Bop or Flop Throwback: The Best Man

Does this cultural classic live up to the hype?

*Rakuten TV

Comedy, Drama, Romance, 120 min, R

Director: Malcolm D. Lee

Originally Released: October 22, 1999

What’s it about? Just before his best friend's wedding, the life of a Chicago writer becomes crazy when his best friend guesses that his new book's story is based on his bride's fervent past.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 72% | IMDb Rating: 6.8/10

Bop or Flop? This movie is a flip, maybe a lowkey bop. I know that it is a staple of the ‘90s Black cinematic era, so much so that Big Sean referenced the stripper scene in his video for "Body Language". The performances were great and this was very different for a wedding film. That being said, I do have some qualms about the plot.

*Bluray

I really did not care for Harper’s character (played by Taye Diggs). Though he was the protagonist, he was messiest character of the bunch, and acted like he was holier than thou, despite him being an atheist.

Harper thought he could spill all the tea about his friends, change their names, and nobody would find out...

He leaves his longterm girlfriend Robin (Sanaa Lathan) at home so he could hang with the guys, but in actuality, he wanted one more chance to get with Jordan (Nia Long), who he almost had a fling with in college. The only reason they didn't hook up was because his best friend/the groom Lance (Morris Chestnut) beat the shit out of him once he read that Harper and his fiancé Mia (Monica Calhoun) hooked up way back when.

Though Harper's book was not officially released, his friends had special access, which made Lance's bachelor party very interesting.

Prior to the party and the ass-beating, Harper, Lance, and close friends Julian (Harold Perrineau) and Quentin (Terrance Howard) were playing cards at the table. Four men being were simply vile. All I heard was "bitches ain't shit " this and "I know you cheated on her a few times" that, etc. I was a little taken aback because I have never seen Morris Cherish A Woman Chestnut be such an bonafide nig (I was disappointed but also a little impressed 👀). The only decent man at the table was Julian.

*The Cineholic

I will say, Julian's girlfriend Shelby (Melissa De Sousa) was a bit much. She was irritating, but he ended up dumping her for one of the strippers, Candy (Regina Hall) which I wholeheartedly supported. Julian and Candy's love story was the most interesting to me, though we only saw a snippet of it.

As it turned out, Lance had cheated on Mia many times (he is a professional athlete) and she sought out revenge by sleeping with Harper. After Lance finds out about this and beats Harper up, he calls the wedding off (just in front of his friends at the bachelor party, so Mia high key doesn't know).

The next morning, Robin arrives to find Harper broken up, both emotionally and physically. Once he comes clean about the events that transpired the night before, including almost sleeping with Jordan, Robin is ready to get right back on the plane.

BUT all Harper had to do was cry, "I need you." And she stayed. Now, getting Lance on the altar was going to take more effort.

To make sure Lance went through with the wedding, Harper reminded Lance of his faith. Though he didn't believe in God, Harper comforted his best friend and prayed with him. He reminded Lance that Mia was still wife material and that she really did love him. With that, the wedding was back on track.

As Mia walked down the aisle, and as she and Lance said their vows, Lance was thinking of her and Harper having sex. While the vow scene was funny, I don’t think Lance and Mia would have gotten married if he was still that hurt. At least not that same day. It looked like he needed time.

*The Source

Also, I thought it was odd that Harper felt inspired to propose to Robin at the reception. Robin should not have agreed to marry Harper because they also had some things to work through… or Robin could have moved on to someone who wasn’t still in love with his college crush.

In spite of the messiness of the plot, I still enjoyed this film. And in reality, weddings won't always be without drama. Regardless, I loved seeing a Black ensemble cast gather for a wedding. It was funny, it was relatable, and it still came together at the end. Overall, the film was fun to watch, though I wish there was a little less niggatry and a little more chivalry.

Emelah’s Score: 🍿 🍿 🍿

The Best Man is streaming on Netflix until June 30. Peacock reportedly ordered The Best Man limited series, the premiere date is TBD.