Holiday feasts, ah. The moment when, let’s face it, drama, food, and family all come together harmoniously. Holiday dinners have a tendency of keeping things hot, whether it’s that one aunt who never fails to say something improper or that cousin who arrives with a dubious date.Here are the greatest Christmas dinner sequences from Black films, when more than just the turkey is roasted, in keeping with the spirit of festive pandemonium.
1. Why Did I Get Married? (2007)
Who can forget the scenario at the dinner table where chaos breaks out? Before the truth is revealed, the holiday dinner at the cabin begins like any other family get-together. The dinner table swiftly turns into a battlefield for secrets, betrayals, and marital strife. When Marcus (played by Michael Jai White), Tasha’s husband, confesses to adultery, she lays down the gauntlet. As the pals attempt to maintain harmony, the strain is evident, but let’s face it: things move from zero to sixty more quickly than you can say “pass the rolls.”
2. Almost Christmas (2016)
Perhaps one of the funniest Christmas dinner scenes ever is in
Almost Christmas
. The story centers around the Meyers family, who come together to celebrate Christmas for the first time since the death of their matriarch. At the heart of the celebration is a family dinner where
all
the dysfunction unfolds. The turkey might be golden, but the conversation? Not so much. From the baby son being upset about the house being sold to Lonnie (JB Smoove) having his unwitting mistress (LaLa Anthony) show up, every actor in this scene delivered. Cheryl (Kimberly Elise) was on-point and (Aunt May) MoNique stole the show. The dinner and a surprise appearance by Grandma Cheryl makes us burst into laughter EVERY time we see it.
3. The Color Purple (1985)
One of the most intensely emotional scenes in The Color Purple is the dinner scene, which highlights the intricate relationships between family and power. This Thanksgiving meal scene, which is set in the early 20th century, is served at the table of Mister (Danny Glover) and Celie (Whoopi Goldberg). Serving her husband and his guests in silence, Celie is viewed as less than a human being at the beginning of the scenario. Despite being rather straightforward in terms of the cuisine, the dinner serves as a battlefield for power, affection, and Celie’s tragic subservience. The brutality of Celie’s marriage and her fight for independence are highlighted in this potent moment. In addition to causing Celie grief, the meal lays the groundwork for her future empowerment and rebellion of her terrible situation. This powerful, moving, and evocative scenario serves as a reminder that dinner tables may be both real and symbolic sites of emotional turmoil.
4. The Best Man Holiday (2013)
A Christmas meal that offers both touching and uncomfortable experiences? In The Best Man Holiday, alone. Old pals rejoin at the holiday get-together, carrying with them years of unresolved problems, unsaid words, and of course, amorous tension. When Mia (Monica Calhoun) gives a moving speech about her fight with illness and warns everyone that this might be their final Christmas together, the drama reaches its climax. It’s poignant, strong, and teaches you that sometimes the truth is eventually revealed at the Christmas table.
5. This Christmas (2007)
This dinner scene is just another example of how much this family can handle. After years apart, the Whitfield family reunites over the Christmas holiday, only to discover how much baggage they have been carrying. As rivalries are rekindled, family secrets begin to surface, and nobody is immune to the drama, the scene is a funny, high-energy emotional explosion. We were moved by the scene’s positive portrayal of Morehouse, but it had little to do with the baby oil thrashing Regina inflicted on her unfaithful husband later on in the film.
Honorable Mention: Soul Food (1997)
Even though it’s not a Christmas scene, Soul Food deserves special recognition. One of the most famous dinner sequences in family drama is served up by Soul Food. The film is around a family that gets together for a large lunch at Mama Joe’s (Irma P. Hall) house every Sunday, but everything goes wrong during a fatal Thanksgiving feast. When the grandmother passes away, the siblings Terry (Vanessa Williams), Bird (Nia Long), and Vivica A. Fox strive to continue the yearly soul food custom. In the end, family love is what heals them all, even when the dinner table turns into a battleground of emotions. Please pass the cornbread!
Here are the top holiday dinner sequences from Black movies, where humor, drama, and family combine to create a memorable feast. These movies serve as a reminder that Christmas dinners are never dull, so gather your family, grab your plate, and enjoy a glass of wine.
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