Every week, Ultimate Movie Year looks back into the past to highlight the best film that came out that weekend.

"Barbershop"
Released Sept. 13, 2002
Directed by Tim Story

A business owner and entrepreneur scared about the future. An immigrant worried about fitting in. An older man complaining about the younger generation's lack of knowledge. An ongoing debate between an intellectual and a non-college-educated white man.

In the aftermath of the 2016 United States presidential election, the narrative around the outcome was about "economic anxiety," and more specifically, the feelings of rural or non-college-educated white people. While the loss of manufacturing and other opportunities devastated many communities, these issues were given more weight in the national conversation than the plight of inner-city neighborhoods which have suffered for a long time too, many of which also deal with the anxieties noted above.

When "Barbershop" debuted in 2002, it also didn't receive the attention or success that its peers did that year. "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" was far and away the most successful comedy of the year, followed by "Austin Powers in Goldmember," "Men in Black II," "Sweet Home Alabama," "Maid in Manhattan" and "Two Weeks Notice," but one would be hard-pressed to say any of these films are better than "Barbershop," which quietly made more than six times its production budget. Not that financial success is an indicator of quality in Hollywood, but the industry has a history of underestimating or outright dismissing mainstream films created by and starring black people.