The Village Barbershop

Although the premise here is old hat—crusty curmudgeon grudgingly mentors brash youth to the eventual benefit of both—writer-director Chris Ford's charming dramedy The Village Barbershop gives the story a vigorous dusting off in this crowd-pleasing film-festival-circuit favorite. John Ratzenberger (TV's Cheers) stars as Arthur Leroldi, a gruff Reno, NV widower who has trouble hanging on to his tonsorial parlor following the death of his partner of some 30 years. With great reluctance, Art hires Gloria (Gilmore Girls' Shelly Cole), a licensed cosmetologist with bookkeeping experience, to help out and hopefully attract new customers. Newly pregnant and separated from her trucker boyfriend (Josh Hutchinson), Gloria steals the trailer the couple lived in and parks it behind the barbershop, ultimately creating more headaches for Art. Although some of the plot complications are too easily resolved, Ratzenberger and Cole work well together in this overall engaging film from first-time helmer Ford. Recommended. (E. Hulse)