The Big Tease

The Big Tease (Comedy, 1999/87 minutes): Starring Craig Ferguson, Frances Fisher, Mary McCormack, David Rasche, Chris Langham. Directed by Kevin Allen.

Glasgow hairdresser Crawford Mackenzie (Ferguson) knows for sure that hair is everybody's crowning glory. His ultimate dream is to show his talents at the Platinum Scissors Award, the mane event for hairdressers the world over, in Los Angeles.

Enter a documentary filmmaker (Langham) to follow Crawford as he bids goodbye to his loving mom and "friend" Hamish and sets out to show his stuff in LA. However, his snips to glory are thwarted at every turn, including by a no-nonsense event organizer (McMormack) and the reigning champion (Rasche) who will do anything to keep his title.

This is a small movie with big laughs, done in the pseudo "fly-on-the-wall" style of This is Spinal Tap. It's alternately silly and poignant, but always decidedly camp. Ferguson from The Drew Carey Show obviously likes his character, making the audience laugh with him, not at him, as he strolls around LA in his kilt and throws more than the occasional hissy fit. One cannot help laughing as Cameron looks out over the LA skyline and murmurs, "All those people out there with all their stories. Some of them are sleeping, some of them are making love -- and some of them are having their hair done."

Particularly touching is his budding relationship with Fisher, the seemingly hard-as-nails LA agent whose facade drops as soon as Cameron works his magic on her locks. It's a make you-feel- good movie, as long as you are not a homophobe (brc).