One of the scenes in The Best Man Holiday that’s sure to be talked about (and enjoyed) is when the male cast members entertain their female counterparts with a performance of New Edition’s “Can You Stand the Rain.”
Director Malcolm D. Lee sets up the scene, which has its roots in his own lip-synching days at Georgetown. “After dinner, Mia (played by Monica Calhoun), tells the guys that they are not going to have dessert until they do ‘air band.’ This catches them by surprise. She has the jackets, hats and outfits they had circa 1991, and they’re going to perform this number they did back in college. It’s a great thrill for them, as well as for the wives, who never saw their husbands in this light.”
To make sure the guys were prepared, the filmmakers chose seasoned choreographer Jamal Sims (Footloose, Step Up Revolution) to get them ready for filming the scene.
For the stage-trained Taye Diggs (Harper), learning the choreography was worth the effort. He shares, “It was not easy for any of us, so we were just so proud of ourselves when we got it down. It was one of the best shooting days for me. There was so much energy, and nobody had to act. We were sweating; the girls were screaming. It was a good time.”
For his part, Morris Chestnut (Lance) laughs that he could have used just a few more days: “I wanted a month of rehearsals because I wanted to get the moves down pat.”
However, according to Sanaa Lathan (Robyn), he had no reason to worry about his performance. She says, “We were crying with laughter and joy! First of all, the guys can dance. All the girls were saying, ‘I’m glad we didn’t have a dance scene, because we wouldn’t have been able to do it. They really went for it. I can’t wait to be in the audience when this scene comes on because people are going to go crazy.”
She speaks from experience: The women’s reactions as seen in the film are genuine — the director had not told the women what song would be sung to them.
The Best Man Holiday is available starting Feb. 11 on Video On Demand. Check your cable system for availability.
