The Best Man Holiday: Movie Duration Explained

The Best Man Holiday is a comedy-drama film released in 2013. It is a sequel to the 1999 film The Best Man and was written, co-produced, and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. The film stars a talented ensemble cast, including Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, and Nia Long, who reprise their roles from the previous film. With a mix of humour and emotion, the movie follows a group of college friends who reunite after 15 years during the Christmas holidays, reigniting old rivalries and romances. The film received positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success, grossing $72.8 million worldwide. So, how long is The Best Man Holiday? The film has a runtime of approximately 124 minutes.

The Best Man Holiday: plot and synopsis

The Best Man Holiday is an American comedy-drama film written, co-produced and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. It is a sequel to Lee's 1999 film The Best Man and was released in 2013. The film stars a talented ensemble cast, including Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, and Sanaa Lathan.

The plot of The Best Man Holiday centres around a group of college friends who reunite after 15 years during the Christmas holidays. The friends, including Lance, Harper, Candace, Quentin, Robyn, Jordan, and Mia, have all moved on with their lives, but the reunion brings up old rivalries and romantic tensions. Harper, a successful author, is struggling with writer's block and financial troubles, while also dealing with the pressure of expecting his first child with his wife, Robyn, after years of fertility treatments. Harper's agent suggests he write a biography of his former best friend, Lance, a New York Giants superstar athlete, which creates a secret source of tension between the two friends.

Meanwhile, Lance's wife, Mia, has invited the gang to their house for Christmas. As the friends catch up, old dynamics resurface, and the celebration is filled with laughter, drama, and a few surprises. One of the highlights of the reunion is when the men perform a lip-sync and dance to New Edition's "Can You Stand the Rain," helping to heal old wounds between Lance and Harper. However, the joy of the reunion is tempered by a devastating discovery: Mia is battling terminal cancer, which she reveals to Harper, asking him to support Lance through this difficult time.

As the story unfolds, more secrets are exposed, relationships are tested, and the friends find themselves navigating complex emotions. The group's dynamic is further complicated by the presence of Shelby, a prominent reality TV star and former love interest of Julian, whose successful career is threatened by a scandal. The friends' interactions are filled with humour, heartfelt moments, and a sense of camaraderie that transcends their differences.

The Best Man Holiday explores the enduring bonds of friendship, the complexities of adult relationships, and the power of shared history. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised the cast's performances, Lee's direction, and the film's ability to blend humour and drama effectively.

The Best Man Holiday: cast and characters

The Best Man Holiday is a 2013 American comedy-drama film written, co-produced and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. It is a sequel to his 1999 film The Best Man, with many of the original cast reprising their roles.

The film centres around a group of college friends who reunite after 15 years, and stars:

• Morris Chestnut as Lance Sullivan, a New York Giants superstar athlete.
• Taye Diggs as Harper Stewart, Lance's former best friend and a successful author.
• Sanaa Lathan as Robyn Stewart, Harper's pregnant wife.
• Nia Long as Jordan Armstrong, a producer at MSNBC and Robyn's friend.
• Harold Perrineau as Julian "Murch" Murchison, Jordan's best friend and a school-runner.
• Terrence Howard as Quentin "Q" Spivey, a successful brand manager.
• Monica Calhoun as Mia Sullivan, Lance's wife who is secretly terminally ill.
• Melissa De Sousa as Shelby Taylor, a reality TV star and former flame of Julian.
• Regina Hall as Candace "Candy" Sparks, Julian's wife and former stripper.

The film also features Eddie Cibrian as Brian McDonald, Jordan's white boyfriend; John Michael Higgins as Stan; and Shailyn Pierre-Dixon as Kelly, among others.

The Best Man Holiday: critical reception

The Best Man Holiday, a 2013 American comedy-drama film, was positively received by critics. It was praised for the performances of the cast, the direction of Malcolm D. Lee, and the dramatic elements. However, the screenplay received some criticism.

The film holds a 70% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 6/10. The critical consensus on the site states:

> "The Best Man Holiday manages honest laughs out of broad humor, and affects convincing drama from a deeply conventional plot."

Metacritic, on the other hand, gave the film a score of 59 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews". CinemaScore reported that audiences gave the film a rare "A+" grade.

The Washington Post's Ann Hornaday gave the film 2.5 stars, calling it a "romp and a tearjerker" and praising Terrence Howard's delivery of "crude one-liners". She also noted that the film "has clearly caught up with the times".

The film's cast and crew were delighted by the positive critical reception. On the red carpet for the Hollywood premiere, actor Harold Perrineau shared his favourite holiday traditions, while director Malcolm D. Lee revealed that his favourite holiday activities involved "eating and drinking" with his family.

The Best Man Holiday was also a commercial success, grossing $72.8 million worldwide on a production budget of $17 million. It received multiple accolades and nominations, including four nominations at the 45th NAACP Image Awards.

The Best Man Holiday: awards and nominations

The Best Man Holiday, the highly-anticipated sequel to the 1999 film The Best Man, received several awards and nominations. The film was written, co-produced, and directed by Malcolm D. Lee.

At the Acapulco Black Film Festival, the film won three awards: Best Ensemble Cast, Best Actress for Nia Long, and Best Supporting Actor for Terrence Howard. It was also nominated for Best Actor (Morris Chestnut), Movie of the Year (Malcolm D. Lee and Sean Daniel), Best Screenplay (Malcolm D. Lee), Best Supporting Actress (Sanaa Lathan), and Best Director (Malcolm D. Lee).

At the 2014 Black Reel Awards, The Best Man Holiday received five nominations: Outstanding Actress, Motion Picture (Nia Long), Outstanding Director, Motion Picture (Malcolm D. Lee), Outstanding Screenplay (Adapted or Original), Motion Picture (Malcolm D. Lee), Outstanding Ensemble (Julie Hutchinson), and Outstanding Score (Stanley Clarke).

The film also received four nominations at the 45th NAACP Image Awards: Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Morris Chestnut and Terrence Howard), and Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Malcolm D. Lee).

In total, The Best Man Holiday received three wins and fifteen nominations.

The Best Man Holiday: soundtrack

The 2013 film "The Best Man Holiday" has a soundtrack to match, released by RCA Records on 25 October 2013. The album features Christmas music and songs by popular artists such as R. Kelly, Jordin Sparks, Mary J. Blige, Monica, Ne-Yo, Marsha Ambrosius, John Legend, and Emeli Sandé. It includes both original and existing tracks and was available for streaming on iTunes before the film's album release. Director Malcolm D. Lee believed that "music is essential to the entirety of a film-going experience" and that the songs in the movie "make up the fabric of the movie".

The soundtrack includes covers of Christmas songs performed by Stevie Wonder, Nat King Cole, and Marvin Gaye. Lee also wrote several Christmas songs into the script and collaborated with RCA Records to assemble a roster of talented artists. Critics had varying opinions on the soundtrack, with Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter commenting that while there was "a lot of effective music in the film", the "Christmas standards on the soundtrack are overused." On the other hand, Andrew Barker of Variety praised it as an "ace soundtrack full of soulful yuletide tunes", and Drew Taylor of IndieWire called it "a killer soundtrack full of late-'90s party jams".

The Best Man Holiday soundtrack includes the following songs:

• "Christmas Time to Me"
• "Someday at Christmas"
• "What Christmas Means to Me"
• "Christmas I'll Be Steppin'"
• "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
• "Can You Stand the Rain"
• "I Want to Come Home for Christmas"

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