The Best Man (1999 film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Best Man | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Malcolm D. Lee |
| Produced by | Spike Lee Bill Carraro Sam Kitt |
| Written by | Malcolm D. Lee |
| Starring | Taye Diggs Nia Long Morris Chestnut |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | October 22, 1999 |
| Running time | 120 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $9,000,000 |
| IMDb profile | |
The Best Man is a 1999 romantic comedy/drama, written and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. This film stars Taye Diggs and Nia Long. Director Malcolm D. Lee wanted this film to be a male-centered answer to female-targeted films like Waiting to Exhale.
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
Taye Diggs plays Harper Stewart, a young man living in Chicago who is about to hit the big time professionally. His debut novel, ominously titled Unfinished Business, has been selected by Oprah's Book Club. He has a beautiful and devoted girlfriend Robin (Sanaa Lathan), and his best friend Lance (Morris Chestnut) is getting married on the weekend in New York. In an early scene with Harper and Robin lounging in a tub, it becomes clear that all is not well. Robin merely sighs contentedly and idly mentions that she could stay like this forever. For Harper, life is just beginning, and he feels that committing to a woman now that he’s on the verge of success would be a death-knell for him.
To complicate matters further, Harper’s new book, which is autobiographical, has fallen into the wrong hands. Jordan (Nia Long), an old woulda-coulda-shoulda flame of Harper’s, has read an advance copy that seems to be working its way through Harper’s inner circle, coincidentally the other members of the wedding party. In the novel are several unsavory fictionalized characterizations of Harper’s real-life friends. These friends all take it in good stride when they talk to Harper face-to-face, but their hurt causes at least one of them to want to teach Harper a lesson. Jordan learns that Harper’s book is unabashedly flattering in its portrayal of a character based on her, however, and she decides to test the waters with Harper at this vulnerable stage.
[edit] Cast
- Taye Diggs — Harper Stewart
- Nia Long — Jordan Armstrong
- Morris Chestnut — Lance Sullivan
- Harold Perrineau Jr. — Julian Murch
- Terrence Howard — Quentin Spivey
- Sanaa Lathan — Robin
- Monica Calhoun — Mia Morgan
- Melissa De Sousa — Shelby
- Victoria Dillard — Anita
- Regina Hall — Candy
- Jim Moody — Uncle Skeeter
[edit] Soundtrack listing
- "What You Want", by The Roots & Jaguar *
- "Let's Not Play the Game", by Maxwell *
- "After All Is Said And Done", by Beyoncé & Marc Nelson
- "Poetry Girl", by Eric Benét
- "Liar, Liar", by Latocha Scott
- "Best Man" by Faith Evans
- "Beautiful Girl", by Kenny Lattimore
- "Hit It Up", by Sporty Thievz
- "Turn Your Lights Down Low", by Bob Marley & Lauryn Hill *
- "Untitled", by Me'shell Ndegeocello
- "As My Girl", by Maxwell
- "Wherever You Go", by Sygnature
- "When the Shades Go Down", by Allure
- "The Best Man I Can Be", by Ginuwine, R.L., Tyrese & Case *
(*) indicates songs were released as singles
Note: "Turn Your Lights Down Low" was nominated in 2001 for a Grammy, category Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
[edit] Awards & nominations
- Best Actress, Theatrical — Nia Long (won)
- Best Director, Theatrical — Malcolm D. Lee (won)
- Best (Original/Adapted) Screenplay, Theatrical — Malcolm D. Lee (won)
- Best Actor, Theatrical — Taye Diggs (nominated)
- Best Supporting Actor, Theatrical — Terrence Howard (nominated)
2000 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
- Most Promising Actor — Terrence Howard (nominated)
- Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture — Nia Long (won)
- Outstanding Motion Picture (won)
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture — Terrence Howard (won)
- Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture — Morris Chestnut (nominated)
- Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture — Taye Diggs (nominated)
- Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture — Monica Calhoun (nominated)
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture — Harold Perrineau (nominated)
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture — Melissa De Sousa (nominated)
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture — Sanaa Lathan (nominated)
2000 Independent Spirit Awards
- Best Supporting Male — Terrence Howard (nominated)
[edit] Trivia
- Writer/director Malcolm D. Lee is the cousin of Spike Lee, whose company 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks produced the film.
- Terrence Howard is considered to have given his breakthrough performance in The Best Man.
- Morris Chestnut and Nia Long both appeared in the 1991 film Boyz N the Hood.
- Morris Chestnut and Monica Calhoun both appeared in the 1993 Disney Channel movie The Ernest Green Story, about the Little Rock Nine. Respectively, they portrayed civil rights pioneers Ernest Green and Minnijean Brown.
- Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan both appeared in the 1999 film The Wood. An upcoming wedding was also central to the plot of that film. They also appeared in the 2002 film Brown Sugar.
- The song playing when Harper and Jordan almost made love in college was "As" by Stevie Wonder, from his classic 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. The song does not appear on the film's soundtrack album.
- Also important to the plot of the film was the 1986 song "Candy" by Cameo. Likewise, it does not appear on the soundtrack album.
- All eight principal cast members were nominated for NAACP Image Awards.
- Although the song "What You Want" plays over the opening credits, the lyrics are edited slightly. This is necessary because the version which appears on the soundtrack album contains a major plot spoiler, and should be listened to only after one has actually seen the film.
- As the closing credits begin, the wedding guests are doing the Electric Slide, a four wall line dance frequently seen at African-American family gatherings.
