Holiday Heart
Encyclopedia
cast
Holiday Heart is a 2000
TV movie starring Ving Rhames
, Alfre Woodard
, and Mykelti Williamson
. It was directed by Robert Townsend, aired on the cable TV channel Showtime, and was distributed on DVD by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
. It was based on a play by Cheryl L. West
, and involves a gay
drag queen
befriending a single mother and her daughter and trying to protect them from the criminal environment around them. It was nominated for a Golden Globe award, for Woodards performance, among other award nominations.
) 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 Quynn 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 move to 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.
Holiday Heart is a 2000
2000 in film
The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
TV movie starring Ving Rhames
Ving Rhames
Irving Rameses "Ving" Rhames is an American actor best known for his work in Bringing Out the Dead, Pulp Fiction, Baby Boy, Don King: Only in America, and the Mission: Impossible film series.-Early life and education:...
, Alfre Woodard
Alfre Woodard
Alfre Ette Woodard is an American film, stage, and television actress. She has been nominated once for an Academy Award and Grammy Awards, 17 times for Emmy Awards , and has also won a Golden Globe and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.She is known for her role in films such as Cross Creek, Miss...
, and Mykelti Williamson
Mykelti Williamson
Michael T. "Mykelti" Williamson is an American actor best known for his role as Benjamin Buford Blue in the 1994 film Forrest Gump, as Detective Bobby "Fearless" Smith in the critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful crime drama Boomtown, and recently for appearing as the head of CTU for...
. It was directed by Robert Townsend, aired on the cable TV channel Showtime, and was distributed on DVD by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
. It was based on a play by Cheryl L. West
Cheryl West
Cheryl L. West is an American playwright.-Life:West holds a degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She worked as a social worker and taught before turning to playwriting. In 1990 she moved to Seattle....
, and involves a gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
drag queen
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
befriending a single mother and her daughter and trying to protect them from the criminal environment around them. It was nominated for a Golden Globe award, for Woodards performance, among other award nominations.
Storyline
Holiday Heart (Ving RhamesVing Rhames
Irving Rameses "Ving" Rhames is an American actor best known for his work in Bringing Out the Dead, Pulp Fiction, Baby Boy, Don King: Only in America, and the Mission: Impossible film series.-Early life and education:...
) is gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
drag queen
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
who performs at a night club. He is talented, tough, compassionate and a dedicated Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
. After his boyfriend
Boyfriend
A boyfriend is a person's regular male companion in a romantic or sexual relationship, although normally not in long-term committed relationships, where other titles A boyfriend is a person's regular male companion in a romantic or sexual relationship, although normally not in long-term committed...
dies he befriends a down on her luck, drug addicted, single woman, Wanda (Alfre Woodard
Alfre Woodard
Alfre Ette Woodard is an American film, stage, and television actress. She has been nominated once for an Academy Award and Grammy Awards, 17 times for Emmy Awards , and has also won a Golden Globe and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.She is known for her role in films such as Cross Creek, Miss...
) and her young daughter Niki
(Jessika Quynn 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
Mykelti Williamson
Michael T. "Mykelti" Williamson is an American actor best known for his role as Benjamin Buford Blue in the 1994 film Forrest Gump, as Detective Bobby "Fearless" Smith in the critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful crime drama Boomtown, and recently for appearing as the head of CTU for...
) 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 move to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, 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
DRUGS
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
. 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
Illicit
Illicit may refer to:* illicit antiquities* illicit drug trade** illicit drug use** Illicit Drug Anti-Proliferation Act* illicit major* illicit minor* illicit work* Illicit Streetwear clothing company* 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
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
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.