The Best Man: Stars Align In This Romantic Comedy

The Best Man is a 1999 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Malcolm D. Lee in his directorial debut. The film stars an ensemble cast led by Taye Diggs, who plays Harper Stewart, an up-and-coming author, and Nia Long, who plays Jordan Armstrong, Harper's would-be flame from his college years. The cast also includes Morris Chestnut, Harold Perrineau, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Melissa De Sousa, and Regina Hall. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics and was followed by two sequels, The Best Man Holiday in 2013 and The Best Man: The Final Chapters in 2022.

The cast of The Best Man

The Best Man is a 1999 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Malcolm D. Lee in his directorial debut. The film stars an ensemble cast led by Taye Diggs and Nia Long, with the debut of Regina Hall.

Taye Diggs plays the novelist Harper Stewart, whose latest book threatens to reveal a secret that could ruin his good friend's wedding. Outside of The Best Man, Diggs has had a successful career, starring in the Shonda Rhimes series Private Practice and in the Broadway production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Nia Long plays Jordan Armstrong, Harper's former flame from college. Long's performance in The Best Man cemented her image as every man's dream girl, and she went on to star in several popular comedies, including Big Momma's House and Are We There Yet?

The cast also includes Morris Chestnut as the groom-to-be Lance Sullivan, Terrence Howard as the aimless, womanizing Quentin, and Sanaa Lathan as Harper's girlfriend, Robin. Regina Hall plays Candy, one of the strippers at the bachelor party, and Harold Perrineau takes on the role of Lance's sensitive groomsman, Julian.

The success of The Best Man led to a Christmas-themed sequel, The Best Man Holiday, released in 2013, which reunited the original cast. The franchise concluded with the limited series The Best Man: The Final Chapters, which premiered in 2022.

The film's plot

The Best Man is a 1999 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Malcolm D. Lee in his directorial debut. The film stars an ensemble cast led by Taye Diggs and Nia Long, with the debut of Regina Hall.

The film follows Harper Stewart, an up-and-coming author in Chicago, whose debut novel, Unfinished Business, has been selected by Oprah's Book Club. Harper travels to New York City to spend the weekend with old friends from college and to serve as the best man at the wedding of his friend Lance Sullivan, a running back for the New York Giants, and Mia Morgan. However, things get complicated when it is revealed that Harper's novel is based on his friends' lives, including details about the bride's fervent past.

As the wedding weekend unfolds, the group of friends is confronted with secrets and scandals. Jordan Armstrong, one of the friends, is revealed to be Harper's former flame, and she admits that she still has feelings for him. Meanwhile, Harper's girlfriend, Robyn, is frustrated by his unwillingness to commit to her. Another friend, Quentin Spivey, is a free spirit who is unable to settle down, and Julian "Murch" Murchison is in a relationship with the domineering Shelby, whom none of the friends approve of.

The situation escalates when Lance discovers that Harper's novel includes a revelation about a one-night stand between Harper and Mia, his fiancée, in college. Enraged, Lance attacks Harper, but they are talked down by Quentin. Despite the turmoil, Harper works to save the wedding and eventually reconciles with Lance, who decides to go through with the ceremony.

The film ends with Harper proposing to Robyn at the wedding, and the cast of characters dancing to "Candy" by Cameo.

The film's critical reception

The Best Man, a 1999 American comedy-drama film, received mostly positive reviews from critics. The Rotten Tomatoes website gives the film a 72% positive rating based on reviews by 71 critics, with the consensus stating:

> "With a strong cast and a host of well-defined characters, The Best Man is an intelligent, funny romantic comedy that marks an impressive debut for writer/director Malcolm D. Lee."

At Metacritic, the film averaged a favourable 61% rating from 30 critics. The website AllMovie gave the film 3/5 stars, with reviewer Jason Clark stating that the film has "occasional moments of ripe humour, but it fails to say anything new about troubled weddings or the experience of being an upwardly mobile African-American looking for love."

Howard's performance in particular earned much praise from film critics, and The Best Man is considered to be his breakout film. Clark of AllMovie stated Howard "commands the screen with such abandon that one secretly wishes the film could have been all about his oddly captivating character".

The film, produced on a relatively small budget of $9 million, went on to make over $34 million by the end of its theatrical run.

The film's awards and nominations

The Best Man received numerous awards and nominations. All eight principal cast members received nominations at the 2000 NAACP Image Awards, with wins for Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (Nia Long), and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Terrence Howard).

At the 2000 Black Reel Awards, the film won Best Director (Theatrical) and Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted (Theatrical) (both Malcolm D. Lee), and Long won Best Actress (Theatrical). The film also received nominations for Best Actor (Theatrical) (Taye Diggs) and Best Supporting Actor (Theatrical) (Howard).

At the 2000 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, Howard was nominated for Most Promising Actor. The film also received two further nominations for Howard at the 2000 Independent Spirit Awards and NAACP Image Awards for Best Supporting Male and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, respectively.

Other NAACP Image Award nominations went to:

• Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture (Morris Chestnut and Diggs)
• Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (Monica Calhoun)
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Harold Perrineau)
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (Melissa De Sousa and Sanaa Lathan)

The cast's careers post-The Best Man

The stars of the 1999 film The Best Man have gone on to achieve success in a variety of projects across film and television.

Taye Diggs, who played Harper Stewart, starred on the Shonda Rhimes series Private Practice from 2007-2013, and appeared in the 2013 films Baggage Claim and The Best Man Holiday. He also took on the lead role in a Broadway production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Morris Chestnut, who played Lance Sullivan, returned to romantic comedy in Think Like a Man, and has also appeared in Identity Thief, Kick-Ass 2, and The Perfect Guy. He currently headlines the medical drama Rosewood.

Nia Long, who played Jordan Armstrong, appeared in Big Momma's House (1 and 2) and Are We There Yet?. She has also starred in Tyler Perry's The Single Moms Club, and Boys n the Hood.

Sanaa Lathan, who played Robin, has appeared in numerous films including Contagion, Something New, Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys, and The Perfect Guy. She also appeared in the cable series Boss, and starred in the Netflix series Hit & Run.

Terrence Howard, who played Quentin, has gone on to star in critically acclaimed and blockbuster films such as Iron Man, Crash, and Hustle & Flow, for which he received an Oscar nomination. He also appeared in The Butler, and landed a leading role in the Fox series Empire.

Regina Hall, who played Candy, became known for her comedic acting in the Scary Movie franchise, and has appeared in Think Like a Man, About Last Night, and Think Like a Man Too.

Harold Perrineau, who played Julian Murchison, has had a successful television career, starring in series such as Lost, Sons of Anarchy, and The Wedding Band. He has also appeared in high-profile films including 28 Weeks Later and Zero Dark Thirty.

Melissa De Sousa, who played Shelby, has appeared in numerous TV and film roles, including Miss Congeniality, Black Lightning, and The Best Man Holiday.

Other cast members who have gone on to achieve success include Monica Calhoun (Mia Morgan), who appeared in The Player's Club, Civil Brand, and Gang of Roses; and director Malcolm D. Lee, who has helmed other light-hearted comedies such as Undercover Brother and Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins.

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