The Best Man Watch Order: A Guide To The Franchise

The Best Man is a 1999 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Malcolm D. Lee. The story follows a group of old friends in the days leading up to Lance Sullivan's wedding to Mia Morgan. One of the groomsmen, a first-time author, is nervous that his soon-to-be-published novel, based on his social circle's secrets, will be exposed. The franchise continued with The Best Man Holiday in 2013 and The Best Man: The Final Chapters in 2022, a miniseries that concluded the story. The intended third film, The Best Man Wedding, never made it to production. The Best Man series is known for its positive portrayal of African-American characters, showcasing their achievements and careers without relying on typical black movie tropes.

Harper Stewart, played by Taye Diggs

Harper is the best man at the wedding and reunites with his friends Julian "Murch" Murchison and Jordan Armstrong, who has passed an advance copy of Unfinished Business around their inner circle. Harper is in a relationship with Robyn, but Jordan tries to seduce him. Jordan also admits to wanting to have sex with Harper the night before Robyn arrives for the wedding. Harper and Jordan kiss, but he later calls her to accept her invitation.

At the bachelor party, Harper steals Lance's copy of Unfinished Business, and Lance discovers the truth about his one-night stand with Mia in college. Enraged, Lance attacks Harper, almost throwing him off the balcony, and calls off the wedding. Harper arrives at Jordan's apartment, blaming her for circulating the book, but she berates him for airing his dirty laundry and leading her on.

The next day, Harper meets Robyn at the airport, and she agrees to help him save the wedding. Harper reasons with Lance and assures him of his and Mia's love, and the wedding proceeds. Harper gives a heartfelt speech praising the couple's love, earning Lance's forgiveness. He then proposes to Robyn, and she accepts.

Taye Diggs reprised his role as Harper Stewart in the Christmas-themed sequel, The Best Man Holiday (2013), and the limited series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters (2022).

Lance Sullivan, played by Morris Chestnut

The Best Man film series follows the story of a group of old friends as they navigate the days before Lance Sullivan (played by Morris Chestnut) marries Mia Morgan (played by Monica Calhoun). The franchise began in 1999 with the film The Best Man, and was followed by the sequel The Best Man Holiday in 2013, and the follow-up series The Best Man: The Final Chapters in 2022.

In the first film, Lance is a professional football player on the eve of his wedding. Chestnut has described the character in this film as a "player", who settles down after meeting Mia, the love of his life. Lance's football career continues into The Best Man Holiday, in which he is a Jesus-loving family man, enjoying his wife, kids, and football.

In The Best Man: The Final Chapters, Lance is at a low point. He has retired from professional football and his wife has died of cancer. Lance tries to cope by hooking up with random women, and the series sees him go on a journey of self-discovery. Lance also has to adjust after his oldest child, LJ, comes out as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. Lance initially confiscates the clothes LJ wants to wear and prays for God to change them, but by the end of the series, he changes his prayer and asks God to help him accept LJ for who they are. Lance also starts coaching for the NFL team he once played for, the New York Giants, and gets engaged.

Morris Chestnut has said that he was "shocked" by some aspects of The Best Man: The Final Chapters, particularly the amount of nudity. He also said that he enjoyed working with the cast, which he likened to a "family reunion".

College friends reuniting for a wedding

In the original film, college friends reunite for Lance's wedding, but one friend, the best man, Harper (Taye Diggs), is nervous because his soon-to-be-published novel is based on secrets within their social circle, including a past fling with the bride. This creates tension and adds a layer of complexity to the story, as Harper worries that his friends will learn that they are characters in his tell-all novel.

The sequel, The Best Man Holiday, takes place 14 years after the events of the first film and explores how the dynamics between the friends have evolved over time. The group reunites for the Christmas holiday, and the film delves into their lives, loves, and losses during this festive season.

The Best Man: The Final Chapters, a miniseries, serves as the culmination of the franchise. It takes place a few years after The Best Man Holiday and explores the lives of the characters in greater depth. The story picks up with Harper and his wife, Robyn (Sanaa Lathan), as they navigate the complexities of their relationship, while also focusing on the other friends and their respective journeys.

The Best Man franchise effectively captures the dynamics of college friends reuniting for a wedding and the ensuing chaos, secrets, and emotions that such an event can entail. It provides a heartwarming and humorous take on friendship, love, and the passage of time, offering a relatable and engaging narrative for audiences.

The Best Man Holiday

The film follows the story of a group of college friends who reunite after 15 years during the Christmas holidays. The friends are Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs), Lance Sullivan (Morris Chestnut), Candace "Candy" Sparks (Regina Hall), Quentin "Q" Spivey (Terrence Howard), Robyn Stewart (Sanaa Lathan), Jordan Armstrong (Nia Long), Julian "Murch" Murchison (Harold Perrineau), and Mia Sullivan (Monica Calhoun). During their reunion, they discover that old rivalries and romances quickly resurface. Harper, a successful author, is facing writer's block and financial difficulties due to being laid off and paying for fertility treatments for his pregnant wife, Robyn. He reluctantly agrees to write an unauthorised biography of his former friend, Lance, a New York Giants superstar, which causes tension between them. Meanwhile, Mia, Lance's wife, has a terminal illness, which she reveals to Harper, asking him to help Lance accept her diagnosis.

The group's dynamics are further complicated by other conflicts, such as Julian's wife, Candace, whose past as a stripper is exposed, threatening their marriage and Jordan's struggles to bond with Robyn due to her history with Harper. Despite the challenges, the friends find joy and comfort in each other's company, and Harper ultimately delivers a heartfelt eulogy at Mia's memorial service, as she passes away from her illness. The film concludes with Harper and Lance reconciling and becoming closer than ever, and Harper writing Lance's biography.

The Best Man: The Final Chapters

The show takes place a few years after the events of The Best Man Holiday, the second film in the series, and sees the return of Harper, Robyn, Jordan, Lance, Quentin, Shelby, Candace, and Murch as they navigate the unpredictable stages of midlife crises and midlife renaissance. Relationships evolve and past grievances resurface as the group of old friends are reunited for a wedding.

In the first episode, Harper is Quentin's best man and seeks everyone's approval to turn his first book into a film. The second episode sees Harper, Jordan, Robyn, Shelby, Candace, Murch, and Lance face big life choices at Quentin's wedding. In the third episode, Harper wants to level up his life and career, Jordan gets creative at work, and Lance seeks purpose.

The fourth episode focuses on Lance, who makes a comeback as he encourages LJ, and Quentin confronts his father over the family business. The fifth episode takes place during the New Year, offering surprises for Jordan, Harper, Lance, Quentin, Murch, Shelby, Candace, and Robyn. The sixth episode revolves around Harper's movie premiere, which stirs up old memories and creates new conflicts between friends and family.

The penultimate episode, titled "The Audacity of Hope", explores the characters' ""what ifs" as they face unexpected realities. In the final episode, the friends confront and support each other as they navigate life-altering work and family challenges.

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