The Ultimate Man Series: What's The Best?

The Best Man is a 1999 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. The film stars an ensemble cast led by Taye Diggs and Nia Long, with the debut of Regina Hall. It follows 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. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics and spawned a franchise, including a Christmas-themed sequel, The Best Man Holiday, released in 2013, and a limited series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, which premiered in 2022.

The Best Man (1999)

The Best Man is an American comedy-drama film released in 1999. It was written and directed by Malcolm D. Lee and produced by 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, with Lee's cousin, Spike Lee, serving as producer. The film stars an ensemble cast led by Taye Diggs, Nia Long, and Regina Hall, who made her debut in the film.

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 before they all attend the wedding of Lance Sullivan, a running back for the New York Giants, and Mia Morgan. Harper serves as the best man, reuniting with his friends Julian "Murch" Murchison and Jordan Armstrong. Jordan has passed an advance copy of Unfinished Business around their inner circle, and as the group spends time together, secrets and tensions emerge, threatening to derail the wedding.

The film received mostly positive reviews from critics and was a breakthrough for its director and several of its cast members. It spawned a Christmas-themed sequel, The Best Man Holiday, in 2013, and a limited series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, in 2022.

The Best Man Holiday (2013)

The Best Man Holiday is a 2013 American comedy-drama film and a sequel to the 1999 film The Best Man. Written, co-produced, and directed by Malcolm D. Lee, the film stars an ensemble cast of Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, Harold Perrineau, Monica Calhoun, and Melissa De Sousa, all reprising their roles from the previous film.

The film follows the story of college friends reuniting after 15 years, as they spend the Christmas holidays together. The friends discover that old rivalries and romances can be easily reignited. One of the friends, Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs), is facing writer's block, financial difficulties, and fertility treatments for his 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. Lance's wife, Mia (Monica Calhoun), has invited Harper, Robyn, and their friends for Christmas. As the group catches up, old tensions resurface, and Harper tries to mend his friendship with Lance while secretly gathering information for the biography.

The film explores the dynamics of the group as they navigate their relationships, careers, and personal struggles. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances, direction, and dramatic elements, while the screenplay received some criticism. The film was a commercial success, grossing $72.8 million worldwide on a production budget of $17 million. It received multiple accolades and nominations, including four nominations at the 45th NAACP Image Awards.

The Best Man Holiday is a heartwarming and humorous story of friendship, love, and reconciliation, offering a satisfying continuation of the story begun in The Best Man.

The Best Man: The Final Chapters (2022)

The Best Man: The Final Chapters is an American comedy-drama miniseries created by Malcolm D. Lee and developed by Lee and Dayna Lynne North. The series is a follow-up to the 1999 film The Best Man and the 2013 Christmas-themed sequel, The Best Man Holiday. It premiered on Peacock on December 22, 2022, with eight episodes.

The limited series picks up a few years after The Best Man Holiday and follows a group of longtime college friends: Harper, Quentin, Lance, Murch, Jordan, Robyn, Candace, and Shelby. The story explores the complexities of midlife as they navigate challenges related to marriage, parenting, health, romance, work, and identity. It delves into how their relationships evolve and how they redefine their friendships while facing these obstacles.

In terms of the plot, Harper aspires to elevate his literary career and gets the opportunity to turn his book "Unfinished Business" into a movie. Quentin gets married and struggles to take over his family's business from his father. Lance discovers new passions while facing difficult parenting challenges. Jordan strives to find a balance between work, life, and love on her journey toward self-care. Candace pursues higher education, while her husband, Murch, fights for respect. Robyn searches for her true place in the world, and Shelby seeks to be taken seriously beyond her role as a Real Housewife.

The series received positive reviews, with a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 58 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

The cast's careers

The Best Man series, which includes the 1999 film The Best Man, its 2013 sequel The Best Man Holiday, and the 2022 limited series The Best Man: The Final Chapters, features an ensemble cast led by Taye Diggs, Nia Long, and Regina Hall.

Taye Diggs, who portrays Harper Stewart, found fame as part of the original Broadway cast of Rent and in films such as How Stella Got Her Groove Back. He has also appeared in the original cast of Rent and in the film How Stella Got Her Groove Back.

Nia Long, who plays Jordan Armstrong, has appeared in Boyz n the Hood, Friday, Love Jones, and Soul Food.

Regina Hall, who portrays Candace "Candy" Sparks-Murchison, has starred and co-starred in numerous successful films and TV projects, including Girls Trip, the Scary Movie franchise, and the 2022 Oscars ceremony, which she hosted alongside Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes.

Morris Chestnut, who plays Lance Sullivan, has starred in several TV shows, including Rosewood and The Resident.

Terrence Howard, who plays Quentin Spivey, found huge fame starring in Fox's Empire and was a 2006 Best Actor Oscar nominee for his role in Hustle & Flow.

Sanaa Lathan, who portrays Robyn Stewart, went on to star in the romance classic Love & Basketball and the Netflix series Hit & Run.

Melissa De Sousa, who plays Shelby Taylor, has appeared in numerous TV and film roles, including Miss Congeniality and The CW's Black Lightning.

Harold Perrineau, who portrays Julian "Murch" Murchison, has appeared in TV series such as Fame and Lost, as well as films like William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet and two Matrix films.

Other cast members include Monica Calhoun as Mia Sullivan, Jim Moody as Uncle Skeeter, and Victoria Dillard as Anita.

The franchise's end

The Best Man franchise began in 1999 with the film The Best Man, a comedy-drama written and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. The story follows a group of friends as they reunite to attend the wedding of Lance Sullivan, a New York Giant, and Mia Morgan. The film stars Taye Diggs, Nia Long, and Morris Chestnut, among others.

The film spawned a franchise with two subsequent movies and a limited series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, which was released on December 22, 2022, and marked the end of the franchise. The series, created by Lee and Dayna Lynne North, takes place a few years after the events of the second film, The Best Man Holiday, and explores the characters' evolving relationships and midlife crises.

In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Lee and North shared their insights on ending the franchise with The Best Man: The Final Chapters. Lee stated that he felt it was "a good way to end the series and end the franchise," adding that he wanted to "leave them wanting more." North, who joined Lee in adapting the franchise for television, highlighted the idea of exploring the characters' midlife metamorphosis, given that it had been 20-something years since audiences first met them.

The cast of The Best Man: The Final Chapters reflected on the end of the franchise, expressing bittersweet emotions. Harold Perrineau, who played Julian "Murch" Murchison, noted the uniqueness of a project spanning so many years with the same group of people. Regina Hall, who portrayed Candace "Candy" Sparks-Murchison, likened the experience to catching up with old friends, and Morris Chestnut, who played Lance Sullivan, described the process as "effortless."

The Best Man: The Final Chapters received positive reviews, with a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an average rating of 8/10.

Frequently asked questions