In Pelham Bay, the Bronx, Freddie grows up wanting to be a barber - like his father, grandfather, and uncles. The big day arrives when he gets a chair in his father's shop. The priest blesses his chair, tools, mirror, and Freddie. He starts in. But he's not very good. He tries to develop a signature cut; customers avoid him. But Freddie's motto is, "Life is a lot like hair, you can always find your part in it." What's Freddie's?

Instead of adhering to the norms of their South Central neighborhood, a group of skater boys opt to bus into Hollywood and Beverly Hills, where they attract local rich girls - and plenty of trouble with the police, jealous boyfriends, and nervous parents.