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. The movie follows a group of college friends who reunite after nearly 15 years during the Christmas holidays. During their reunion, they discover how easy it is for old rivalries and romances to resurface. The film stars Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, and other talented actors and actresses, reprising their roles from the previous film. It received positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success, grossing $72.8 million worldwide.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Genre | Comedy, Drama |
Runtime | 2 hours 3 minutes |
Rating | R |
Release Date | November 15, 2013 |
Director | Malcolm D. Lee |
Cast | Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, Harold Perrineau, Monica Calhoun, Melissa De Sousa |
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The Best Man Holiday: Plot and synopsis
The Best Man Holiday is a 2013 comedy-drama film and a sequel to the 1999 film The Best Man. The film follows a group of college friends who reunite after 15 years, and their lives, rivalries, and romances.
The story centres around Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs), a writer who, 15 years after his debut novel, is struggling with writer's block, financial difficulties, and pressure from his publisher. Harper's agent suggests he write a biography of his former best friend and New York Giants superstar Lance Sullivan (Morris Chestnut), who is set to retire. Harper agrees, but in secret, as he and Lance are not on good terms due to a past conflict.
Lance's wife, Mia Sullivan (Monica Calhoun), invites Harper, his wife Robyn (Sanaa Lathan), and the rest of their college gang for Christmas: Julian "Murch" Murchison (Harold Perrineau) and his wife Candace Sparks (Regina Hall), Jordan Armstrong (Nia Long), her boyfriend Brian McDonald (Eddie Cibrian), Quentin "Q" Spivey (Terrence Howard), and Shelby Taylor (Melissa De Sousa). As the friends catch up, old tensions resurface, and secrets are revealed. Harper attempts to mend his friendship with Lance while discreetly gathering research for the biography. Shelby tries to rekindle her relationship with Murch, and Robyn struggles to bond with Jordan, knowing her history with Harper.
During their stay, Mia's health takes a turn for the worse, and she confides in Harper that she is dying of cancer. This forces Harper to tell everyone about Mia's condition, and they all come together to support her. However, Lance discovers Harper's secret biography and is angered by the betrayal. Despite this, the group bands together to support each other through the difficult time, and Harper and Lance are able to reconcile their differences.
The film concludes with a heartfelt eulogy delivered by Harper at Mia's memorial service, followed by the birth of Robyn and Harper's baby girl, named Mia in honour of their deceased friend. Ten months later, Harper and Lance are closer than ever, and Harper has written Lance's biography.
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Cast of The Best Man Holiday
The Best Man Holiday is a 2013 comedy-drama film that was written, co-produced, and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. It is a sequel to the 1999 film The Best Man, with the following cast members reprising their roles:
- Morris Chestnut as Lance Sullivan
- Taye Diggs as Harper Stewart
- Regina Hall as Candace "Candy" Sparks
- Terrence Howard as Quentin "Q" Spivey
- Sanaa Lathan as Robyn Stewart
- Nia Long as Jordan Armstrong
- Harold Perrineau as Julian "Murch" Murchison
- Monica Calhoun as Mia Sullivan
- Melissa De Sousa as Shelby Taylor
In addition to the main cast, the film also features performances by John Michael Higgins, Shailyn Pierre-Dixon, and Linden Liles-McCurdy.
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Critical reception of The Best Man Holiday
"The Best Man Holiday" received positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of the cast, Lee's direction, and the dramatic elements, with some criticism aimed at the screenplay. The film has a 70% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 6/10. Metacritic gives the film a score of 59 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews". CinemaScore reported that audiences gave the film a rare "A+" grade.
The Washington Post's Ann Hornaday gave the film 2.5 stars, calling it a " [s]equel [that] is both a romp and a tearjerker". She noted that the film retained the "baggy, saggy melodrama" of its predecessor but praised Terrence Howard's delivery of "crude one-liners".
The film was also praised for its exploration of masculinity, specifically Black masculinity, and the ways in which it subverts societal expectations. Roger Ebert's review noted that the film has a "richer emotional palette" than its predecessor, and that it could "teach Tyler Perry lessons on how to move from overwhelming sadness to broad comedy."
While the film received mostly positive reviews, some critics found it to be frustrating and disappointing, with tonal missteps and traditional tropes. Despite this, the film was recognised for its genuine emotion and ability to satisfy fans of the first film.
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Awards and nominations for The Best Man Holiday
The Best Man Holiday, a sequel to the 1999 film The Best Man, received several accolades and nominations. The movie was nominated four times at the 45th NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Morris Chestnut and Terrence Howard), and Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Malcolm D. Lee).
At the Acapulco Black Film Festival, it won Best Ensemble Cast and Best Actress for Nia Long, Best Supporting Actor for Terrence Howard, and was nominated for Best Actor (Morris Chestnut), Best Screenplay (Malcolm D. Lee), Best Supporting Actress (Sanaa Lathan), Best Director (Malcolm D. Lee), and Movie of the Year (Malcolm D. Lee and Sean Daniel).
At the 2014 Black Reel Awards, The Best Man Holiday received nominations for Outstanding Actress, Motion Picture (Nia Long), Outstanding Director, Motion Picture (Malcolm D. Lee), Outstanding Screenplay (Adapted or Original), Motion Picture (Malcolm D. Lee), Outstanding Ensemble (Julie Hutchinson), and Outstanding Score (Stanley Clarke).
The film also received three wins and 15 nominations in total, although it is unclear which awards these wins and nominations relate to.
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Where to watch The Best Man Holiday
The Best Man Holiday is available to watch on a number of platforms. The film can be rented or purchased on Amazon Prime Video. It is also available to watch on Netflix and Apple TV. Additionally, it can be rented or purchased on Fandango at Home.
The Best Man Holiday is a 2013 comedy-drama film and a sequel to the 1999 film The Best Man. It was written, co-produced, and directed by Malcolm D. Lee, who also directed the first film. The movie stars 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 original film.
In the film, a group of college friends reunites after nearly 15 years apart during the Christmas holidays. They discover that old rivalries and romances quickly resurface. The plot explores the characters' personal lives, including their careers, relationships, and struggles. Harper Stewart (Diggs), for example, faces writer's block and financial difficulties, while Lance Sullivan (Chestnut) and his wife, Mia (Calhoun), deal with her terminal cancer diagnosis.
The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised the cast's performances, Lee's direction, and the film's dramatic elements. It was also a commercial success, grossing $72.8 million worldwide. The Best Man Holiday has been described as a joyous and entertaining holiday comedy that deals with mature topics and explores the complexities of friendship and romance.
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Frequently asked questions
You can watch "The Best Man Holiday" on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV. It is also available to rent or buy on Amazon.
"The Best Man Holiday" is a comedy-drama film about a group of college friends who reunite after 15 years during the Christmas holidays. They discover that their long-forgotten rivalries and romances are easily reignited.
The cast of "The Best Man Holiday" includes Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, Harold Perrineau, Monica Calhoun, and Melissa De Sousa.