The Best Man Holiday: Exploring The Prequel Potential

'The Best Man Holiday' is a 2013 comedy-drama film and sequel to the 1999 film 'The Best Man'. The film follows a group of college friends reuniting 15 years later during the Christmas holidays, and the drama that ensues as old tensions and rivalries resurface. The cast includes Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Terrence Howard, and Nia Long, among others, who reprise their roles from the original film. The movie received positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success. While there is no prequel to 'The Best Man Holiday', there is a follow-up limited series called 'The Best Man: The Final Chapters' that concludes the story.

The film's cast and their reprised roles

The cast of The Best Man Holiday reprised their roles from the first film, The Best Man. The film follows a group of college friends reuniting after 15 years.

Taye Diggs reprises his role as Harper Stewart, a successful author who is the protagonist of the first film. Harper is struggling to write his next novel and has financial difficulties due to being laid off from NYU and paying for fertility treatments for his now-pregnant wife.

Sanaa Lathan reprises her role as Robyn Stewart, Harper's wife. In the first film, Robyn is struggling with Harper's commitment issues, and in the sequel, she is pregnant and hoping to carry the baby to term after experiencing a miscarriage previously.

Nia Long reprises her role as Jordan Armstrong, Harper's close friend from college and former love interest. In the sequel, Jordan has a new boyfriend, Brian McDonald (Eddie Cibrian), who is white and travels frequently.

Morris Chestnut reprises his role as Lance Sullivan, a star running back for the New York Giants who is on the verge of retirement and set to break the all-time rushing record. Lance is still bitter about the revelations from Harper's novel, "Unfinished Business," which revealed that Harper had an affair with Lance's fiancée, Mia.

Harold Perrineau reprises his role as Julian "Murch" Murchison, a school headmaster whose main donor withdraws funding after learning about his wife's past as a stripper.

Terrence Howard reprises his role as Quentin "Q" Spivey, a foul-mouthed, wise-cracking, and hilarious character who is the voice of reason among the group of friends.

Monica Calhoun reprises her role as Mia Sullivan, Lance's wife. Mia has a mysterious secret that is later revealed to be a terminal cancer diagnosis.

Melissa De Sousa reprises her role as Shelby Taylor, Julian's snobbish and outlandish ex-girlfriend who is now a successful reality TV star.

Regina Hall reprises her role as Candace "Candy" Sparks, Julian's wife and a former stripper.

In addition to the main cast, The Best Man Holiday also features Eddie Cibrian as Brian McDonald, Jordan's white boyfriend; John Michael Higgins as Stan; and several actors portraying the children of the main characters.

The Best Man Holiday's plot

"The Best Man Holiday" is a 2013 comedy-drama film and a sequel to the 1999 film "The Best Man". The film follows a group of college friends who reunite after 15 years for a Christmas holiday. The plot centres around the dynamics and tensions within the group of friends, while also exploring their individual personal struggles and mid-life crises.

The film begins with Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs), the protagonist and a successful author, facing writer's block, financial difficulties, and pressure from his publisher. Harper's agent suggests he write a biography of his former best friend, Lance Sullivan (Morris Chestnut), a football player for the New York Giants who is set to retire. Harper and Lance have a strained relationship due to a past affair between Harper and Lance's wife, Mia Sullivan (Monica Calhoun). Despite their tensions, Harper and his pregnant wife, Robyn (Sanaa Lathan), accept Mia's invitation to spend Christmas with her, Lance, and their college friends.

The gang reunites at the Sullivan household, including Julian "Murch" Murchison (Harold Perrineau) and his wife Candace Sparks (Regina Hall), Jordan Armstrong (Nia Long) and her boyfriend Brian McDonald (Eddie Cibrian), Quentin "Q" Spivey (Terrence Howard), and Shelby Taylor (Melissa De Sousa). Old rivalries and romances quickly resurface, with tensions growing between Shelby and Candace. As the friends catch up, Harper attempts to mend his relationship with Lance while secretly gathering information for the biography.

The dynamics between the characters become more complex as the story unfolds. Julian and Candace's marriage is tested when a video of Candace's past as a stripper surfaces online, leading to a confrontation between her and Shelby. Meanwhile, Robyn struggles to bond with Jordan, knowing her history with Harper. Harper also discovers that Mia is terminally ill, and she asks him to help Lance accept her diagnosis.

As the friends spend time together, they confront their personal challenges and work to resolve their differences. The film takes an emotional turn as Mia's condition worsens, leading to a heartfelt eulogy by Harper at her funeral. The group of friends ultimately realises the importance of love and friendship, and they come together to support each other through their difficulties.

The film concludes with the birth of Harper and Robyn's baby, named Mia in honour of their deceased friend. Ten months later, Harper and Lance have reconciled, and Harper has written Lance's biography. The story ends on a positive note, with the friends overcoming their past conflicts and finding comfort and strength in their shared bonds.

The film's critical reception

The Best Man Holiday, a 2013 comedy-drama film and sequel to the 1999 film The Best Man, received positive reviews from critics. Critics praised the performances of the cast, Lee's direction, and the dramatic elements, with some criticism aimed at the screenplay. The film holds a 70% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the site's critical consensus reading, "The Best Man Holiday manages honest laughs out of broad humor, and affects convincing drama from a deeply conventional plot." Metacritic 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", with one plot point revolving around social media.

The film received multiple accolades and nominations, including four nominations at the 45th NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Chestnut and Howard), and Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Lee). It was also nominated for Best Movie at the Acapulco Black Film Festival and Outstanding Director, Motion Picture at the 2014 Black Reel Awards.

The film's commercial success

"The Best Man Holiday" was a commercial success, grossing $72.8 million worldwide on a production budget of $17 million. The film debuted with a $10.7 million Friday total, beating "Thor: The Dark World" for the top box office spot of that day. The film earned $12.4 million on Saturday and was the number two film of the weekend, taking in close to $30.6 million.

The strong cast and their indisputable chemistry were key to the film's success. Terrence Howard, in particular, stood out with his clever one-liners and ability to deliver genuine and serious moments. The film also benefited from positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of the cast, Lee's direction, and the dramatic elements. The film received a rare "A+" grade from CinemaScore and a 70% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

"The Best Man Holiday" also effectively built on the original film's premise, exploring the characters' growing pains and evolving relationships. The story centred on the protagonist, Harper Stewart (Diggs), who, 15 years after his blockbuster debut novel, faces writer's block and financial difficulties. The film's setting during the Christmas holidays added to its appeal, as friends reunited and old tensions resurfaced. The combination of comedy and heartfelt moments resonated with audiences, emphasizing the importance of love and friendship.

Awards and nominations

The Best Man Holiday received numerous awards and nominations. At the Acapulco Black Film Festival, it won 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 film received nominations for 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).

At the 45th NAACP Image Awards, The Best Man Holiday was nominated for 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).

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