When the quaint town of Keighley receives the honor of hosting the annual British hairdressing championships, it appears that various cities across the United Kingdom are ready to showcase their talents—except for Keighley itself. The reason? The competition is based on teams, and the only eligible local contestants have been at odds for over a decade.

For Brian (Josh Hartnett), the son of two accomplished hairdressers, this feud hits particularly close to home. Years ago, his mother Shelley (Natasha Richardson) made the difficult choice to leave his father Phil (Alan Rickman) in order to pursue a relationship with Phil’s hair model, Sandra. While Shelley and Sandra have since established a successful salon, Phil, a former styling champion, has reluctantly shifted his focus to training Brian in managing their modest barber shop.

However, the stakes rise dramatically when Shelley receives devastating news about her health—she has terminal cancer. In an attempt to mend the fractures in their family and find some semblance of closure, she reaches out to both Brian and Phil, suggesting that participating in the upcoming hairdressing contest could serve as a healing catalyst.

As if the situation weren’t already tangled, Phil’s long-time rival, Ray (Bill Nighy), a two-time champion, is eager to seize a coveted third title. He brings along his striking American daughter, Christina (Rachael Leigh Cook), to bolster his team’s chances. With deep-seated rivalries and personal challenges at play, the contest becomes not just a competition, but a poignant journey towards reconciliation and understanding.