Holiday Heart (2000) (TV)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Robert Townsend

Writers (WGA):

Cheryl L. West (teleplay)
Cheryl L. West (play)

Release Date:

10 December 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A drag queen faces his toughest act ever. Fatherhood.

Plot:

A drag queen takes in a drug addict and her daughter and helps raise the daughter. |

Plot Keywords:

Drag Queen | Gay Father | African American | Gay Lead Character | Gay Parent

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 6 nominations

Cast

Ving Rhames	...	Holiday Heart
Alfre Woodard	...	Wanda
Jesika Reynolds	...	Niki (as Jessika Quynn Reynolds)
Mykelti Williamson	...	Silas
Johnathan Wesley Wallace	...	Jambalaya Blue (as Johnathan Wallace)
Phil Hayes	...	Sergeant (as Philip Maurice Hayes)
Blu Mankuma	...	Pastor Henry
Lorena Gale	...	Mrs. Owens
James Kidnie	...	Penthouse M.C.
Benz Antoine	...	Fisher
Guy Fauchon	...	Travel Agent Dan
Ron Selmour	...	LT (as Ronald Selmour)
Patricia Idlette	...	Mrs. Walker
Mary Antonini	...	Sarah
Emy Aneke	...	Ricky

MPAA:

Rated R for language and drug content.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Australia:M | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

MGM Television

Goofs:

Continuity: When Silas teaches Holiday how to play the Nintendo N64, the game is Super Mario 64, when only a few seconds earlier the game was clearly Super Smash Bros, which only features the character Mario.

Quotes:

Niki: [notices Holiday's piano] See, Mama. Look, it ain't portable.
Wanda: Isn't portable. I'm trying to get her to use correct grammar.
Holiday Heart: Oh, that's very nice. Well, I hope I say this with correct grammar, but Sister Girl, this food sure don't look appetizing.
Wanda: It's all beige, isn't it?
Holiday Heart: Well, let's just put it this way. Holiday can burn, so let's say from here on out I do all the cooking, okay?
[hands over plate]
Holiday Heart: What is it anyway?
Wanda: I don't know.

Movie Connections:

Features Imitation of Life (1959)

Soundtrack:

Baby Love

The story of the drag queen with a heart of gold packs an emotional wallop.

Caught this movie on the Black Entertainment Network while

flipping channels. It was a pleasant surprise!!! Entertaining! Funny

and heart tugging all at once.

When a young girl cries for help for her mom who is being beaten

up by her boyfriend, the only one to help is a drag queen--Holiday

Heart-- who packs a punch. He befriends the duo taking them to

his home and they become a family in spite of their differences.

All is well until another man comes along putting a rift between the

mother and Holiday. Then Drugs pull the mom away from the

family.

I found Holiday;s need for a family heartbreaking and truthful--and

it was an incredible portrayal. Also great are Alfre Woodward and

the young girl.

There are a couple of holes in the plot but this story of a drag

queen with a heart of gold really packs an emotional wallop. What

a sleeper. Highly recommended