The Best Man

Synopsis: Harper's autobiographical novel is almost out, his girlfriend Robin desires commitment, and he's best man at the wedding of Lance, a pro athlete. He goes to New York early (Robin will come for the wedding) to hang out with Lance and other friends, including Jordan, his former almost-lover, now in media and privy to an advance copy of the book. The men discuss women, never facing their own double standard; Jordan wants to try again with Harper, at least for one night; and Harper fears that Lance will read his book and learn that the bride-to-be slept with him once to avenge Lance's many affairs. Can Harper mature before Lance kills him, Jordan seduces him, and he loses Robin?
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Director(s): Malcolm D. Lee
Production: Universal Pictures
  7 wins & 11 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.7
Metacritic:
61
Rotten Tomatoes:
72%
R
Year:
1999
120 min
Website
4,747 Views


It's what you want, boy

It's what you need, babe

We got to give you more

Of what you really want

It's a secret that's

been Pent up inside for years

Exclusive type

Only for your eyes and ears

You held it in for so long

You burstin' into tears

The letters spill slowly across

the page like a world premier

Well, all right, the bullshit

begins here

The obvious cause

the effects is unclear

The punishment for crimes of

the heart could be severe

Though to keep it on the low

is a heavy cross to bear

You deep now, submerged

With no signs of air

Still your sunken heart Thumpin'

like the kick in the snare

When on the surface

It's all turnin' to a circus

That's why you're nervous

And you got a right to be

It's what you want, boy

It's what you need, babe

We got to give you more

- Thanks a lot, man.

- You bet.

- Cool. Take care.

- You, too.

Harp,

how's it going, brother?

Robin, baby,

I got some good news.

Try this.

Tell me what you think.

Come on, girl.

You know...

Grilled ginger shrimp with

cranberry-orange-mango chutney.

Damn, that's good.

Yeah, man, 'tis good.

Thanks for letting

me use your kitchen.

That's cool.

I almost died

when my stove broke.

No problem, baby.

But then I remembered what

a loving boyfriend I have.

Uh-huh.

Sorry about the mess.

I have three jobs

going on at once here.

It's so crazy.

So I see.

So, hey!

What's the news?

What's the dealio?

Oh! Uh...

Oprah Winfrey wants my new

book, Unfinished Business,

for her January

Book of the Month Club show.

Harper, you're kidding.

Uh-uh, I ain't kidding.

Oh, my God!

Your first novel?

I was a little nervous

when I heard

that she wanted

to read a preview copy.

But she read it and loved it.

When's the release date?

We go into print next month.

Oh. baby!

"m $0 happy for you.

I'm so happy for you!

That is so great.

So great.

I'm on my way, girl.

The callaloo.

I missed you.

Hmm.

I'm so glad you

decided to come back

to town before

heading to New York.

Mmm. Yeah. Me, too, baby.

Oh, did I tell you about the

20-city book tour I got going?

I'm psyched. I gotta make sure

my sh*t's on point, though.

Harper, come on.

"Harper, come on,"

what?

You never

live enough for today.

For once,

just enjoy the moment.

At least for a little while?

Robin,

I got to stay focused.

All work and no play

makes Harper a very dull boy.

Yeah, whatever, man.

"Yeah, whatever, man."

You're not feeling me, huh?

I felt you

getting your freak on

a couple minutes ago.

That's what I felt.

Only with you.

That's what

I like to hear.

Oh, girl.

I could be like this

with you forever, Harper.

Hmm-mmm.

What?

Relax.

All I mean is that

I love being with you.

You said yourself that I was the

best girlfriend you ever had.

You've never been with

somebody this long

or had this much fun.

Face it. We fit together.

Yeah, but...

You love me, don't you?

Of course I do,

but it's not that simple.

It is to me.

Wow.

Dead silence.

Nice. Excuse me.

What's "Excuse me"? Wait.

No.

I think I'll get some sleep.

Wait, Robin.

Honey, about last night.

I didn't...

Harper, it's okay.

I know you love me.

I do, you know.

I'm not insecure.

I just have doubts sometimes.

About what?

Like this wedding reunion

with your friends.

I don't know

what I'm really walking into.

Oh, baby!

They are gonna love you.

Don't worry. They are gonna love you.

You'll be fine.

Really?

Yes, really.

Even Kendall?

I can't believe

that you're jealous

of a character

that I wrote in my book.

Not just a character.

An icon. An ideal.

Your soul mate.

Jackson's soul mate.

She's nothing like me.

Honey, she's not like anybody.

She is a combination of a bunch

of women that I knew in college.

Why would I lie to you about

something like that, girl?

I don't know.

That's what scares me.

Okay, here it is.

Here is the drama.

Okay. See, I thought I had finally

avoided it in this relationship.

I'm not perfect, Harper.

Could we stop

talking about this, please?

I had to let you

know how I feel.

Yeah. Are you still

coming to the wedding?

Of course I am.

Nothing has changed

about that.

I want you to have fun.

Hang out with your boys,

reminisce.

I'll still be there on Sunday.

That's great. Fine. Good.

Atlantic Airlines welcomes you

to New York City's

La Guardia Airport.

I'm coming!

Harper!

Murch! My man!

Hey, New York.

It's the Doug Banks Show

with DeDe McGuire.

Can you believe those Giants?

Unbelievable!

Lance Sullivan, my man!

That man really is. He's fine.

Big old chocolate thing...

No, DeDe,

he's a good football player.

I know that.

I'm a fan.

Right. All right,

here's Lauryn Hill.

What do you say about that?

So, they're fine.

They're young, that's all.

And I had to take a gun away

from one kid last week.

Oh, hell, no! A gun?

Damn it, Murch!

Didn't that firm

you worked at last summer,

did they not offer you

a six-figure salary?

Yes, they did.

So what's up?

I have to

pass the bar first.

Whatever, man.

All right, listen, brother,

all I'm saying is

that if you're

gonna be stressed,

get paid for it, man.

Now you sound like Shelby.

Shelby.

Lockdown!

You are lucky I love you

like an adopted brother.

I'm playing. She's cool.

Shelby's cool.

You certainly didn't make her sound

any kind of cool in your book.

Uh, I mean,

not that I read your book.

You read my book?

No.

How did you get

ahold of my book?

I don't have your book,

Harper. Jordan does.

Jordan has my book?

All right, camera two, I need

a close-up on Dr. Gayle.

Zoom in slowly, slowly.

All right, great.

Hold it right there.

Camera one, stand by

for audience reaction.

Give me audience reaction,

camera one.

Jordan Armstrong.

She's already running

things, ain't she?

You should not be surprised.

She's the only one

more driven than you are.

That's all right.

When's the last time

you saw Jordan?

Oh, last March,

actually.

We didn't really

have much time to hang,

though, 'cause

she had a deadline.

And I had to move...

What, n*gger?

You, my brother,

are withholding information.

Here we go.

You and Jordan got busy

in undergrad, didn't you?

No, we didn't.

What about the book? What about the book?

Jackson and Kendall.

That's you two.

I know it!

They picked the prime opportunity

to make grass sandwiches.

"A passionate night

of lovemaking so intense..."

I know my words.

Embellishment sells books.

Oh, so,

then what really happened?

Nothing.

You are lying!

I know it.

Out with it.

What?

Tell me. Tell me.

Nothing.

All right, it was

senior year during finals.

The year-end issue was

off to the printer

and the staff had left

for the night.

We both had studying to do,

but we were mad tired.

Only Stevie Wonder was

gonna help us that night.

Doo-doo-doo-do

Mmm-mmm

Doo-doo-doo-do

Mmm-mmm

As around the sun the earth

knows she's revolving

And the rosebuds know

to bloom in early May

Just as hate knows love's the cure,

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Malcolm D. Lee

Malcolm D. Lee (born January 11, 1970) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He has directed such films as Undercover Brother, The Best Man, Roll Bounce, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, Soul Men and Girls Trip. He also directed an episode of the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris. He is a cousin of film director Spike Lee, and is a graduate of Packer Collegiate Institute and Georgetown University. He directed an installment in the Scary Movie franchise, Scary Movie 5. In 2013, he directed The Best Man Holiday, a sequel to The Best Man.His 2017 movie Girls Trip, starring Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish and Jada Pinkett Smith, received positive reviews from critics and grossed $137 million worldwide; it also grossed over $100 million domestically, the first comedy of 2017 to do so. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "The Best Man" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Dec. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/the_best_man_19758>.

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