More than a decade later, college friends are reunited for “The Best Man Holiday.”
Malcolm Lee, who wrote and directed the ‘90s film, “The Best Man,” is back with the sequel, “The Best Man Holiday.” The cast, which includes Morris Chestnut, Monica Calhoun, Terrence Howard, Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long and Harold Perrineau, are bringing past and present romances and rivalries back to the screen.
“You don’t have to have seen the first one to get the second one,” said Taye Diggs, who plays Harper Stewart in the film. “We’re hearing back from a lot of people that the fact that real time has passed is something that differs from a lot of sequels.”
However, Sanaa Lathan, who plays Harper’s wife, Robin, advises moviegoers to see the original movie in order to appreciate the sequel.
“It’s a little homework assignment, although it’s fun homework because it’s so entertaining,” Lathan said. “And then it gives so much more perspective to what these characters are going through.”
A variety of themes are evident in this film. In the sequel, characters will deal with issues such as forgiveness, relationships, and communication, Lathan said.
“Forgiveness is a big one,” Lathan said. “And sometimes, that’s not the easiest thing to do, no matter what has been done from the smallest wrong to the biggest wrong, and I think that is definitely something a lot of the characters are going through in this movie, and I think people will see that reflected in the movie.”
While this film may be a reunion for the original cast, there is an addition to the team.
Eddie Cibrian, who plays a love interest for one of the characters, said he had a lot to live up to when he joined the cast.
“I was very intimidated by everybody,” Cibrian said. “When you come into an environment where people have worked together before, they have a certain camaraderie that they’ve built already. You are stepping into a new situation with uncertainty, but I have worked with an ample amount of the actors on this movie before and everyone made me feel welcomed. “
Nia Long, who plays Jordan Armstrong, Harper’s close college friend and former love interest, believes people will emotionally connect to the film.
“There’s so many themes, so many things that when you leave, you’re going to go, ‘Wow, I’m experiencing some of this in my own life,’ ” Long said. “That’s what makes the film special. It really does mirror the journey of life from being fresh out of college, to starting your career, to being an adult, to getting married, to having children and then some of the other things that happen in life that may not always be so pleasant.”
Diggs said he feels the film will attract new viewers.
“It’s a great story,” Diggs said. “Very engaging characters, and it’s a great date movie.”
“The Best Man Holiday” will hit theaters nationwide Friday.