Insisting she look perfect at all times, leads to Violet's mother Paulette working diligently to straighten her natural hair. Violet struggles with her mother's perspective until her hair becomes naturally wild and frizzy after jumping into a pool; when the other children begin to ruthlessly tease her, a horrified Paulette rushes her home.
As an adult, Violet is seemingly perfect: a successful advertising executive, she has a doctor boyfriend Clint and wears her hair long and straight with great effort. Her relationship with Paulette continues to be close as she helps keep Violet close to the vision of perfection. However, their relationship with Violet's father became estranged after he quit his job to become a model.
Violet expects Clint to propose on her birthday. So, when she accidentally gets sprayed by a neighbor’s kids, she urgently visits a hairdresser to fix her hair. The salon owner's daughter Zoe erroneously gives relaxer to Violet's hairdresser, which causes Violet to lose her hair in clumps. Furious, she causes a scene and insults Zoe's afro before getting a weave.
At her birthday dinner, Clint surprises a disappointed Violet with a chihuahua instead of a proposal. Confronting him at home, Clint confesses he does not feel like he truly knows her and compares their relationships to a "two-year first date." This revelation leads to Violet ending their relationship.
Violet notices Zoe shoplifting during a shopping trip and drags her out of the store, only to be stopped by a security guard. The salon owner Will arrives at the mall and is furious over Zoe's actions. When Violet suggests something with Zoe could be wrong, Will rebuffs Violet before leaving with Zoe.
Violet later bleaches her hair blonde that night and goes to the club with her friends. After getting drunk, she attempts to have a one-night-stand, but it goes awry after their foreplay leads to the man busting his head open. She then tries to visit Clint at the hospital, only to find him with another woman. A defeated Violet returns home to find herself with frizzy hair when she looks in the mirror.
The next morning, Violet is horrified to learn that she shaved her head the previous night. Wearing a scarf on her head, she cries in the bathroom at work. A woman there suggests she come to her support group, which she later discovers is for cancer survivors. Violet apologizes, but the group leader gives her words of support.
Violet eventually grows confident with her new look. She begins dating Will and befriending his daughter, Zoe. They quickly grow close, so he attends her mother's Fourth of July party. There, Paulette disrespects him, making condescending comments about him and his career. Will breaks up with Violet, suggesting she sort herself out.
After losing a pitch for an ad campaign with diverse women to a male colleague's idea using blonde models, Violet quits her job. At home, she dances to upbeat music while Clint stops by to get his things. He watches, admiring her loosening up. As the breakup was months ago, Clint is interested in Violet and apologizes. As the dog peed on Clint’s shirt, she allows him to shower. Then, Violet joins him and they have sex.
The next morning, Violet is preparing breakfast, but Clint insists she sit at the table, and cuts onions. He proposes with an onion ring and she accepts. Both she and her mom are excited, and Violet’s friends are told the wedding is in three months. Violet, who has stayed connected with Zoe, invites her to the engagement party.
Clint requests Violet straighten her hair to meet his parents, so Paulette comes to help. At the party, Clint’s parents make Violet feel pressured and uneasy. So, she goes off alone. Her heels are killing her, so she takes them off.
As everyone is waiting for Violet, her parents look for her. Upon finding her, she says she envies Zoe for knowing who she is and would go barefoot. Violet heads to the pool shoeless then, surrounded by tables of people, jumps in. Inviting everyone to join in, Zoe, Violet’s two girlfriends, and others join her. Violet’s father grabs her mother and they jump in, making up with a kiss. Clint looks on, disappointedly.
Some days later, Violet is pitching Will’s plant-based hair products for women’s natural hair in an agency. Afterwards, she and Will walk out together, they speak briefly and Violet walks away confidently.
The romantic comedy project Nappily Ever After was previously in development by Universal Pictures in 2003, when the studio had Patricia Cardoso to direct the film adaptation of Trisha R. Thomas' novel of same name, and the script was written by Tina Gordon Chism which was later rewritten by Lisa Loomer.[8][9]Halle Berry was boarded to star in the film which had producers Berry and Marc Platt along with Vincent Cirrincione and Angela DeJoseph.[9]
On August 15, 2017, it was announced that the film was now developing by Netflix and Sanaa Lathan was cast to play the lead role, which Haifaa al-Mansour would direct from a screenplay by Adam Brooks and Cee Marcellus. Producers would be Platt, Tracey Bing, Jared Leboff, and Lathan.[1]Ernie Hudson also joined the film to play Violet Jones' (Lathan) father Richard.[2] In August 2017, Lynn Whitfield had joined the film to play Violet's mother, Paulette.[4] In September 2017, more cast was announced which included Ricky Whittle as Clint, a doctor from London who has a long-term relationship with Violet; Lyriq Bent to play Will Wright, a hair stylist and salon owner who starts a new relationship with Violet; and Camille Guaty also joined the film to play Wendy, one of Violet's best friends.[5][3][6] On September 11, 2017, Brittany S. Hall was cast in the film to play one of Violet's best friends.[7]
The film holds an approval rating of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 15 reviews.[13]
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