The Best Man (1999)

Director:

Malcolm D. Lee

Writer (WGA):

Malcolm D. Lee (written by)

Release Date:

22 October 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Harper's autobiographical novel is almost out, his girlfriend Robin desires commitment, and he's best man at the wedding of Lance...

Plot Keywords:

Friendship | Friendship Between Men | Romantic Resolution | African American | Brooklyn Bridge

Awards:

7 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Taye Diggs	...	Harper Stewart
Nia Long	...	Jordan Armstrong
Morris Chestnut	...	Lance Sullivan
Harold Perrineau	...	Julian Murch
Terrence Howard	...	Quentin
Sanaa Lathan	...	Robin
Monica Calhoun	...	Mia Morgan
Melissa De Sousa	...	Shelby
Victoria Dillard	...	Anita
Regina Hall	...	Candy
Jim Moody	...	Uncle Skeeter
Jarrod Bunch	...	Wayne
Stu 'Large' Riley	...	Fandango
Liris Crosse	...	Stripper
Lady Madonna	...	Stripper
Linda Powell	...	Wedding Coordinator
Willie C. Carpenter	...	Pastor (as Willie Carpenter)
Malcolm D. Lee	...	Emcee
Dede McGuire	...	Herself
Renton Kirk	...	Groomsman
Patrick Malcolm	...	Groomsman
Nikki Tillman	...	Bridesmaid
Lena Moore	...	Bridesmaid
Rebecca Brody	...	Bridesmaid
Gena Lue Song	...	Bridesmaid
Linda Murrell	...	Lance's Mother
William K. Gaskins	...	Lance's Father (as Willie Gaskins)
Emilie Gaskins	...	Mia's Mother
Don Clark Williams	...	Mia's Father
Charltina 'Chasha' Banks	...	Flower Girl
Aleisha Allen	...	Flower Girl
Vance Allen	...	Broom Bearer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Angela Ali	...	BET Employee (uncredited)
Brian Canberg	...	Reception Server (uncredited)
Jeff Marchelletta	...	Fraternity Brother (uncredited)
Kathryn Smith-McGlynn	...	College Newspaper Staff (uncredited)
Brian White	...	Bachelor Party and Wedding Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
Malcolm D. Lee

Writing credits (WGA)
Malcolm D. Lee		(written by)

Produced by
Bill Carraro	....	producer
Sam Kitt	....	producer
Spike Lee	....	producer

Original Music by
Stanley Clarke

Cinematography by
Frank Prinzi

Film Editing by
Cara Silverman

Casting by
Robi Reed		(as Robi Reed-Humes)

Production Design by
Kalina Ivanov

Art Direction by
Wing Lee

Set Decoration by
Christina K. Tonkin
Paul Weathered

Costume Design by
Danielle Hollowell

Makeup Department
Mary Aaron	....	makeup artist
Gloria Grant	....	assistant makeup artist
Quentin Harris	....	key hair stylist
Ellin La Var	....	key hair stylist
Toy Van Lierop	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Debra D. Jeffreys	....	unit production manager (as Debra Jeffreys)
Pamela Reis	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
H.H. Cooper	....	first assistant director
Laurie Jackson	....	assistant director
Dale M. Nielsen	....	second assistant director
Michael A. Pinckney	....	assistant director

Art Department
Peter J. Babington	....	shop production assistant
Julia Barraclough	....	charge scenic
Thomas Costabile	....	construction coordinator (as Tom Costabile)
Natalie N. Dorset	....	set dresser
Gerard V. Engrassia	....	set dresser (as Gerard Engrassia)
Kathy Fundis	....	on-set dresser
Steven Gamiello	....	assistant property master (as Steve Gamiello)
Michael Greenblatt	....	art department production assistant
E.J. Grover	....	stand-by scenic (as Jane Grover)
Michael Herlihy	....	carpenter (as Mike Herlihy)
Michael Herlihy	....	construction foreman
Teddy Janicki	....	scenic
Heather Danielle Kane	....	assistant property master
Michael Leather	....	leadman
Mark Mann	....	carpenter foreman
Jeff Mazzola	....	property master
Bruce McNally	....	scenic
John Nyomarkay	....	painter
Ed Parra	....	art department intern
Shelley Rich	....	art department coordinator
Rob Schmitt	....	key construction grip (as Robert W. Schmitt)
Joe Taglairino	....	set dresser (as Joe Tagliariano)
Bryan Tonkin	....	construction grip (as Bryan J. Tonkin)
Joe Vilchock Jr.	....	set dresser
Frank White III	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Gina Alfano	....	adr editor
John H. Bolz	....	boom operator (as John Bolz)
Bill Daly	....	sound mixer
Kate Eales	....	assistant sound editor
Heather Gross	....	sound intern
Matthew Haasch	....	foley engineer (as Matt Haasch)
Sean Huff	....	assistant sound editor
Lisa J. Levine	....	adr supervisor
Douglas Martines	....	cable person (as Doug Martines)
Tim O'Shea	....	foley supervisor
Bill Orrico	....	apprentice sound editor
Richard Partlow	....	foley artist (as Rick Partlow)
Jay Peck	....	foley artist
Mary Ellen Porto	....	dialog editor
Jac Rubenstein	....	dialog editor
Paul Urmson	....	supervising sound editor
Peter Waggoner	....	sound re-recording mixer

Stunts
David S. Lomax	....	stunt coordinator
Derrick Simmons	....	stunt double: Taye Diggs

Camera and Electrical Department
Rod Calarco	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Fred Cohen	....	rigging gaffer
James Domorski	....	24 frame video operator
Jeffrey A. Eplett	....	electrician (as Jeff Eplett)
Brant S. Fagan	....	Steadicam operator
Shaun Gilbert	....	electrician
Jonathan Herron	....	camera operator (as Jon Herron)
Jerry Holway	....	Steadicam operator
Stan Keitt	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
David Lee	....	still photographer
Dave Levine	....	electrician (as David Levine)
Keith Matthis	....	camera loader
John Mazzola	....	dolly grip
Ron Mazzola	....	best boy grip
Ron Mazzola	....	rigging grip
Richard Porta	....	generator operator
Andrew Priestley	....	first assistant camera
Carl Prinzi	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Gay E. Riedel	....	electrician (as Gay Riedel)
Marc Rogers	....	gaffer
Steve Rooney	....	grip
Kelly Rutkowski	....	electrician
Douglas W. Shannon	....	additional gaffer (as Doug Shannon)
Charles Sherron	....	key grip
Chad Strohmayer	....	electrician
Arthur Szefer	....	second assistant camera
David S. Tuttman	....	camera operator
Robert Vuolo	....	best boy electric (as Rob Vuolo)
David Wasserman	....	grip (as Dave Wasserman)
Franz Yeich	....	grip

Casting Department
Jeff Block	....	casting: New York
Jennifer Edwards	....	extras casting associate
Cherisse Gardner	....	extras casting associate
Yolanda D. Hunt	....	casting associate
Sondra James	....	voice casting
Joanna Rodriguez	....	extras casting associate
Winsome Sinclair	....	extras casting
Theron Smith	....	extras casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jordanna Fineberg	....	wardrobe supervisor
Frank L. Fleming	....	assistant costume designer (as Frank Fleming)
Careen Fowles	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Monica Barraza	....	post-production coordinator (as Monica D. Barraza)
Julie Carr	....	first assistant editor
Gershon Hinkson	....	first assistant editor
Chris Hinton	....	color timer
Chris Patterson	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Tim Boyle	....	orchestra recordist
Lisa Brown	....	music supervisor
Stanley Clarke	....	musician: bass
Bonnie Greenberg	....	music supervisor
Ira Hearshen	....	orchestrator (as Ira Hershem)
Richie Kotzen	....	musician: guitar
Cliff Lee	....	musician: trumpet
E. Gedney Webb	....	music editor
Lenny White	....	musician: drums
Rachel Z.	....	musician: piano

Transportation Department
Richard B. Brinkman	....	driver
Mike Easter	....	transportation co-captain (as Michael Easter)
Kenny Gaskins	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Alan Aguilar	....	chef
Alexis Arnold	....	production coordinator
Monica Barraza	....	assistant: Bill Carraro (as Monica D. Barraza)
Gail Barringer	....	production accountant
Nicholas R. Bell	....	accounting clerk
Cassandra Butcher	....	unit publicist
Shari L. Carpenter	....	script supervisor (as Shari Carpenter)
Koksong Chia	....	location assistant
Robyn J. Davis	....	assistant production coordinator
Ken Halsband	....	location manager (as Kenneth L. Halsband)
Desmond Harvey	....	craft service
André Hereford	....	development executive: 40 Acres & a Mule Filmworks (as Andre Hereford)
Mark C. Hutchinson	....	key set production assistant
Anderson Jenkins	....	stand-in
Louis Katz	....	production physician (as Louis A. Katz M.D.)
Michael C. Kingsley	....	office production intern (as Michael Kingsley)
Joseph Lombardi	....	assistant accountant (as Joe Lombardi)
Gine Lui	....	location supervisor
Ross Martin	....	development executive: 40 Acres & a Mule Filmworks
Jonathan Rattner	....	office production intern
Michelle Robinson	....	choreographer
Tom Ross	....	assistant location manager
Hope Shaw	....	post-production accountant
Sonia Singleton	....	office production assistant (as Sun Singleton)
Wing Tat	....	location assistant (as Wing T. Yeong)
Rob Walsh	....	assistant accountant
Alexander Wei	....	production secretary (as Alex Wei)
Randee Lynne Jensen	....	creative assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Charles Castaldi	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1999) (USA) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2000) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• SBS6 (2004) (Netherlands) (TV)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2000) (Argentina) (all media)
• United Paramount Network (UPN) (2004) (USA) (TV)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2000) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• 11:24 Design Advertising  poster design (uncredited)
• Balsmeyer and Everett  titles (as Balsmeyer & Everett Inc.)
• Coast to Coast Catering  catering (as Coast to Coast Catering)
• Columbia Records  soundtrack released by
• Effects House, The  opticals (as The Effects House)
• Lightnin' Production Rentals  transportation equipment
• Noëlle Penraat  negative cutting
• Ocean Cities Entertainment  music production services
• Sony Music Soundtrax  soundtrack released by

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sexuality

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Germany:12 | Singapore:M18 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #36703) | Iceland:L (original rating) | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Finland:S | Netherlands:12 | Sweden:15 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Harper's girlfriend gets out of the bath at the beginning of the movie she is wearing a thong or a bathing suit.

Quotes:

Jordan Armstrong:So?
Mia Morgan:So... what?
Jordan Armstrong:So, what? Mia!
Mia Morgan:Jordan, good girls never tell.
Jordan Armstrong:Bitch, don't make me hurt you.
Mia Morgan:[Smirks] What?
Jordan Armstrong:[Glares at Mia]
Mia Morgan:What we shared was as sweet and as endearing as a forehead kiss. It was what I wanted. It was what I needed. He was a gentleman, and a friend, and I will always love him for that.

Movie Connections:

References The Shining (1980)

Soundtrack:

Let's Not Play the Game

Far from novel and far from the best.

Taye Diggs plays Harper Stewart, a writer who is just about to release a new book full of uncomfortable similarities between himself, his friends and the characters contained within. Can he stop people recognising the thinly veiled truth as he prepares to be the best man at his best friend's funeral or will past betrayals finally be brought to the surface at the most unfortunate of times? On top of that, his friends have their own problems and neuroses and Harper has to decide if he is finally ready for commitment with his girlfriend, who he loves very much but seems to keep distant from in certain areas.

Yes, it's a romantic comedy-drama full of moments that we've seen done before and while unoriginality is not a cinematic sin (or, good grief, we would rarely see any film released in cinemas) it isn't a good thing when everything has been done BETTER than the movie you're currently watching.

The cast is appealing enough (Diggs is fine, Morris Chestnut is very good, Nia Long is lovely, Terrence Howard is a standout and Harold Perrineau is great as the one "whipped" male of the group) and even the supporting members do well (Regina Hall is cuter than she's ever been and Sanaa Lathan makes the most of her limited character . . . the girl that Diggs should realise he wants to keep hold of) but this movie limps along thanks to a dull script and flat direction with nothing to really immerse you in the movie's environment.

A romantic comedy-drama with unfunny "comedy", romance you don't care for and drama that starts to unfold before you even get to know who's involved in it all. When the ball does get rolling you can already see how things are going to end up. A poor show.

See this if you like: Brown Sugar, The Brothers, Morris Chestnut.