Directed by Paddy Breathnach
Writing credits Simon Beaufoy

Hugh Bonneville .... Louis Rachael
Leigh Cook .... Christina
Rachel Griffiths .... Sandra
Josh Hartnett .... Brian
Heidi Klum
Bill Nighy
Natasha Richardson .... Shelley
Alan Rickman .... Phil

Produced by Moritz Borman (executive producer), Ruth Jackson (producer), Chris Sievernich (executive producer)
Costume Design by Rosie Hackett
Volker Schauz .... production executive
Sallie Anne Hard .... second assistant director
Simon Moseley .... first assistant director
Alex Oakley .... third assistant director
Michael Connell .... music editor
Daniel Laurie .... adr editor dialogue editor

Rated R for some language and brief nudity.

STUDIO SYNOPSIS:
Something extraordinary and totally unexpected has happened to the small working class city of Keighley E? It has been chosen to host the glamorous National Hair Championships E? an outrageous contest known to bring out the best...and worst in its participants.

Local hairdresser Phil (ALAN RICKMAN) was once the golden boy of the competition circuit - until his wife and model Shelley (NATASHA RICHARDSON) left him and their son Brian (JOSH HARTNETT) to set up shop with Sandra (RACHEL GRIFFITHS). Retired from the scene, he wants nothing to do with all the excitement surrounding the beautiful and stylish crowd that has flocked to the town.

But as preparations for the big event unfold around him, it quickly becomes evident that several of the out-of-towners aren't playing by the rules, and that it's up to the locals to make it clear that they?re not going to tolerate the usual foul play.

So rivals Phil, Shelley and Sandra decide to put aside their differences, and to team up to put their town back on the map and their family back on track.

How Much Is Winning Worth?

REVIEW BY BETTY T. HAMM
bhamm@efcn.org
Arts Director
Evangelical Free Church,
Naperville Il (630)983-3232
http://www.efcn.org

Blow Dry takes us to the world of competitive hairdressing with the event taking place in a small English village. Of course living and working in this unknown village is the one-time hairdressing champion, Phil played by Alan Rickman. This film is filled with struggling relationships.

The present champion is so threatened by Rickman and the thought of losing; he is willing to cheat and jeopardize his relationship with his daughter in order to win. Rickman has hardly spoken to his ex-wife in 10 years. She ran off with his model the night before the competition 11 years ago. Rickman not only struggles with the betrayal of the marriage, the job, the friendship and the competition, he struggles with the knowledge that his wife left him for a woman. Their son also hardly speaks to his mother. Now the mother, played by Natasha Richardson, is trying to bring some sort of reconciliation to her relationships. She suggests that they enter the hair competition together.

This film takes the characters? bitterness, anger and injustices and looks at them through the lens of eternity. The film asks: Is your 15 minutes of fame worth everything? If you knew this was your last day on earth, would you forgive? Befriend? Begin again? In light of facing eternity many of our values change.

All people die. And then what? The Bible tells us that we will all face God. (Daniel 12:2) In ?Blow Dry? an old, blind woman tells Richardson, ?Only one good thing knowing you?re on your way and that?s sorting it all out.? How can we sort it out? Jesus says ?I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me shall live even if that one dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.? (John 11:25, 26) As long as we have breath, we have opportunity to ?sort it out.? Riches do not last. Fame fades. What will you take to eternity?