Holiday Heart (2000) (TV)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Robert Townsend

Writers (WGA):

Cheryl L. West (teleplay)
Cheryl L. West (play)

Release Date:

10 December 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A drag queen faces his toughest act ever. Fatherhood.

Plot:

A drag queen takes in a drug addict and her daughter and helps raise the daughter. |

Plot Keywords:

Drag Queen | Gay Father | African American | Gay Lead Character | Gay Parent

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 6 nominations

Cast

Ving Rhames	...	Holiday Heart
Alfre Woodard	...	Wanda
Jesika Reynolds	...	Niki (as Jessika Quynn Reynolds)
Mykelti Williamson	...	Silas
Johnathan Wesley Wallace	...	Jambalaya Blue (as Johnathan Wallace)
Phil Hayes	...	Sergeant (as Philip Maurice Hayes)
Blu Mankuma	...	Pastor Henry
Lorena Gale	...	Mrs. Owens
James Kidnie	...	Penthouse M.C.
Benz Antoine	...	Fisher
Guy Fauchon	...	Travel Agent Dan
Ron Selmour	...	LT (as Ronald Selmour)
Patricia Idlette	...	Mrs. Walker
Mary Antonini	...	Sarah
Emy Aneke	...	Ricky

MPAA:

Rated R for language and drug content.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Australia:M | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

MGM Television

Goofs:

Continuity: Nikki's shoes change from sneakers to boots during the scenes in which she first meets Holiday and when he takes them to his house.

Quotes:

Wanda: Why are you being so good to us? And just so you know, I don't do fags.
Holiday Heart: Good, because just so YOU know, I don't do no-account evil bitches who sleep all day instead of taking care their damn children, okay?

Movie Connections:

Features Imitation of Life (1959)

Soundtrack:

Baby Love

A Film With A Very Important Message

I gave this 8 stars out of a possible 10.

Ving Rhames does an excellent job as drag queen, Holiday. It was so convincing I thought he must really be a drag queen. (He isn't.)

This film has a lot to say about a lot of things -- about tolerance, about being strong, about loving yourself, and forgiving.

Holiday comes to the aid of a woman named Wanda (played by Alfre Woodard), who is being abused by her current boyfriend. Holiday can be tough when he has to, and can fight when it's necessary.

He not only rescues Wanda but her little girl, Niki,(played quite winningly by Jesika Reynolds), whom I'm guessing to be around 11 or 12.

In a lot of ways Niki is more adult and mature than her mother.

Wanda wants to have a loving family, a good Daddy for her little girl, and a good man for herself, but she has her weaknesses - drugs being the main one -- and bad choices in men ranking a very close second.

Wanda and Niki move into an apartment in a building Holiday owns -- right across the hall from his own, and a warm friendship develops between the three.

But when Wanda takes up with a new boyfriend, Silas, a drug dealer, its not long before trouble brews.

All of the cast did a great job. I found the film highly interesting, and it was easy to get involved and care about the characters.