| The Best Man Holiday | |
|---|---|
| |
| Directed by | Malcolm D. Lee |
| Produced by | Malcolm D. Lee Sean Daniel Spike Lee |
| Written by | Malcolm D. Lee |
| Starring | Taye Diggs Sanaa Lathan |
| Music by | Stanley Clarke |
| Cinematography | Frank Prinzi |
| Editing by | Cara Silverman |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release | November 15, 2013 |
| Running time | 120 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $9,000,000 |
| Gross revenue | $34,102,780 |
| Followed by | The Best Man |
The Best Man Holiday is a 2013 American Christmas comedy-drama film directed and written by Malcolm D. Lee, a sequel to the 1999 film, The Best Man. The film, released on November 15, 2013 by Universal Pictures, stars Taye Diggs, Terrence Howard, Harold Perrineau, Morris Chestnut,Monica Calhoun, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, and Regina Hall, reprising their roles from the 1999 film along with the supporting cast.
Plot[]
Mia Sullivan is writing a letter requesting Harper Stewart and his nine-month pregnant wife Robin’s attendance at her Christmas weekend party. Harper is reluctant to go, as he’s still not on the best of terms with Mia’s husband Lance (a running back for the New York Giants) after sleeping with Mia in college. Other attendees of the party include Julian and Candace (the former stripper he connected with in the first film), who are now husband and wife running a private school for at-risk kids; however one of their key investors refuses to invest in the school after some of Candace’s past shows up on YouTube.
In the meantime, Harper goes to meet with his agent Stan who tells Harper he needs to write a book similar to his first one, ‘’Unfinished Business’’, as his last few books have all been flops. Harper reveals to Stan that he’s been fired from his teaching job at NYU. Stan then pitches the idea of Harper writing an unauthorized biography of Lance. Following the meeting with Stan, Harper goes to visit Jordan Armstrong who is now a successful TV executive. While catching up with Harper, Jordan’s white boyfriend Brian walks in, inspiring Jordan to become the butt of some teasing by Harper. After leaving the office, Harper decides to go Mia and Lance’s with the ulterior motive of pitching the bio idea to Lance.
Harper and Robin arrive at Mia and Lance’s, where Mia gives them a warm response, but Harper sees a bit of a distant reception from Lance. The rest of the guests, including Quentin and Shelby, arrive at the house as well and the celebration begins. At dinner, all of the old friends are catching up. Harper asks Lance what his three mottos in life are and Lance replies with God, family, and football. After dinner, Q & Murch are talking about, what Murch found out about Candace’s past. Murch shows Q the video on his phone, and when Candace’s walks in almost catching the two, Q grabs Murch’s phone and throws it on the ground.
All of the guys are hanging out in Lance’s man cave, where Q is giving Brian a hard time about dating Jordan; however, Brian impresses’ Q and the rest of the guys when he’s able to dish it out in response. While the guys are having a good time, the ladies (Shelby, Mia and Jordan) are as well. The next day Lance goes out for a run, and is surprised when Harper is outside waiting for him. Harper tries to keep up with Lance, but fails miserably. The two later take a break to have a quick pow-wow and slowly but surely their relationship begins improving.
Meanwhile, back at the house, Brian is saying goodbye to Jordan, who is leaving to meet family in Vermont. Jordan coldly replies to Brian that while she loves him, she doesn’t need him. Lance also leaves for a team meeting while Harper heads back to the house. When Harper arrives, Robin says she needs groceries, as she's cooking dinner for the friends that night. Harper, Q, and Murch go to the grocery store, where Harper’s credit card is declined and Q asks him if he’s having any money trouble. Harper lies and says he isn’t. That night after dinner, the guys perform "Can You Stand the Rain" air band style for the ladies to great response. All of the couples in the house have sex that night, while Q sends photos of his privates to Shelby. Harper goes down to the kitchen, where he and Jordan make some small talk, and Jordan says she knows that Harper is writing a bio on Lance. Jordan tells Harper that she will work off Mia and gives Harper an iPad for a Christmas present. Harper gives Jordan a hug and a forehead kiss, which Robin sees and misreads.
As Harper is headed back to bed, he comes across Mia, throwing up blood in a room and Mia reveals to Harper that she has cancer. Lance, walks in on Mia & Harper talking and Mia reveals to Lance that Harper knows, however they both ask Harper to keep the condition a secret from everyone else. The next morning at breakfast Q and Shelby mix up there phones, Q had watched some more of Candace’s video and with this new found knowledge Shelby attempts to use this to her advantage to get back with Murch. Candace find out this, confronts Shelby and a catfight ensures, causing Candace to leave the house with her and Murch’s kids. The guys all head to Lance’s football practice where Q and Murch almost come to blows in back of the car. While at the practice Q reveals to Murch, that he did marry a stripper so he shouldn’t be mad at her or at the situation. Back at the house the ladies are preparing for a spa day, when Mia collapses while trying to hang a Christmas ornament. Robin and Jordan send Harper a text telling him to come home, which forces Harper to tell the rest of the friends what’s going on. As Lance is leaving practice his friends all embrace him and they head home.
Back at the house Q and Mia smoke a joint and talk about the old times, while everyone else spends time with Mia as well. Harper is wrapping gifts, when Lance approaches him, the two have a heart to heart, where Harper pours his heart out to Lance, explaining that he misses him and they too seem to have let the past be the past. The next day the gang heads to a shelter to where they are volunteering. Q is Santa Claus, while Harper and Lance seem to be as close as they were in the old days.
After the volunteer work is done, Lance is preparing to leave when he sees Harper already has a mock book cover for Lance’s unauthorized bio, which causes Lance to snap off confronting Harper and tell him to stay away from him and his family. Mia tries her best to calm Lance, but to no avail. Inside the shelter, Q and Harper are having a heart to heart, when Q asks Harper does he need any money help. Harper finally breaks downs, admits that he does and Q says he will help him on the condition that Harper call him Daddy at least once. Back at Lance and Mia’s, Lance is still heated over the bio reveal with Harper, when Mia says that in the last fourteen years, Lance has never blamed Mia once, when she’s just to blame as much as Harper is. Mia reveals to Lance, that she slept with Harper, as she knew how much it would hurt Lance and she was sick of Lance cheating on her. Mia then takes off her wig, which shows just how severe her condition really is, as she is almost bald. Outside of the house, Robin is going through some of Mia’s old baby things when Candace returns with the kids. Candace and Murch make up, as Candace reveals to Murch she only performed “extra services” for a customer once and has regretted it ever since. That night everyone is gathered around the fireplace listening to all the kids sing Christmas carols and Mia joins in with her daughter singing. Harper and Q return, and Harper makes amends with Robin and for the night all is well between everyone.
The next day is Christmas and Lance’s big game. Brian returns to be with Jordan, and the two make up. The ladies all watch the game together as family in Mia and Lance’s bedroom, while all of the guys go to the game. At the game, Lance starts out having trouble, and it isn’t until Mia calls Harper’s cellphone, to speak to Lance that he’s able to play like the star he is. Lance breaks the all-time rushing record, wins the big game and heads home to be with his dying wife. Lance and Mia cuddle together one last time, and sometime during the night, Mia succumbs to her illness (offscreen).
Three days later, the gang is preparing for Mia's funeral. Outside of Lance’s house Shelby gives Julian a check for two million dollars (which cover the expenses for the school he didn’t get when the donor pulled out), all she asks in return is that they arrange a play date for their kids. At the funeral everyone is pretty emotional, except for Lance. Harper gives a very heartfelt eulogy and at the burial, Lance finally breaks down as Mia’s casket is lowered into the ground. Back at the house, everyone seems to have made up as they realize what’s really important in life. Brian tells Murch that he knows some additional investors to help Murch. Harper and Lance are outside making up, and the two are friends once again. Robin’s water’s breaks, so Lance, Harper and Jordan[5] all rush to the hospital, however they get stuck in traffic and have to deliver the baby in the back of Lance’s SUV. The baby comes out healthy and is named Mia in honor of their deceased friend.
Ten months later, Harper and Lance are closer than ever and Harper has written Lance's autobiography. It's also apparent that Lance is the baby's godfather as he visits Harper and Robin at their house in New York. Harper gets a phone call from Q, and Lance tells him to put in on speaker. Q reveals to Lance and Harper that he's getting married, but not before telling Harper that he better have not had sex with her.
Cast[]
- Taye Diggs as Harper Stewart
- Sanaa Lathan as Robin Stewart
- Nia Long as Jordan Armstrong
- Morris Chestnut as Lance Sullivan
- Monica Calhoun as Mia Sullivan
- Harold Perrineau as Julian Murch
- Regina Hall as Candace "Candy" Murch
- Terrence Howard as Quentin Spivey
- Melissa De Sousa as Shelby
Videos[]
External links[]
- The Best Man Holiday at the Internet Movie Database
| The Best Man films |
|
The Best Man • The Best Man Holiday |