‘In case y’all didn’t know, marriage is the cure to promiscuity…’
The 90s was the decade of dialogue. Talky directors like Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith and Richard Linklater combined witty dialogue with references to pop culture, relationships and irony to change the landscape of cinema. The Best Man follows this tradition but through the lens of Spike Lee (who serves as producer) and his ability to capture the black experience in America in the 90s…
On the verge of his best friend’s wedding, writer Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs) discovers that his soon-to-be-published semi-autobiographical novel has made its way around his friend group causing consternation all around. An ensemble cast featuring Lance Sullivan, Terrence Howard and Regina Hall brings writer-director Malcolm D. Lee’s verbose screenplay to life.
The Best Man dissects the experience of a group of young men on the cusp of settling down and leaving their extended adolescence behind. I was the first in my friendship group to get married and it’s an odd feeling. You almost feel as if you are gatecrashing someone else’s wedding. Surely that can’t be me up there giving a speech and saying “I do”? I’m just a kid! Lee and his talented cast work through these anxieties whilst also exploring what it means to be in a relationship and how friendship groups can change over time. The relationships themselves feel authentic and lived in, and while nothing much happens, I remained mostly captivated throughout.
While it’s perhaps overly long at two hours, The Best Man is still an underrated and underseen snapshot of life and relationships in the 90s – worth seeking out, if just for the excellent soundtrack alone.
