Holiday Heart (2000)

Ving Rhames is the titular character, a Christian drag queen still mourning the death of his partner who finds himself drawn into the lives of single mom and drug addict Alfre Woodard and her daughter. Surprisingly to me, Rhames is incredible as Holiday, imbuing the character with much softness and emotion from his hesitation in letting someone(s) new into his life to the heartbreak of coming to terms with an imperfect situation. His relationship with the young daughter is sweet to watch. Woodard isn’t quite at her best playing a thoroughly unsympathetic character; she’s rather shrill and overwrought with no development beyond her ability to cause destruction in the lives of those who care for her. On the other hand, Mykelti Williamson has a surprising turn as Woodard’s drug-dealing boyfriend who steps in to help when she fails.