By Jasmine Kelly
The saying Time will tell is true, especially as it applies to how you feel about things. We all have a right to change our minds, and whew, did I ever! In case you have been living under a rock, everyone has been talking about the Black cult classic, “The Best Man.” Netflix recently included it on its Black line up and the film has been all the buzz.
The main characters are Lance Sullivan, Jordan Armstrong, Julian Murch, Mia Morgan, Robin, Quentin, and Harper Stewart. Except for Robin, Lance, Jordan, Julian, Mia, Murch, and Harper, all college friends get together for a weekend to celebrate and partake in Lance’s wedding. Harper is the best man, and Robin is his girlfriend. The drama centers around Harper’s book Unfinished Business. The characters in his book uncover specific college memories that prove to be harmful.
The movie came out in 1999, and even though I was a child, I had my perceptions of each character. Yes, I saw The Best Man when I was nine years old, but another conversation for another day. Nonetheless, my first impressions of the movie were that it was a love story, and the characters were so mature and glamorous. WRONG! Don’t get me wrong; I love the film. However, as a 31-year-old woman, I realize the characters were a mess with good jobs and great style. Please see my synopsis of each.
Lance Sullivan– Lance is an old-fashioned, religious misogynist. Don’t get me wrong, he means well, but he knows nothing about women. Lance had all his fun in college and genuinely feels that his fiancé Mia is the only man she has had sex with. I found Lance to be a complete idiot who happens to be fine as hell. I also find him to be a hypocrite.
Jordan Armstrong- Jordan is a type-A personality, career woman. I find her to be very high-strung, and she honestly needs a creative outlet. She oversteps boundaries and is disrespectful of Harper’s relationship. I want her to want better for herself. Honestly, truly.
Julian Murch (Murch)- Murch is a nice man; he is but a girl… Talk about an adult, male-child. He allows his girlfriend to push him around, and he falls in love with a stripper (literally) and decides to start living life on his terms. It is a sweet story, but Murch is exhausting and a complete mess of a person who was not ready to start dating someone else.
Mia Morgan- Listen, Mia is a testimony in my eyes. She is a smart woman. However, I don’t condemn her for having one night of passion in college with Harper despite being in a relationship. She knew that Lance was fooling around the way I see it, and she decided to get hers too. I do not promote infidelity, but I believe in fulfilling one’s own needs (determine what you will). I know plenty of women my age who have found themselves in the same precarious situation and made the decision that was best for them. Besides, Lance ended up getting that huge NFL contract, so I guess fiscally, she came out on top.
Robin- Whew, my girl Robin… I have so much to say. My opinion of her at 31 was the same way I felt at nine; she is cool. However, now I hate to see her waste her time with Harper. I mean, it was cringeworthy to watch. Twice that man showed her that he did not care about her. Well, three times if you count his attempt to have sex with Jordan. Robin is a fun, creative, quirky, and gorgeous woman. However, I hate that she allowed Harper to see the value in her only after he hurt her. I honestly hated to see it.
Quentin– At nine years old, I thought Quentin was a playboy, and at 31, I feel the same. However, out of all the characters, he is the only one who has been consistently honest about who he is. I cannot argue with that.
Harper Stewart– Harper Stewart is the epitome of a Lawrence (see Insecure)! At nine, I thought he was brilliant and a good guy. But, boy, was I wrong. Harper is self-centered and very judgmental towards his loved ones. Not to mention he is not an honest person. At this ripe age of 31, I think that Harper is the epitome of a man who can have all the things (career, focus, drive), but still, he is a crappy individual.
Jasmine Kelly is a contributing writer for the Pedestal Project, LLC. Jasmine is a higher education professional who believes in the powers of Black Twitter. You can follow her on Instagram @chicomydusty.
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