Parents' Guide to

The Best Man Holiday

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Entertaining sequel deals with mature topics.

Movie R 2013 122 minutes
The Best Man Holiday Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 17+

Based on 3 parent reviews

joshua martinez
joshua martinez Adult
December 16, 2013
age 16+

16 and up.

this romance movie based on the first film from the year 1999 the best man holiday is a good movie stars with Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, Morris Chestnut, Terrence Howard and nia long this movie is good enough for mature audiences only and parents you need to know that the best man holiday has sexual content like sex talk and brief nudity the movie does have strong language and some drinking and smoking such as wine, beer, and weed aside from all the content the movie does have a positive message about Loyal old friends can see you through life's toughest challenges and the role model is that Though not everyone acts out of the goodness of their heart and sometimes make awful decisions, the entire ensemble displays moments some more than others of great generosity, compassion, and forgiveness.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
MRJH 404
MRJH 404 Adult
November 20, 2013
age 18+

Perserverance and Family

This movie shows the love of family in a time of crisis. It shows perserverance through family and friendship that lasts a lifetime. The love of the husband for his wife and children is what makes this a great movie.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

From the outside, Harper (Taye Diggs) is living the good life. A baby with his wife Robin (Sanaa Lathan) is finally on the way, after years of trying. He's working on yet another book, and he's a professor at New York University. But then the book is suddenly a no-go, and so is the job, and almost overnight Harper feels like he can't show up at the reunion planned by his old flame Mia (Monica Calhoun) and her husband, NFL star and Harper's ex-best friend, Lance (Morris Chestnut). Luckily, other friends, like Julian (Harold Perrineau Jr.) and Quentin (Terrence Howard) will be there too. But so will Jordan (Nia Long), his best friend and almost-girlfriend. Besides, everyone seems to be dealing with their own problems.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (3):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Director Malcom D. Lee has fashioned a fine, if gloomy, follow-up to The Best Man, assembling his fantastic cast, who once again exhibit great chemistry. That's essential for an ensemble movie like THE BEST MAN HOLIDAY, especially since it relies on bonds forged in the original to hook viewers once again. That's its genius, but also its challenge, because if you're not up to speed on everything that happened before, it's unclear if you'd be so committed to experiencing the roller-coaster emotions that this sequel elicits. The film does its mighty best to explain the intricate bonds up front, which unfortunately makes for a lumbering start. The best parts show the brotherhood and sisterhood shared.

Still the film trades on some tired gender stereotypes. And some issues seem manufactured just to exist. The Best Man Holiday is a forgettable vacation, but watching it still makes for a decent break.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how friendship is portrayed in the movie. What binds these friends together after all these years? Do the challenges to their friendships seem believable? What is the movie's message about friendship and marriage?

  • Does the movie break new ground when it comes to the ensemble movie genre? Does it rely on tired tropes? If so, which ones?

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