by Tara Pringle Jefferson
A couple weeks ago, the cast from 1999’s The Best Man got together for a celebratory dinner. Something about seeing Morris Chestnut, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, and the rest of the cast (including the director Malcolm D. Lee) all in one room made folks wonder: Might a sequel be on the horizon? (Seems Lee has been thinking about it for a while.)
I still love The Best Man and feel we haven’t seen a movie of that quality in a long time. It made me long for the days where every third movie had either Nia Long, Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps, or some combination including them and Jenifer Lewis (you know it’s true). I had to take a trip down memory lane to revisit some of my favorite movies from the 90s and early 2000s to see if there are any unanswered questions that might make them ripe for a sequel:
Best Man 2: No More Secrets
We all want to know – did Harper (Taye Diggs) and Robin (Sanaa Lathan) REALLY get married after Harper’s planned rendezvous with Jordan (Nia Long), interrupted only because of Lance’s (Morris Chestnut) fists of fury? If they did get married, are they happy? Is Lance able to be faithful to his loving wife? Did Murch (Harold Perrineau) really hook up with Candy – did THAT relationship last? And the biggest question of all – where’s Jordan?
Love & Basketball 2: Double or Nothing
When we last saw Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps), Monica was in the WNBA with Daddy Quincy on the sidelines with their beautiful baby girl. Well, it’s been 11 years. Is Monica still playing? I doubt it. But we all know basketball is her life, so perhaps she has a new career as a sports commentator, or as a coach. What is Quincy doing? Still longing to have basketball in his life somewhere, or is he content with being a loving husband and father?
Brown Sugar 2: And You Don’t Stop…
Forget Dre (Taye Diggs) and Sidney (Sanaa Lathan…I TOLD you that girl was in every third movie!). I’m still mad at those two for taking FOREVER to realize they should be together. I want to know did Chris (Mos Def) and Francine (Queen Latifah) really get together? They made a cute couple and Mos Def was GREAT as the “true hip-hop artist.” I’d love to see a sequel focus on him, with Dre as his manager. Is Chris a household name now? Is he headlining tours?
Boomerang 2: Love Actually
Oh, Marcus, Marcus, Marcus (Eddie Murphy). Last we saw him 19 years ago, he was walking down the street with Halle Berry after begging her forgiveness and getting it. But does a player ever really change his ways? Does true love indeed conquer all? What happens when a player chooses to settle down and embrace a committed relationship. It almost seems like Boomerang 2 has already been made: They called it Daddy Day Care.
Love Jones 2: Poetry In Motion
All I want to know – are Darius (Larenz Tate) and Nina (Nia Long) still together? With a gang of kids? Maybe no kids? Maybe they got together for a while, drifted apart, broke up and married other people. But in the back of their mind, there’s always a “What if?”
Tell me, BMWK family – is there a movie not listed here that you would love to see a sequel on? The Wood? The Brothers? Deliver Us From Eva? Breaking All The Rules (LOL)?
Tara Pringle Jefferson is a freelance writer, blogger and PR professional living in Ohio with her husband and two kids. She’s also Managing Editor of BlackAndMarriedWithKids.com. Follow her on Twitter or check out her blog for her insights on what it means to be a mom, wife, student, writer, and about three other labels she’s too tired to remember.