The Best Man Holiday: A Friendship Revived

'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 who reunite after 15 years, discovering how old rivalries and romances can be reignited. The film explores the dynamics between the friends, including Harper (Taye Diggs), who is struggling with writer's block, financial difficulties, and pressure from his publisher, and Lance (Morris Chestnut), a football player facing retirement. The friends gather for Christmas, and the celebration brings to light secrets and tensions, leading to emotional confrontations and heartfelt moments. 'The Best Man Holiday' received positive reviews for its blend of humour and drama, and it was a commercial success, grossing $72.8 million worldwide.

The film's premise

The Best Man Holiday is a 2013 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 sees the return of the original cast, including Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, and Nia Long. The film follows a group of college friends who reunite after 15 years during the Christmas holidays.

The film centres around Harper Stewart (Diggs), a writer who is experiencing writer's block, financial difficulties, and pressure from his publisher. Harper's agent suggests he write a biography of his former best friend and football player, Lance Sullivan (Chestnut), who is set to retire. Harper reluctantly agrees but decides to keep the biography a secret. Meanwhile, Lance's wife, Mia (Monica Calhoun), has invited the old gang for Christmas: Julian "Murch" Murchison (Harold Perrineau) and his wife Candace Sparks (Hall), her best friend Jordan Armstrong (Long) and her boyfriend Brian McDonald (Eddie Cibrian), Quentin "Q" Spivey (Terrence Howard), and Shelby Taylor (Melissa De Sousa).

As the friends gather for the first time in 14 years, old tensions and rivalries resurface. Harper attempts to mend his friendship with Lance while secretly gathering information for the biography. Shelby tries to rekindle her relationship with Murch, causing further conflict with Candace. Robyn (Sanaa Lathan), Harper's wife, struggles to bond with Jordan due to her history with Harper. During a fun-filled pyjama party, the group performs a lip-sync to New Edition's "Can You Stand the Rain", helping to heal the rift between Lance and Harper.

However, the mood shifts when Harper discovers that Mia has terminal cancer and has kept her diagnosis a secret from Lance. As the friends volunteer at a shelter, Lance finds Harper's iPad and journal, along with a mock book cover for the unauthorised biography. Enraged, Lance confronts Harper, and the two have a falling out. Mia intervenes, revealing her role in Harper and Lance's feud due to a past infidelity, and her acceptance of her terminal illness. On Christmas Day, Lance plays a football game, ultimately breaking the rushing yards record. The group rushes back to Mia's side, but she passes away shortly after their return.

At the memorial service, Harper delivers a heartfelt eulogy, and Lance expresses his faith in God. The group reflects on the importance of life and family. As the film concludes, Robyn goes into labour, and Lance delivers Harper's baby girl in the backseat of his SUV, naming her Mia in tribute to their deceased friend. Ten months later, Harper and Lance's friendship is stronger than ever, and Harper has written Lance's biography.

The characters' dynamics

The character dynamics in "The Best Man Holiday" are complex and multifaceted, with a range of relationships and rivalries coming to the fore during the college friends' reunion after 15 years.

At the centre of the story is the dynamic between Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs) and Lance Sullivan (Morris Chestnut). Harper, a writer, is struggling with writer's block, financial troubles, and pressure from his agent and publisher. His agent suggests he write a biography of his former best friend, Lance, a football player who is set to retire. The two have a complicated history, as Harper had a one-night stand with Lance's wife, Mia, before their marriage. Harper agrees to write the biography in secret, which causes tension and conflict between the two men as they navigate their complex emotions and try to reconcile their differences.

Mia Sullivan (Monica Calhoun), Lance's wife, is another pivotal character in the story. She is the one who invites the old gang to join them for Christmas, including Harper and his pregnant wife, Robyn (Sanaa Lathan). Mia is dealing with a terminal illness, which she initially keeps a secret from everyone except Harper. She plays a crucial role in helping Harper and Lance mend their friendship and encourages Lance to focus on his family and what's truly important in life.

The group of friends also includes Julian "Murch" Murchison (Harold Perrineau) and his wife, Candace Sparks (Regina Hall). Candace is a former stripper, and her past creates tension in their relationship as Julian's main donor for his school withdraws funding due to her previous profession. This leads to a physical altercation between Candace and another friend, Shelby Taylor (Melissa De Sousa), a prominent reality TV star. Jordan Armstrong (Nia Long), an award-winning TV documentary maker and best friend of Robyn, is also part of the group. She has a new boyfriend, Brian McDonald (Eddie Cibrian), who leaves to visit his family for Christmas, causing a rift between them.

Quentin "Q" Spivey (Terrence Howard) is a successful brand manager with connections to celebrities. He becomes a confidant to Harper, offering him financial assistance and emotional support.

As the friends reunite, old rivalries and romances resurface, creating a dynamic and emotionally charged atmosphere. The characters' interactions are filled with laughter, tears, and heartfelt moments as they navigate their changed dynamics and try to reconnect after years apart.

Harper's personal struggles

Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs) is a successful author who is struggling with writer's block 15 years after his debut novel. He is also facing financial difficulties, having been laid off from his faculty position at New York University, and is under pressure from his publisher to create new and improved material for his next book. Harper has also been paying for expensive fertility treatments for his now-pregnant wife, Robyn (Sanaa Lathan). Harper's agent suggests he write a biography of his former best friend, Lance Sullivan (Morris Chestnut), a New York Giants superstar who is set to retire. Harper is reluctant to write the biography and keeps it a secret, especially from Lance, with whom he is trying to mend his friendship.

During the Christmas celebrations, Harper finds Mia, Lance's wife, vomiting blood and she reveals to him that she has terminal cancer. Harper agrees to keep her condition a secret from the rest of the group, but this proves challenging as he navigates his other personal struggles.

Harper's financial troubles come to light when his credit card is declined during a shopping trip, and he is forced to admit his financial situation to his friend, Quentin "Q" Spivey (Terrence Howard). Q offers to help Harper by paying off his debts.

Harper's struggles culminate in a confrontation with Lance, who discovers Harper's plan to write his biography. The two have a history of rivalry, stemming from Harper's one-night stand with Mia before her marriage to Lance. Despite this, the pair are able to reconcile and become close friends again, with Harper eventually writing Lance's biography.

Candace's past revealed

Candace Sparks (played by Regina Hall) is the wife of Julian "Murch" Murchison (Harold Perrineau). She is a former stripper, and now works as the head of admissions at the school Julian runs. Her past as a stripper is revealed when Julian's main donor for the school finds a YouTube video of her at a fraternity party accepting money for sex. The donor withdraws his support, not wanting to risk his reputation. Julian desperately tries to keep the video from Candace and the rest of the gang, but it is eventually discovered by Quentin "Q" Spivey, who accidentally shares it with Shelby Taylor, who uses it to try to coerce Julian into rekindling their relationship. Candace confronts Shelby, and the two women get into a physical fight, after which Candace leaves with her and Julian's children. She later returns and reconciles with Julian, revealing that she only performed "extra services" for a customer once and has regretted it ever since.

Mia's illness

Mia Sullivan, played by Monica Calhoun, is married to Lance Sullivan (Morris Chestnut). She is the one who invites the gang to reunite at Christmas. Harper notices that Mia has lost a dramatic amount of weight, but brushes it off. Later, Harper finds Mia throwing up blood and she reveals to him that she has terminal cancer. She asks him to keep her condition a secret, but he is forced to tell the rest of the friends when Mia collapses while preparing for a spa day.

Mia is determined to make Lance play in his big game, and she calls him at half-time, inspiring him to break the all-time rushing record. The men rush home after the game to say goodbye to Mia before she dies. At the funeral, everyone is emotional except for Lance, who finally breaks down as Mia's casket is lowered into the ground. Their newborn baby girl is named Mia in tribute to her.

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