In the 1999 film The Best Man, Taye Diggs plays Harper Stewart, an up-and-coming author who travels to New York City to spend the weekend with old college friends before they all attend the wedding of Lance Sullivan and Mia Morgan. Harper is conflicted about his relationship with his devoted girlfriend Robyn, and his attraction to Jordan Armstrong, one of the friends he reunites with. Jordan kisses Harper and later invites him to meet her after the bachelor party. However, Jordan is angry with Harper because he has written a book based on their mutual friends, which she has shared with their inner circle. Harper's book also reveals a secret about Mia's past, which causes a confrontation with the groom, Lance, who is initially enraged and almost throws Harper off a balcony. The film ends with Harper and Robyn engaged, and the entire wedding party dancing to Candy by Cameo.
What You'll Learn
- Taye Diggs' character Harper Stewart is an up-and-coming author
- Harper's girlfriend Robyn is frustrated by his unwillingness to commit
- Harper's friends pass around an advance copy of his book
- Harper's book is based on his friends, including the bride at the wedding he attends
- Harper's friend Jordan Armstrong kisses him and wants to sleep with him
Taye Diggs' character Harper Stewart is an up-and-coming author
In the 1999 film The Best Man, Taye Diggs plays Harper Stewart, an up-and-coming author from Chicago. His debut novel, Unfinished Business, has been selected by Oprah's Book Club. However, his success as a writer is contrasted by his troubled personal life. Harper's devoted girlfriend, Robyn, is frustrated by his reluctance to commit to her.
Harper travels to New York City to spend a weekend with old college friends before they all attend the wedding of his friend Lance Sullivan, a New York Giants running back, to Mia Morgan. Harper is the best man at the wedding and reunites with his friends Julian "Murch" Murchison and Jordan Armstrong. Jordan has shared an advance copy of Unfinished Business with their inner circle of friends, who are the basis for the book's characters.
The story unfolds as the friends' various relationships and dynamics are explored. Jordan admits to Harper that she wants to sleep with him, and they share a kiss. Meanwhile, Harper worries that Lance will discover that he and Mia had a one-night stand in college, which is revealed in the novel.
As the wedding approaches, tensions rise, and Harper finds himself in a difficult position. He tries to prevent Lance from reading his book, but ultimately, Lance discovers the truth, leading to a confrontation. Despite the challenges, Harper's friends support him, and he is able to navigate the situation with the help of Robyn, who stands by him despite his mistakes.
The Best Man was well-received by critics and marked the breakout role for Terrence Howard, who played Quentin Spivey. The film also starred notable actors such as Nia Long, Morris Chestnut, Harold Perrineau, and Regina Hall. It was written and directed by Malcolm D. Lee and produced by Lee's cousin, Spike Lee.
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Harper's girlfriend Robyn is frustrated by his unwillingness to commit
In the 1999 film The Best Man, Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs) is an up-and-coming author in Chicago, with a devoted girlfriend, Robyn (Sanaa Lathan). Robyn is frustrated by Harper's hesitance to commit to her. The film follows Harper as he travels to New York City to spend the weekend with old college friends and attend the wedding of Lance Sullivan, a New York Giants running back, and his bride, Mia Morgan.
The story takes a turn when it is revealed that Harper's debut novel, Unfinished Business, has been selected by Oprah's Book Club. This achievement sets off a chain of events that expose the complexities of Harper's relationships, including his reluctance to commit to Robyn.
Throughout the film, Robyn remains a constant and supportive presence in Harper's life, despite his wavering commitment. The audience sees the impact of his indecision on their relationship, as Robyn is left waiting for Harper to make a decision about their future together. It is only when Harper faces challenges and difficulties that he realises the importance of Robyn in his life and finally takes the step towards commitment by proposing to her at the wedding.
The Best Man explores the dynamics of relationships, friendship, and the challenges of navigating love and career aspirations. It received positive reviews from critics and is considered a beloved classic in the romantic comedy genre.
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Harper's friends pass around an advance copy of his book
In the 1999 film The Best Man, Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs) is an up-and-coming author who travels to New York City to spend the weekend with old college friends before they all attend the wedding of Lance Sullivan and Mia Morgan. Jordan Armstrong (Nia Long), one of the friends, passes around an advance copy of Harper's debut novel, Unfinished Business, to their inner circle of friends—upon whom the book is based.
The book causes a lot of drama within the friend group, as it is revealed that Harper's book is about his attraction to Jordan, and his one-night stand with Mia, who is now engaged to Lance. Jordan and Harper share a kiss, and when Lance finds out about Harper's past with Mia, he attacks him. The film ends with Harper and his girlfriend, Robyn, getting engaged.
The cast of The Best Man reunited for a Christmas-themed sequel, The Best Man Holiday, in 2013, and a limited series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, in 2022.
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Harper's book is based on his friends, including the bride at the wedding he attends
In the 1999 film The Best Man, Taye Diggs plays Harper Stewart, a commitment-shy writer and the best man at the wedding of Lance (Morris Chestnut) and Mia (Monica Calhoun). Harper's new book, Unfinished Business, is about to be released, and it chronicles his college life with his friends, including the bride, Mia, in an unflattering light.
Harper travels to New York City to spend the weekend with old college friends before they all attend Lance and Mia's wedding. One of these friends, Jordan Armstrong (Nia Long), shares an advance copy of Unfinished Business with their inner circle of friends, upon whom the book is based. Jordan is also a love interest of Harper's.
As the wedding celebration weekend nears, scandalous secrets begin to be revealed. Jordan admits to Harper that she wants to sleep with him before his girlfriend Robyn arrives for the wedding the next day, and they share a kiss. Harper worries that Lance will discover that he and Mia had a one-night stand in college. Lance does indeed find out and is enraged, attacking Harper and almost throwing him off a balcony.
Harper and Jordan's mutual attraction causes tension throughout the film, and they eventually find closure, with Jordan telling Harper that Robyn is the woman for him. On the dance floor, Harper proposes to Robyn, and she accepts.
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Harper's friend Jordan Armstrong kisses him and wants to sleep with him
In the 1999 film The Best Man, Harper Stewart (played by Taye Diggs) is a commitment-phobic writer who travels to New York City to spend a weekend with old college friends before they all attend the wedding of his friend Lance Sullivan. One of these college friends is Jordan Armstrong (Nia Long). Jordan has passed around an advance copy of Harper's debut novel, Unfinished Business, which is based on his friends—including Jordan—and their time in college.
Jordan and Harper's mutual attraction is clear, and Jordan kisses Harper, admitting that she wants to sleep with him before his girlfriend Robyn arrives for the wedding the next day. Jordan invites Harper to meet her later, and he accepts. However, Harper is badly beaten by the groom, Lance, after the latter discovers the truth about Harper and his bride's past. Harper then goes to Jordan's apartment, blaming her for circulating his book. She berates him for airing his own dirty laundry and leading her on. The next day, Harper meets Robyn at the airport, and she agrees to help him save the wedding. Jordan also helps to take care of Mia, the bride, who is oblivious to the previous night's events. Jordan eventually finds closure with Harper, telling him that Robyn is the woman for him.
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Frequently asked questions
Taye Diggs played the title character, Harper Stewart, an up-and-coming author.
The film centres on Harper Stewart, who travels to New York City to spend the weekend with old college friends before they all attend the wedding of Lance Sullivan, a New York Giant, and Mia Morgan. Harper's debut novel is exposed as being based on his friends, and the group's relationships are tested as a result.
Yes, Harper's novel, "Unfinished Business", causes a lot of drama within the friend group. One of his friends, Jordan, slaps him during an argument—this slap was unscripted and Nia Long's real reaction. Harper also gets into a fight with the groom, Lance, who almost throws him off a balcony.
"The Best Man" received mostly positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 72% positive rating, with the consensus calling it "an intelligent, funny romantic comedy". Terrence Howard's performance was particularly well-received, earning him several award nominations.
Yes, there was a Christmas-themed sequel, "The Best Man Holiday", released in 2013, and a limited series, "The Best Man: The Final Chapters", which debuted in 2022. Both continued the story of the friend group and featured much of the original cast.