Shampoo

George Roundy, a charismatic Beverly Hills hairdresser, is entertaining Felicia at his apartment when Jill, his younger actress girlfriend, calls in a panic, convinced an intruder is in her home. He abandons Felicia and rushes to Jill to calm her down. Felicia leaves frustrated, sensing his divided loyalties.

Despite professional success, George longs to own his own salon and cannot secure a bank loan. He turns to Felicia and her husband Lester for funding, while keeping secret his ongoing affairs, including Jackie. The plan to finance the dream highlights his willingness to bend ethical boundaries for ambition.

Jackie arranges for George to style her hair, and he works it so the look mirrors Felicia's. Sexual tension grows as they flirt and nearly kiss, but their moment is interrupted when Lester arrives. The subtext of attraction complicates the scheme to keep Jackie in the orbit of George.

Believing George's profession means he is gay, Lester asks him to escort Jackie to a Republican election-night soiree. The invitation binds George to attend the high-profile event and to maintain appearances for Lester's benefit. The setup foreshadows the social labyrinth of George's life.

George escorts Jackie to the Republican election-night soiree and discovers a roomful of present and former partners, including his girlfriend Jill and Felicia. The atmosphere is tense as past relationships collide with the present. Jackie becomes upset and Lester asks George to take her home.

All principals except Felicia retreat to a Beverly Hills mansion for a counterculture party, where drinks, drugs and sexual pursuits run rampant. The scene underscores the hedonistic nature of their social circle and foreshadows more drama to come. The night spirals into a blur of decadence.

Lester, Jill, and Johnny stumble upon a couple having sex in the kitchen; Lester publicly admires the tryst but then the refrigerator door opens, revealing George and Jackie in a compromising light. Shocked, Lester leaves the party, and Jill hurls a chair in a fit of rage. The explosive moment exposes the lies surrounding George's relationships.

The following morning, Jill confronts George at her home, holding Felicia's earring that was found in his bed. George admits that his pursuit of beauty and promiscuity are part of his career, and he recognizes that it may jeopardize his relationship with Jill and others. The confession marks a turning point in his double life.

George returns to confront Lester, who arrives with a crew of intimidating men and proposes a business deal. Lester hypocritically calls Jackie a whore while articulating his own opportunistic plan, signaling a pragmatic but morally ambiguous dynamic. The meeting ends with a pact that bites at the root of George's desires.

George goes to Jackie's house to plead for a chance, but she flees in her car. He chases after her on a motorcycle and the pursuit ends at a hilltop overlook above her house, where the two face the consequences of their tangled lives. The moment intensifies the stakes of their relationship.

On the hilltop, George asks Jackie to marry him, but she tells him it is too late. She reveals plans to go to Acapulco with Lester, who has promised to divorce Felicia and marry her. The promise of a fresh start undercuts George's dream of a shared future.

Jackie leaves with Lester, and George remains alone on the overlook, watching the couple depart. He confronts the emptiness of the life he pursued, realizing that his pursuit of youth and beauty has not yielded the love or lasting success he sought. The film closes on a note of unresolved longing.