The Best Man Holiday - Even Better With Age

****Spoiler Alert****

Tears, lots of tears characterize my emotions after watching the long overdue sequel to the Best Man.  Emotional and raw, like the first film, but also softer more fully developed insight into the very interesting characters and the directions their lives have taken.

If you didn’t see the first film, you need to buy it so that you can fully appreciate the growth and in some cases, regression of some of the characters. Somehow, writer/director Malcolm Lee managed to authentically capture the movements of 9 radically different personalities aged 15 years in a way that makes you feel like “one of them.”

Harper, Lance, Quentin, Merch, Mia, Shelby, Candace, Robin, and Jordan converge on the striking mansion for a Christmas holiday after years of being apart. Harper’s writing career is in tatters, Lance is at the top of his game, Quentin is well “Q”, and Merch is the founder of an academic non-profit. Mia continues to be Lance’s soulmate and the glue that holds everyone together despite her personal struggle, Robin is expecting…at last, Shelby is a Real Housewife and Jordan is dating a white guy!

The central story revolves again around Harper and Lance, still unreconciled from the fiasco that erupted years earlier. Naturally, their womenfolk want them to forgive. The incredibly touching story that unfolds is a triumph for Lee, who touched every spiritual and emotional heartstring as each layer of story reveals an even deeper layer of turmoil, grief, joy, and self-actualization.

The day I saw the film, only a handful of people surrounded me and we were laughed and wept openly and frequently-you will too.

The opening credits are worth a nod for the creativity in which the director connected the first film to this well done follow up. They take you right back to 1991. Most of the actors in the film were unknown then and have since gone on to achieve incredible film and tv success, although several have had quite a few personal setbacks, adding to the authenticity of the film.

A few scenes felt as if they were cut short prematurely, probably because the film already comes in at over 2 hours. The unexpected addition of Eddie Cibrian as Nia Long’s love interest felt a little contrived to me and frankly his underwhelming screen presence was a most unwelcome distraction.  There was gratuitous profanity at times and a somewhat anti-faith feel; perhaps an unnecessary dig at Tyler Perry’s overwhelming introduction of faith to the big screen.

If you haven’t seen The Best Man part 1, you WILL not understand why the characters behave as they do so do yourself a favor and add a quality film to your library. Why spend $10 on a film you can’t follow?

The very suspenseful ending leads us to believe that a Best Man Part 3 will be forthcoming and I hope it doesn’t take another 15 years for the filmmaker to give it to us.

So Best Man Holiday is deserving of every accolade and easily clears 4 stars (out of 5). It’s just a shame that the Best Man Holiday can’t be held every year.