American Mullet
Directed by: Jennifer Arnold

It’s pretty weird how something can look cool and fashionable in one time period, only to look hideously wrong 10 years later. Perhaps nowhere is this fact illustrated better than with the classic “short in the front, long in the back” hairstyle that was popularized back in the 80’s — the mullet. The interesting thing is that over 20 years later the mullet still endures, in spite of all the backlash it has received.

While there’s no debating the fact that it’s an unsavoury hairstyle, and that like many things from the 1980’s it’s a little bit outlandish, I’m kind of annoyed by the mullet backlash. I myself used to sport the mullet back in the day, and while I would not be tempted to grow one again, I have a great amount of respect for those who still do. There’s a fine line between having a sense of humour about things that are weird and outside the cultural norm, or on the other hand being derogatory and condescending to these “fringe” groups, if you will. I think that line gets crossed a little too often. Nowadays, you say the word “mullet” and it’s an automatic inside joke that the rest of the world understands with you… a shared high-five, that says “Hey, at least we’re not as stupid looking as those people”. Aside from that, I also find the inside joke is getting old.

So why then, would I suddenly find myself interested in a documentary entitled “American Mullet”? I’m not quite sure. Something about this movie beckoned to me. Perhaps it was the fact that the cover proclaimed it to be an official selection for both the USA Film Festival and the Alabama Mullet Film Festival, or perhaps it was the rating of M for “Excessive Mullet Content”. This movie certainly looked to be over the top, but it was a real documentary… not some Spinal Tap rip-off that plays on the 80’s metal spoof. As they say, reality is stranger than fiction. My only question was this: “How on earth could someone possibly fill up an entire movie about a hairstyle and keep it interesting?”

I’ve since learned that there’s more to the mullet than meets the eye. The filmmakers actually do a fair amount of research for this movie. They have their share of interviews with funny people (including an 80’s rocker who refuses to sell out, some motorcycle salesmen, a transgendered stripper, some uncompromising hairstylists, and a very unintimidating Native American for example), but they also dig deeper at the mullet from a cultural perspective, if you can believe it. They talk to some university researchers who have analyzed the hairstyle and why it is prominent in the lesbian world, and they talk to a guy who runs a mullet-related website that gets a crazy amount of traffic every day. They even talk to the Mexican community, a Billy Ray Cyrus impersonator, and some professional soccer players. The only thing missing is a segment on “Hockey Hair”, because we all know that hockey players are some of the most famous mullet wearers on earth. Perhaps they are saving that for the sequel, “Canadian Mullet”.

Throughout the movie they also have interspersed little clips of average people on the street giving their thoughts on the mullet. It’s not surprising how stereotypical the views tend to be, but American Mullet actually takes it upon itself to try and disprove some of these stereotypes. In the end you really do gain some respect for mullet wearers. It’s not just a movie out for a quick cash-in and cheap laugh, although there are plenty of laughs to be had as well. There are a few interview segments that drag on a little bit, but at 52 minutes running time the movie is probably just about the perfect length.

The DVD itself is a pretty cheap low budget affair, and the extras are rather uninteresting. A barber demonstrating how to cut the mullet, some clips from the race tracks, and … plus a couple web links. Yawn. There are some trailers for some other cool-looking indie films though.

I was prepared for the worst but I ended up being pleasantly surprised by American Mullet. I think it does the mullet justice and manages to cover the phenomenon from a lot of interesting angles while also keeping things light-hearted and entertaining. Does it really prove a point? I don’t think so. But I can’t say that it doesn’t live up to the title of “The Most Important Hair Documentary Ever Made.” — Sean