The Perfect Holiday

Infobox Film
name = The Perfect Holiday


image size = 200px
caption = Theatrical release poster
director = Lance Rivera
producer = Joseph P. Genier
Leifur B. Dagfinnsson
Marvin Peart
Mike Elliott
Petra Hoebel
Queen Latifah
Shakim Compere
Stevie "Black" Lockett
writer = Jeff Stein
Lance Rivera
Marc Calixte
Nat Mauldin
narrator = Queen Latifah
starring = Morris Chestnut
Gabrielle Union
with Faizon Love
and Terrence Howard
and Queen Latifah
Charles Q. Murphy
Katt Williams
Jill Marie Jones
Rachel True
music = Christopher Lennertz
cinematography = Teodoro Maniaci
editing = Paul Trejo
distributor = Yari Film Group Releasing
released = flagicon|US December 12, 2007
runtime = 96 min.
country = U.S.A.
language = English
gross = $5,812,781 [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=perfectholiday.htm, Box Office Mojo]
website = http://www.theperfectholidaymovie.com
amg_id = 1:361875
imdb_id = 0841032

"The Perfect Holiday" is a 2007 comedy film starring Gabrielle Union, Morris Chestnut, and Terrence Howard and is produced by Academy Award nominated actress Queen Latifah, who also narrates the movie. The film was released on December 12, 2007.

Plot

Nancy (Union) is a divorced mother, who is too busy taking care of her three children to take care of herself. Nancy was previously married to James Jizzy (Charles Q. Murphy), a hip hop artist. Her youngest daughter Emily (Khail Bryant) overhears her mother say that she wished for a compliment from a man, and the daughter tells the local mall's Santa Claus about her mother's wish. The Santa Claus turns out to be a man named Benjamin (Chestnut). Benjamin is also interested in the music industry and gives James Jizzy his recording track of a Christmas album at the beginning of the movie. While playing the part of Santa Claus, Benjamin notices Nancy.

Sitting in a Starbucks after his shift as Santa, Benjamin and his friend Jamal (Faizon Love) see Nancy go into a dry cleaners. Benjamin recognizes Nancy, and borrows Jamal's jacket, pretending to drop it off at the cleaners in addition to the clothes he supposedly brought in earlier. Right before he leaves, Ben pays Nancy a compliment, telling her she is a very attractive woman following Emily's wish. Eventually, the two start to date and end up falling in love. Things take a turn for the worse, however, as Nancy's oldest son, John-John (Malik Hammond) is jealous of Benjamin going out with his mother and plots to break up the relationship. What follows is a series of funny and touching scenes that show viewers what "family" is really about. Queen Latifah and Terrence Howard both play omniscient roles in the movie. Howard is the mischievous and sly angel, named "Bah Humbug", while Latifah is the kind, thoughtful angel, commonly referred to as "Mother Christmas".

Tagline: "This Christmas, the perfect man just happens to be Santa."

Cast

*Gabrielle Union — Nancy
*Morris Chestnut — Benjamin Armstrong
*Charles Q. Murphy — J-Jizzy
*Faizon Love — Jamal
*Jeremy Gumbs — Mikey
*Jill Marie Jones — Robin
*Katt Williams — Delicious
*Khail Bryant — Emily
*Malik Hammond — John-John
*Queen Latifah — Mrs. Christmas
*Rachel True — Brenda
*Terrence Howard — Bah Humbug

Trivia

*Charlie Murphy and Rachel True were both featured in the film "CB4".
*Morris Chestnut and Queen Latifah worked together on the TV series "Living Single" in 1994.
*Morris Chestnut and Terrence Howard previously worked together in the 1999 film "The Best Man".
*The film is Gabrielle Union and Morris Chestnut's fourth feature film together. The two also worked together in "Breakin' All the Rules", "The Brothers", and "Two Can Play That Game".
*"The Perfect Holiday" is the second film Lance Rivera and Queen Latifah have worked on together with Rivera directing and Latifah producing/starring. The first was 2004's "The Cookout".

References

reflist|colwidth=30em

External links

* [http://www.theperfectholidaymovie.com/ Official site]
*amg title|id=1:361875|title=The Perfect Holiday
*imdb title|id=0841032|title=The Perfect Holiday
*metacritic film|id=perfectholiday|title=The Perfect Holiday
*mojo title|id=perfectholiday|title=The Perfect Holiday
*rotten-tomatoes|id=10009063-perfect_holiday|title=The Perfect Holiday
* [http://www.mosaec.com/mosaec/film/film_perfectholidayinterview.htm A Father and Son’s Perfect Holiday - Dad and 7 year old son discuss performing stunts in Queen Latifah's film] at Mosaec.com