Holiday Heart

Holiday Heart
Directed by	Robert Townsend
Produced by	Robert De Niro Brad Epstein Steven Felder Jane Rosenthal Cheryl L. West
Written by	Cheryl L. West
Starring	Ving Rhames Alfre Woodard Jesika Reynolds Mykelti Williamson
Music by	Stephen James Taylor
Cinematography	Jan Kiesser
Editing by	Sabrina Plisco
Studio	MGM Television Tribeca Productions
Distributed by	MGM Home Entertainment Showtime Networks
Release date(s)	2000
Running time	100 min.
Country	United States
Language	English

Holiday Heart is a 2000 TV movie starring Ving Rhames, Alfre Woodard, and Mykelti Williamson. It was directed by Robert Townsend and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Based on a play by Cheryl L. West. It involves a gay drag queen befriending a single mother and her daughter and trying to protect them from the criminal environment around them.

Storyline

Holiday Heart (Ving Rhames) is gay drag queen who performs at a night club. He is talented, tough, compassionate and a dedicated Christian. After his boyfriend dies he befriends a down on her luck, drug addicted, single woman, Wanda (Alfre Woodard) and her young daughter Niki (Jessika Reynolds). Heart offers them a stable home and becomes a much needed father figure for Niki.

However, things go astray when the mother becomes addicted to drugs again and after a series of bad relationships, starts one up with a successful drug dealer Silas (Mykelti Williamson) who is as homophobic as he is chauvinist. Silas gives Holiday money and insists, with some threats,that he stay out of their life, which Holiday agrees to do, even preparing to visit Paris, France.

Yet, both Silas and Wanda leave Niki alone. Silas has to go away on a "business" trip, while Wanda becomes a prostitute to feed her drug addiction. Holiday steps in to take care of Niki and raises her as his own daughter. Under Holiday's guidance, Niki is baptized at the local Church, and graduates from elementary school with honors.

Soon after, a more friendly Silas reenters their lives, and is thankful for what Holiday has done. He has been getting a house in Florida ready for Wanda and Niki, but is still earning a living by selling drugs. Holiday and Silas become a sort of "odd couple" as Niki begins junior high school, with Silas more willing to respect and tolerate Holiday.

After bringing Niki along on one of his illicit sales, she runs away and bumps into her mother, who tries to prostitute her in order to get more drugs. As a result of the incident, Silas leaves Niki in the care of Holiday. As an angry teenager, Niki begins to rebel, but Holiday lays down the law with some tough love.

Right before Christmas, Wanda appears at the gay nightclub where Holiday works and wants his help in getting clean and sober. The two walk to Holiday's car, with a bike for Niki, only to be attacked by some of Wanda's former drug associates. As a former boxer, Holiday manages to beat them up, but not before one of them runs over Wanda with their car.

The film then shifts to a few months later, where Niki is home from "spring break" and visiting her mother's grave with Holiday. Silas has returned and informs Niki and Holiday that when they get back from a trip to Paris, he has a surprise waiting for them.

Quotes

• Holiday Heart: I myself believe that when it comes to matters of the heart, the only sin is turning your back on love because of what other people think.

• Niki: So, are you and me gonna march in the gay parade?
• Holiday Heart: Oh, no, baby. I'm from the old school. I marched with King - I ain't about to start marching with the queens.

• Niki: We're not going back, are we?
• Wanda: No. No, Niki. I made you a promise. I'm not going to be around drugs anymore. No, ma'am. Unh-Unh. Not in this life. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to start my writing again. That's what I'm going to do. I can get some of my poetry together... You know how in the back of Essence they have the poetry, and sisters sending in their stuff from all over the country? I could get my stuff in the back of Essence. Hey, but I will not stop working on my life story, cause that's the bestseller. Writers, you know, good writers have to go through a whole lot of stuff. I've been through it. I just have to write it down...

• Niki: See, Mama. Look, it ain't portable.
• Wanda: Isn't portable. I'm trying to get her to use correct grammar.
• Holiday Heart: Oh, that's very nice. Well, I hope I say this with correct grammar, but Sister Girl, this food sure don't look appetizing.
• Wanda: It's all beige, isn't it?
• Holiday Heart: Well, let's just put it this way. Holiday can burn, so let's say from here on out I do all the cooking, okay?
• Holiday Heart: What is it anyway?
• Wanda: I don't know.

• Mrs. Owens: Not a lot of work history. I told Brother Holiday we were really looking for someone with some experience.
• Wanda: Cool. Thank you very much.
• Mrs. Owens: Hey, now just hold on a minute.
• Wanda: Lady, I do not have a minute. I just gave you 20. I have a 12-year-old daughter is starting not to believe in me again. And I need a job. But I am not about to beg you or anyone else to work in here!

• Wanda: They were young and firm, quick to part but slow to learn. But my thighs are mine to keep...
• Holiday Heart: When are you going to write about something that doesn't involve your body parts?
• Wanda: You know what? Remind me to never show you anything again. And you're lucky I don't show you my Sally right now.

• Holiday Heart: Oh, I thought I heard somebody. I just wanted to know how the talent contest went.
• Wanda: Hi, Holiday.
• Holiday Heart: Hey, Wanda. Oh, Niki, you have a friend.
• Niki: Yeah, this is my new cousin.
• Sarah: I'm Silas's niece. Are you wearing makeup? Are you the fag?

External links

• Holiday Heart at the Internet Movie Database