GOD, FAMILY, and FRIENDSHIP, those are the 3 most important things in my life. This past weekend the Best Man Holiday premiered nation wide on November 15, 2013. It was the first holiday movie to hit the big screen this year and I thoroughly enjoyed the emotional roller coaster that I experienced from watching the movie. The original Best Man was released 14 years ago in 1999 and it rocked the black community. This is a movie that is legendary in the black community simply because it shows African Americans in a positive light. We are not being portrayed as being thugs and drug dealers, but instead we are shown as writers, athletes, and workers in corporate america.
The Director of this film is Malcolm Lee. That last name should sound familiar and ring quite a few bells, because he's the cousin of the legendary Spike Lee. Looks like the movie making talent doesn't fall far from the tree in the Lee family.
My review will contain SPOILERS!!! I personally think that because the movie premiered 2 days ago, I have the right to discuss what happened in the movie.
If you have not seen the original Best Man it would be in your best interest to watch it before you indulge in the Holiday version. Some movies you can jump right into without seeing the original, but this movie is not one of them. The sequel builds on what happened 14 years ago and a lot of the drama that takes place is due to what happened that eventful weekend 14 years ago before the wedding.
The Holiday version features a white cast member in the prequel (HUH ARE YOU SHOCKED) well you shouldn't be interracial dating is becoming more popular in today's society, especially in a world where a decent black man is hard to find, no wonder Jordan wonders to the other side. Eddie Cibrian plays the role of Jordan's boyfriend and he seems to adjust fairly well to his holiday scenario. Malcolm Lee was able to reunite his entire cast for the sequel, which at times can be a daunting task, especially after having so many years pass by.
 |
| The HARPER forehead kiss |
The movie starts off with a recap of what happened in the original Best Man and morphs into showing what all the cast members are currently doing in life. The Best Man himself Harper (Taye Diggs) becomes a best selling author but is currently struggling financially due to his wife Robyn (Sanaa Lathan) not being able to get pregnant which leads to the couple seeking out the help of fertility clinics and doctors. Harper's latest book was nowhere near a best sellers, so now he's working on what his next book could possible be on. Which leads to him considering writing Lance's (Morris Chestnut's ) biography. Robyn is nine months pregnant and a successful chef. Mia (Monica Calhoun) is a stay at home mom and is the reason the old Best Man crew meets up in the first place. Lance is the lead running back for the New York Giants NFL team who enters the movie being close to breaking a record. Jordan (Nia Long) has reached the executive status at MSNBC. While Quintin (Terrence Howard joined the family business and works in the music industry. Shelby (Melissa De Sousa) spent the past years marrying rich
and doing reality tv shows, such as Real HouseWives. Julian (Harold Perrineau) and Candance aka Candy (Regina Hall) are married and owned their own school. Yes Julian married the stripper from the Bachelor Party. I guess love comes in many different form.
This movie had my emotions on a roller coaster. There were moments where I laughed uncontrollably and times where I cried throughout the movie. Friendships are something that is very near and dear to my heart, so movies like THE BEST MAN are something that I thoroughly enjoy. I was excited to see everyone reunited once again. Quintin and his silly ways always kept me laughing. While Jordan bringing home a white boy almost did not shock me. There were moments where I cried. Before the death of Mia. I wanted to believe that she was going to fight through and beat cancer, but unfortunately her body did all that it could handle. Malcolm Lee took me from mourning the death of one character to welcoming the life of a new character who also has the same name as the cast member we lost.
The Best Man Holiday taught me that I should value friendship and never take it for granted. This movie was long awaited but definitely worth the wait. Please go see this movie with your significant other or a group of your closest friends. I was blessed to be able to see it with one of my best male and female friends and with my sister .
The The Best Man Holiday has currently earned $30.6 million and was filmed on a 17 million dollar budget. The original Best Man earned a total of 34.1 million during its entire running and in present day has earned 54 million. The Best Man Holiday is looking to break records and set new ones with the amount of revenue it has brought in.
