The Best Man Holiday: A Movie To Remember

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 stars Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, and other actors reprising their roles from the previous film. The plot centres on a group of college friends who reunite after nearly 15 years apart during the Christmas holidays. They discover that old rivalries and romances can be easily reignited, and secrets are revealed. The film received positive reviews for its performances, direction, and dramatic elements, and was a commercial success, grossing $72.8 million worldwide.

Long-forgotten rivalries and romances reignited

College friends Lance (Morris Chestnut), Harper (Taye Diggs), Candace (Regina Hall), Quentin (Terrence Howard), Robyn (Sanaa Lathan), Jordan (Nia Long), Murch (Harold Perrineau), and Mia (Monica Calhoun) reunite after nearly 15 years apart. The gang reunites over the Christmas holidays, and it is not long before long-forgotten rivalries and passionate romances are reignited.

Harper Stewart, a successful author, is struggling with writer's block and financial difficulties. His agent suggests he write a biography of his former best friend, New York Giants superstar Lance Sullivan, with whom he has a strained relationship. Harper reluctantly agrees to do it in secret. Meanwhile, Lance's wife, Mia, has invited everyone to spend Christmas at their home.

As the friends catch up, old tensions resurface. Harper tries to mend his friendship with Lance while secretly gathering research for the biography. Robyn, Harper's wife, struggles to bond with Jordan, knowing her history with Harper. Shelby, a prominent reality television star and Julian's ex, presses him to rekindle their relationship, despite his marriage to Candace.

During a fun-filled pyjama party, the group has a great time, and the men dance and lip-sync to New Edition's "Can You Stand the Rain", which helps to heal old wounds between Lance and Harper. However, tragedy strikes when Harper discovers that Mia has been privately battling terminal cancer. Harper agrees to help Lance accept her diagnosis, but their reconciliation is short-lived when Lance discovers Harper's secret biography.

Mia takes responsibility for the feud between Lance and Harper due to her past actions and urges Lance to face the reality of her condition. On Christmas Day, Lance defies his scheduled game to care for Mia, but she convinces him to play, and he ultimately breaks the all-time rushing yards record. Mia passes away soon after, leaving everyone devastated.

Harper's secret biography of Lance

Harper Stewart, a successful author, is facing writer's block, financial difficulties, and fertility treatments for his pregnant wife, Robyn. His agent suggests he write a biography of his former best friend, New York Giants superstar Lance Sullivan, who is set to retire. Harper and Lance are on speaking terms, but Lance keeps Harper at a distance. Harper agrees to write the biography in secret.

Harper's wife, Robyn, is pregnant with their first child and struggling to bond with Jordan, knowing her history with Harper. Harper's agent believes that writing a biography of Lance will help Harper's career and finances. Harper is reluctant to write about his former best friend without his permission, but he eventually agrees, hoping to mend their friendship.

As Harper works on the biography, he attempts to rekindle his friendship with Lance, but Lance remains distant. Harper discovers that Lance is angry about a one-night stand between Harper and Lance's wife, Mia, which occurred before their marriage. Despite this, Harper continues to work on the biography, believing it will help his career and family.

Harper's secret is eventually discovered by Lance, who is furious and feels betrayed. Harper tries to explain his motivations, but Lance refuses to listen. The two men argue, and Harper reveals his financial struggles and the pressure he felt to write the biography. Lance eventually forgives Harper, and they reconcile.

Harper's biography, "God, Family, and Football," becomes a success. He and Lance are closer than ever, and Harper is grateful for his friend's support. The biography helps Harper overcome his writer's block and improves his financial situation. In the end, Harper and Lance's friendship is stronger than ever, and they create many new happy memories together.

Mia's terminal cancer diagnosis

Mia Sullivan (Monica Calhoun) is diagnosed with terminal cancer. She invites her college friends, including her husband Lance's former best friend Harper, to spend Christmas with her, Lance, and their family. During the holiday, Harper finds Mia vomiting blood and she confides in him about her terminal diagnosis, asking him to help Lance accept it.

Mia's illness is a central plot point of the film and a source of conflict, particularly between Lance and Harper. Harper struggles with how to tell Lance about Mia's condition, and when he finally does, Lance is angry and refuses to listen. Mia also takes responsibility for Lance and Harper's feud, revealing that she had a one-night stand with Harper in college, which she knew would hurt Lance due to his infidelities.

Mia's illness brings the group of friends together and leads to a strengthening of their bonds. Despite initial anger and sadness, Harper and Lance reconcile, and Harper is there to support Lance when Mia dies. The group also bands together to support each other, with Harper, in particular, receiving help from Quentin after revealing his financial troubles.

Shelby's attempts to rekindle her relationship with Murch

In "The Best Man Holiday", Shelby Taylor (Melissa De Sousa) is a successful reality TV star on the hit show "The Real Housewives" franchise. She is the ex-girlfriend of Julian "Murch" Murchison (Harold Perrineau), who is now married to Candace Sparks (Regina Hall), a former stripper and the head of admissions at the school Murch runs.

Shelby attempts to rekindle her relationship with Murch, despite his marriage to Candace. This causes tension between Shelby and Candace, with the two women having a physical altercation after Candace confronts Shelby. Candace leaves with their children, but eventually returns and reconciles with Murch.

Despite the passage of time, the friends find it easy to slip back into old dynamics, with Shelby and Candace's rivalry being a notable example. Shelby's pursuit of Murch, even after his marriage to Candace, highlights the complicated nature of their relationships and the challenges they face in navigating their past and present connections.

In addition to the romantic entanglements, the friends also deal with various personal struggles, such as Harper's writer's block and financial difficulties, Jordan's success as a producer at MSNBC, and Mia's terminal cancer diagnosis, which she reveals to Harper after he finds her vomiting blood.

Robyn's struggle to bond with Jordan

Robyn's paranoia over Harper's relationship with Jordan is exacerbated by the fact that they are all staying under the same roof for the Christmas holidays, and that Robyn is nine months pregnant, and thus, hormonally charged. The situation is further strained by the presence of other college friends, including Harper's former girlfriend, Mia, and Jordan's new boyfriend, Brian McDonald.

During a slumber party, the group has a good time, and the men dance and lip-sync to New Edition's "Can You Stand the Rain", which helps to patch up old wounds between Harper and Lance. However, it is not clear if this has any positive impact on Robyn and Jordan's relationship.

Later in the film, Jordan dismissively states that she does not need Brian when he has to leave to visit his family for Christmas. It is not clear if this is related to her struggles with Robyn, but it does show a more vulnerable side of Jordan, who previously came across as "career-obsessed".

Overall, Robyn's struggle to bond with Jordan is a significant source of tension in the film, and it will be interesting to see if the two women can eventually put their differences aside, especially given Jordan's apology to Brian over the phone.

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