The Best Man franchise proves everyone has their path and timing.

The Best Man(1999), The Best Man Holiday (2013), and Peacock's The Best Man: The Final Chapters(2022) follow the lives of the college friend group. We see their start and follow their growth till the end spanning several years. This is my second article from the franchise and it's focused on purpose.

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In past movies, we see Harper's aspirations, resilience and growth as a writer. Harper (Taye Diggs) always wanted to be successful, especially after the attention his book, Unfinished Business got. In the first movie, he encountered troubles with the written book, in the second movie he encountered financial issues before seeking to write Lance's biography and in the series, he desired to write on more concrete topics. He graces magazine covers, hosts book signings and gets Unfinished Business adapted into a movie. After all hurdles and two years, he achieves his goal of writing something less trite and won the Pulitzer prize he desired in college.

Harper being self-reflective in 2024 said, "Well I did it. Nearly a half a century old and I'm finally figuring it all out. Does it really take that long? Finding our place in the world, achieving happiness…it does! When I was younger, I thought money was everything. Good career, get married, nice crib, kids-the dream, right? But it's so much more complicated than that. Being in successful relationships, marriages, friendships, takes work. None of us ever stop growing or evolving. We buy into the 'happily ever after' dream and get married because the time is ticking. We may get married because it's time. But how often do we meet our soulmate? Life doesn't always go the way we expect, but somehow, if we're lucky, we end up where we're supposed to.".

This was a great opener to the series to inform us that he finally learnt from all he went through and will go through as we watch the events from 2015. This makes us hopeful for him as we see the outcome. Despite his marriage to Robyn ending, he was still hopeful.

We are introduced to Robyn(Sanna Lathan) as Harper's girlfriend and subsequently his wife. We are made known of her initial struggle to find her creative niche as Harper told the guys but she found it in catering. She was very passionate about cooking and had several moments to shine. She created a home meal kit company called Robyn's Nest. Her kind spirit was still shown when she gave free food to women's shelters etc. She became a mother to their daughter Mia(Blake Aria Hendricks) and an activist connected to her purpose. She chose herself and her happiness with a hopeful spirit after the divorce from Harper (I will be covering their marriage in another article).

Jordan (Nia Long) always had a bright future due to her hardworking, determined and relentless nature. Throughout the franchise, she had no career issues and kept climbing the corporate ladder reaching new heights. In The Best Man Holiday, we see her office decorated with accolades including her Emmys for a documentary she worked on. In The Best Man: The Final Chapters, she is MSNBC's CEO and a mentor to her assistant, Nicole(Phoenix Best). 

Lance (Morris Chestnut) is a successful athlete and has been since college. He's beloved and talented as he embraces his passion for soccer. However, after losing his wife, Mia (Monica Calhoun) his being is distorted. He is forced to get himself together with the help of his friends and Jasmine(Yvonna Pearson). He tries several things including selling cars, being an actor and more but to no avail. Jordan said he needs to find something he's passionate about. She told him, "redefine your purpose and I promise you the minute that you do, you're gonna feel it like this" which led him to announce his return to soccer on social media. He tried to make a comeback as an athlete and was performing well before getting an injury that shocked his reality. The coach, Coach Mike (Gary Galone)suggests he could still be involved but as a coach, a way to channel his passion for soccer which he took up. Lance got to be honoured for his career, achievements and retirement in soccer with a grand event.

Julian(Harold Perrineau) did not take the prestigious law firm offer he had. He chose the path of educating and caring for children. This was so from the first movie, however, his goals and achievements grew as he partnered with his wife and fellow board member, Candace. They built schools to nurture and enlighten Black children (especially). They got accolades to honour their contribution and dedication including the Progressive Black Educators of The Year Award, they received.

Candace (Regina Hall) once known as 'Candy' changed her path in the second movie as she dated and married Julian. She became a member of the school board and fulfilled her duties. Despite the hurdle her past and present brought, Candace stated she was changing and making a path for herself. In the series, we see Candace creating another path for herself.

She said, "a bitch needs a change of scenery" referring to her routine with the school and their daughters but this applies to her exploring as well as going after her dreams. She cultivated an interest in ayahuasca after the session the group had at San Pierre as one of the events for Quentin and Xiomara's (Nicole Ari Parker) wedding. She considered the importance of it for other purposes including healing which she researched extensively about. She enrolled in a university for graduate studies with the intention to continue her research. She continuously crafted her proposal for beneficial plant-based medicines to explore alternative and natural ways to treat social disorders. She was proud of her findings especially if their daughter could use it for her anxiety instead of purchasing the traditional pharmaceutical medication.

Shelby (Melissa DeSousa) becomes a part of the Housewives franchise from The Best Man Holiday. This character seems different from who we were introduced to in The Best Man. However, as a single mother to her daughter Kennedy(Mia Rose Morgan), she is fierce and entrepreneurial heading several businesses. As she joins the test for the From the culture roundtable Jordan created, she explores a new path. However, the test did not go her way as no one liked her in the midst of the other ladies. Jordan advises her to be "less Housewives Shelby and more college-debate team Shelby". She makes the note to code-switch, making an adjustment for the targeted audience and for a palatable watch. Quentin encourages her saying she's "fierce, fine, fabulous and fully educated. You play to win and always come back with the W. Go in there and remind them of who you are. Surprise them with what they don't know about you. Okay? You got this. You got this." She does so and The Best Man: The Final Chapters marks the return of the preppy girl, Shelby we were first introduced to. She gets approved and joined the team as she also ran her businesses.

Quentin (Terrence Howard) said, "so my future looks mighty bright, thank you very much." when he spoke to Harper in The Best Man. He was confused about his path as he did not know what he wanted except to be left out of the Spivey hotel business. He tried photography, music, directed music videos and considered being a writer to avoid taking over from his father. He joked about his uncertainty for a while saying his guitar playing was "something to add to the repertoire". Like Robyn, he had a hard time finding his place. Harper called him scatterbrained as he kept trying different options which made him seem unserious. However, his fight seemed futile as he joined the family business in The Best Man: The Final Chapters after his career as a brand manager in The Best Man Holiday. He wanted to do something of great impact, a sole contribution to the company instead of just leading it with his father's ideals and he appreciated his position. This is further explored in my The Best Man: The Final Chapters tackles racial issues article.

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