Best Man Holiday - 3 smiles

“Best Man Holiday” has a breezy charm that helps you overlook some of director Malcolm D. Lee’s manipulation with script and our emotions. The first half is an appealing mix of mostly understated humor and light drama, but in the second half, Lee tries to hit as many familiar themes as possible while striving to wring tears and cheers in equal quantities from the audience. This movie catches up with most of the characters from The Best Man about 15 years after the earlier film. Harper (Taye Diggs), the author whose book caused unpleasantness in the first movie, has fallen on hard times. He and his wife Robyn (Sanaa Lanthan), are expecting their first child, but he’s out of work, blocked as a writer and drowning in debt. He accepts a Christmas party invitation from his estranged best friend, Lance  (Morris Chestnut) and Lance’s wife, Mia (Monica Calhoun) in the hope that he might be able to nab the rights to pen Lance’s biography. An NFL star, Lance is approaching retirement with a change at breaking the all-time rushing record. Also spending the weekend with everyone are Harper’s ex-flame, Jordan (Nia Long) and her new boyfriend, Brian (Eddie Cibrian); couple Julian (Harold Perrineau) and ex-stripper Candace (Regina Hall); brassy and bitchy Shelby (Melissa De Sousa); and flamboyant, uncensored Quentin (Terrance Howard). Over the course of the few days spent under one roof, old wounds are re-opened, new injuries are created and a tragedy brings everyone together.

Although this is an ensemble piece, some actors have more screen time than others. Taye Diggs, Morris chestnut, Sanaa Lanthan, Monica Calhoun and Nia Long would be considered the leads, with the story being told from Harper’s point-of-view. Diggs plays him with warmth and respect; he’s a flawed man desperately trying to reclaim a past success while struggling to come to terms with impending fatherhood and unemployment. Likewise, Morris Chestnut’s Lance offers an atypical portrait of a football player: intelligent and compassionate. His portrayal is credible. Monica Calhoun gets all the best scenes and plays them with tear-inducing capability. Stealing scenes is Terrence Howard, who gets all of the best lines. However, Lee’s orchestration of Lance’s final game and the events surrounding it are designed to generate maximum impact even though they’re too obvious and melodramatic. Everything comes down to a 4^th-and-goal play in a close game with only a few seconds remaining on the clock. And by the end credits, we understand that family and friends are important. Nonetheless, “Best Man Holiday” is an enjoyable movie-going experience. 11/15/13