, “Nappily Ever After is a fairytale for the modern woman.”
The Hampton Script 