‘The Best Man Holiday’: Funny, Heartbreaking But Messy
The last film in this series of classic holiday films is certainly an interesting one: a sequel that was released 14 years after the original that of course falls into the category of ‘Christmas movie’ by the simple virtue of it taking place during Christmas. Often, when sequels are released so long after the original, they tend to repeat character and plot beats of the predecessor in an effort to remind audiences of the film they liked. The very best of this type of sequel try not only to pay respect and reverence to the original, but also build upon the foundations laid out and introduce new drama for the characters to overcome. Writer and director Malcolm D. Lee’s The Best Man Holiday is interesting, as it arguably does neither, at least not to an absurd degree. It certainly builds on past relationships, but wisely decides to focus on the present drama rather than dwelling in the past. The question then becomes, does the film succeed in this endeavour? Yes and no.
Released on Friday, November 15, 2013, and produced by Blackmaled Productions and The Sean Daniel Company, The Best Man Holiday is the sequel to Malcolm D. Lee’s The Best Man. It stars the same ensemble cast as its predecessor. The film once again follows writer Harper Stewart, played by Taye Diggs, who is struggling to find new success following the smash hit that was his novel from the previous film. He and his wife Robyn, played by Sanaa Lathan, receive an invitation from Mia Sullivan, played by Monica Calhoun, and Lance Sullivan, played by Morris Chestnut, to join them at Christmas. In addition, Quentin Spivey (Terrence Howard), Shelby Taylor (Melissa De Sousa), and Julian Murchison (Harold Perrineau) are all invited, along with their families. The group navigate old relationships, old rivalries, and emotional secrets, with Harper looking to reignite his career by writing Lance’s biography.
The film’s fun opening, reintroducing the cast whilst showing their characters’ current lives, make clear to the audience that this film will be very different to its predecessor in terms of look and feel. Where The Best Man felt grounded, desaturated, and serious, The Best Man Holiday bombards the viewer with color and extravagance. Everyone has indulged in a rich lifestyle and has enjoyed success in the time between the two films. This makes it all the more hilarious when these more mature versions of these characters devolve back into their bickering and witty selves. The film does an excellent job at showing how despite the previous film’s happy ending, there is underlying tension between everyone that brings out their childish side. Awkward conversations seamlessly devolve into shouting matches, and a standout in this regard is definitely Shelby.
Shelby serves almost as a pot stirrer, only making things worse and pushing drama upon others. Sousa has an infectious energy that makes her fun to watch and easy to hate. Despite that, even she gets a decent little arc of maturity where she finally gets over her relationship with Julian, who, while somewhat uncomfortable around her, has long moved on. The scene between Julian and Shelby very much sums up this film’s approach to its role as a legacy sequel; a moment where the characters could indulge in the pleasures of the past but instead move on, acknowledge their growth, and focus on the next incoming drama.
Every actor plays off each other wonderfully. Their chemistry is excellent and at no point does it feel like a rehash of the same things that worked before. They are a joy to watch in both films, but there is definitely a stronger comedic edge this go-around. Where the first felt personal and nuanced, this feels louder and bolder, which works both for and against it.
Where it works is with the standout character, Mia Sullivan. Where in the previous film, her presence arguably drove a lot of the conflict between Harper and Lance, here, she is the one trying to hold everyone together. She stands out as the shining example of maturity compared to the rest. Calhoun does an excellent job showcasing how Mia has moved on from the past and excellently portrays the tragedy of her character. A reveal halfway through the film flips the whole story on its head and adds a strong emotional core.
Where the plot falters occasionally, in a similar vein to its predecessor, is when items are swapped or pictures are stupidly left lying around just to force more drama. A particular example is when Lance obtains Harper’s iPad, revealing Harper’s true motive for coming: to write Lance’s biography. It comes after the major reveal regarding Mia and feels inconsequential to the relationship between Harper and Lance.
Some filmmaking choices work, but there are certainly times when the lighting and color can become overbearing, distracting from the drama and the arguments. Better use of close-ups could really put the audience into the characters’ perspectives and get more out of the emotions. The cast are all capable of really delivering where it counts.
What does not deliver when it really counts is unfortunately the ending. The film sets up so many payoffs and has to rush through all of them, resulting in none of the emotion truly hitting. The viewer goes from the tragic passing of a main character and their funeral to a comedic scene of giving birth, tonal whiplash at its most devastating. The final act really should have been approached with more nuance and care. The pacing is poor in comparison to the rest of the film as there is no sense as to what day it is, which just makes the film taking place at Christmas feel pointless. The film does a decent job at pushing the audience to tears, yet it’s done and dusted too quickly to really melt the heart, which ultimately leaves everything feeling rather forgettable.
In comparison, The Best Man really did do justice for each of the characters’ arcs, wrapping up Julian’s growth in a satisfying way whilst also bringing the conflict between Lance and Harper to an emotional end. The Best Man Holiday needed that stronger focus on the interiority of the characters in the final act that its predecessor had. As it stands, the messy finale unfortunately means all the good work done beforehand was really for nothing.
Overall, The Best Man Holiday is a frustrating film. It, at times, reaches the comedic and dramatic heights of its predecessor. Instead of going through the same drama beat by beat, it builds on the previous film’s foundations and gives the characters new, realistic drama to deal with. The cast are excellent, and it’s commendable that Malcolm D. Lee made this film so different to the first. But the final act drops the ball, and the film needed some of what worked in the original to stick the landing. It’s a decent first two thirds, marred by a messy and tonally dissonant ending.