--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had a strong vision for 'The Best Man…" description: "\"I had a strong vision for 'The Best Man Holiday,' so I was able to translate that to the actors and ultimately to the screen. Things can't get too heav..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/297/malcolm-d-lee-33479_able_i-had-a-strong-vision-for-the-best-man-h_564690.jpg" --- # I had a strong vision for 'The Best Man Holiday,' so I was… ![“I had a strong vision for 'The Best Man Holiday,' so I was able to translate that to the actors and ultimately to the screen. Things can't get too heavy or too outrageously funny; it has to strike a balance. Tone is everything. If you've set the right tone, you can get away with a lot of stuff…” quote by Malcolm D. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/297/malcolm-d-lee-33479_able_i-had-a-strong-vision-for-the-best-man-h_564690.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/297/malcolm-d-lee-33479_able_i-had-a-strong-vision-for-the-best-man-h_564690.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/297/malcolm-d-lee-33479_able_i-had-a-strong-vision-for-the-best-man-h_564690.jpg) > “I had a strong vision for 'The Best Man Holiday,' so I was able to translate that to the actors and ultimately to the screen. Things can't get too heavy or too outrageously funny; it has to strike a balance. Tone is everything. If you've set the right tone, you can get away with a lot of stuff. You can get away with making people cry.” [Malcolm D. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-d-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective storytelling requires balancing tone, blending humor and seriousness to engage audiences. **In simple terms:** Balancing tone makes a film work. Key Takeaway Maintain tonal consistency for impact. Themes filmmaking tone balance Mood thoughtful professional analytical Type instructional reflective When to use this quote - directing - screenwriting - production meetings Key Concepts narrative structure audience engagement Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide the right tonal mix? - What risks arise from tonal imbalance? A Different Perspective Tone can be misread, causing mixed reactions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Best man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-man/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holiday/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Tone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tone/) [Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision/) ## Related quotes > ['Best Man Holiday' was a very successful film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/best-man-holiday-was-a-very-successful-film/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) > [I think it's a room full of insecure actors, which is ultimately very comforting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/i-think-it-s-a-room-full-of-insecure-actors-which-is-ultimately-very/) [Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/) > [The endless teen franchises that come out of Hollywood... more often than not, the central character doesn't have any discernible character traits. They're just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taron-egerton/the-endless-teen-franchises-that-come-out-of-hollywood-more-often/) [Taron Egerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taron-egerton/) > [In the end, when you're writing a really good song, it strikes the right tone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-finn/in-the-end-when-you-re-writing-a-really-good-song-it-strikes-the/) [Craig Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-finn/) > [Audiences trust Westerns when you hit the right tone. I think they're not in vogue, but they will always be in vogue when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/audiences-trust-westerns-when-you-hit-the-right-tone-i-think-they-re/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [I think striking the right tone for your story is, if you like, the alchemical work of writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-leigh/i-think-striking-the-right-tone-for-your-story-is-if-you-like-the/) [Julia Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-leigh/) > [“Are ye all right, man?" Ian asked, in the same tone of mild concern he'd heard his da use now and then on his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/are-ye-all-right-man-ian-asked-in-the-same-tone-of-mild-concern-he-d/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [Much of a leader's responsibility in creating a positive, high-performance culture is setting the right tone and acting on it consistently. That day-to-day execution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-williams/much-of-a-leader-s-responsibility-in-creating-a-positive-high/) [Ron Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-williams/) > [Character is key. Once you've got that voice going, everything else can follow. If you've also got the right tone, you're in the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/character-is-key-once-you-ve-got-that-voice-going-everything-else-can/) [Jesse Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-armstrong/) > [You can be Mitt Romney with three marriages and a disastrous speakership, kicked out of the speakership, being reprimanded by the House of Representatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-matthews/you-can-be-mitt-romney-with-three-marriages-and-a-disastrous/) [Chris Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-matthews/) > [God please teach me to speak right words at the right time with right tone, so I can live in peace and happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/god-please-teach-me-to-speak-right-words-at-the-right-time-with-right/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [You know, people really know me from 'The Best Man.' I've done five other movies since then, but it always comes back to 'The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-d-lee/you-know-people-really-know-me-from-the-best-man-i-ve-done-five-other/) [Malcolm D. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-d-lee/) > [I did no research on 'The Best Man.' That was something that came out from my own head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-d-lee/i-did-no-research-on-the-best-man-that-was-something-that-came-out/) [Malcolm D. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-d-lee/) > [If you look at 'The Best Man,' there's a lot of humor in that, but I never consider that movie a comedy. I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-d-lee/if-you-look-at-the-best-man-there-s-a-lot-of-humor-in-that-but-i/) [Malcolm D. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-d-lee/) > [“Instantly, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. I didn't know exactly what I was feeling, but my buddy JD - my best man, whom I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-bishop/instantly-i-was-overwhelmed-with-gratitude-i-didn-t-know-exactly-what/) [Bryan Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-bishop/) ## More by Malcolm D. Lee > [I did no research on 'The Best Man.' That was something that came out from my own head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-d-lee/i-did-no-research-on-the-best-man-that-was-something-that-came-out/) [Malcolm D. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-d-lee/) > [Holidays have been commercialized. It has become about material things. But the holidays are about sharing stories and being in each others presence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-d-lee/holidays-have-been-commercialized-it-has-become-about-material-things/) [Malcolm D. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-d-lee/) > [Holidays have been commercialized. It has become about material things. But the holidays are about sharing stories and being in each other's presence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-d-lee/holidays-have-been-commercialized-it-has-become-about-material-things-2/) [Malcolm D. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-d-lee/) > [I've made it my mission to make movies starring African American actors and about the African American experience and put them in the mainstream.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-d-lee/i-ve-made-it-my-mission-to-make-movies-starring-african-american/) [Malcolm D. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-d-lee/) > [I did not grow up in the church. I'm not a church-goer now. I'm a very spiritual person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-d-lee/i-did-not-grow-up-in-the-church-i-m-not-a-church-goer-now-i-m-a-very/) [Malcolm D. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-d-lee/) > [Kids are taking music for free all the time. They have Spotify, Pandora... The record companies aren't making the kind of music that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-d-lee/kids-are-taking-music-for-free-all-the-time-they-have-spotify-pandora/) [Malcolm D. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-d-lee/) > [I'm driven more by my heart more than anything else, and my head, and sometimes those things are counterintuitive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-d-lee/i-m-driven-more-by-my-heart-more-than-anything-else-and-my-head-and/) [Malcolm D. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-d-lee/) > [You know, people really know me from 'The Best Man.' I've done five other movies since then, but it always comes back to 'The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-d-lee/you-know-people-really-know-me-from-the-best-man-i-ve-done-five-other/) [Malcolm D. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-d-lee/) > [I didn't want to be pigeonholed as an artist. I wanted to be able to have other stories to tell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-d-lee/i-didn-t-want-to-be-pigeonholed-as-an-artist-i-wanted-to-be-able-to/) [Malcolm D. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-d-lee/) > [I believe in a higher power. I've seen and been around people who are very extreme with their faith and pointing fingers and going,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-d-lee/i-believe-in-a-higher-power-i-ve-seen-and-been-around-people-who-are/) [Malcolm D. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-d-lee/) > [Nothing works until it does. Nobody knows anything. You don't know what people are going to respond to. People are always surprised by stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-d-lee/nothing-works-until-it-does-nobody-knows-anything-you-don-t-know-what/) [Malcolm D. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-d-lee/) > [Half the audience gets where I'm coming from and half the audience is like, "Wait a minute. What does that mean?"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-d-lee/half-the-audience-gets-where-i-m-coming-from-and-half-the-audience-is/) [Malcolm D. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-d-lee/) > ['The Big Chill' had a bunch of really talented actors, a great soundtrack, and the college connections that the characters shared. It's one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-d-lee/the-big-chill-had-a-bunch-of-really-talented-actors-a-great/) [Malcolm D. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-d-lee/) > [If you look at 'The Best Man,' there's a lot of humor in that, but I never consider that movie a comedy. I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-d-lee/if-you-look-at-the-best-man-there-s-a-lot-of-humor-in-that-but-i/) [Malcolm D. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-d-lee/) [Explore all 15 Malcolm D. Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-d-lee/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had a strong vision for 'The Best Man Holiday,' so I was able to translate that to the actors and ultimately to the screen. Things can't get too heavy or too outrageously funny; it has to strike a balance. Tone is everything. If you've set the right tone, you can get away with a lot of stuff. You can get away with making people cry.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Malcolm D. 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