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In a break from his usual he-man roles, Ving Rhames takes on the persona of "Holiday Heart," a church choir-directing female impersonator who is openly gay, religious, and alone. His loneliness ebbs when he rescues Wanda (Alfre Woodard) and her daughter from her drug-abusing boyfriend. He invites the pair to live free of charge in the duplex across the hall from his own and they form a family of sorts. But Wanda hooks up with a well-heeled drug dealer (Mykelti Williamson) and soon falls back into drug addiction, leaving Holiday to give up his own dreams and take care of the girl. Robert Townsend (Hollywood Shuffle) directed this R-rated cable movie that earned Woodard a Golden Globe nomination for her stark performance as a woman whose intelligence and love for her daughter are no match for the demons of her addiction. Screenwriter Cheryl L. West, who adapted her stage play, gets credit for combining the sentiment of a family story with the harshness of street life. The film's noble desire not to pretty things up does make for some tough scenes and a less-than-happy ending--thus the restricted rating. But the film has its fun moments, too, many of them thanks to Holiday's mincing fellow impersonator Jambalaya Blue, played with relish by Jonathan Wallace. --Kimberly Heinrichs
Robert Townsend (Hollywood Shuffle) directs an all-star cast featuring Ving Rhames (Mission Impossible: 2), Mykelti Williamson (Three Kings) and Alfre Woodard ("Miss Ever's Boys") in a Golden GlobeÂ(r)-nominated* performance. Based on the wildly successful stageplay by writer Cheryl L. West, Holiday Heart is a "poignant" (The Hollywood Reporter), heartfelt drama about how love can overcome addiction and prejudice. Choirmaster by day and female impersonator by night, creatively talented Holiday (Rhames) is a lonely man living with a broken heart until he befriends a bright young girl and her drug-addicted mother (Woodard). Helping them offthe street and into an empty apartment across from his, Holiday quickly forms a special bond with them. But when the mom hooks up with a dangerous drug-dealing boyfriend (Williamson), their worlds are again turned upside-down, forcing Holiday to confront his own prejudices if it means saving the two people he so desperately loves. *2001: Actress in a Leading Role - Mini-Series or Television Movie
