Writer-director Ron Shelton's 1992 follow-up to the baseball comedy-drama Bull Durham involves a different sport: basketball, as played on the neighborhood hustler circuit. Woody Harrelson is Billy Hoyle, a good shooter using his white complexion to fool black players into thinking he can be stomped in easy bets. Billy's banter-filled matchup against Sidney Deane (Wesley Snipes) on a public court leads to a partnership in which Sidney becomes Billy's manager, taking the white outsider on a tour of the tougher sections of Los Angeles, where he plays homeboys for a few bucks. Inevitably, the two come apart over their innate competitiveness, a situation that has to be reevaluated after Billy gets into trouble with some underworld creditors. Meanwhile, Billy's girlfriend (Rosie Perez) sits at home preparing herself for a maybe-someday date appearance on Jeopardy. As with all of Shelton's sports-related movies (Tin Cup, his script for The Best of Times), White Men Can't Jump is less about the fine points of the game than it is the rules by which players survive it. The script is literate and crackling with wit and satire (a scene in which a politician sponsors a black-white "solidarity" game is hilarious). The actors are entirely in sync, and the scenes under and around the hoops are a thrill to watch. --Tom Keogh
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: white man can't jump Comment: The movie was excellant. This is the type of movie to have in your collection. Customer Rating: Summary: A very funny movie Comment: Woody Harrelson of "Cheers" fame teams up with funnyman Wesley Snipes in a basketball themed movie where the two con their way around LA's basketball courts to earn a living.
My favorite part of the movie is when Billy Hoyle's (Harrelson) girlfriend Gloria Clemente (Rosie Perez) appears as a contestant on the hit quiz show "Jeopardy!" and wins $14,000 thanks to categories she had been studying during the first couple scenes of the movie.
This movie will surely get you laughing when you watch it. I highly recommend it. Customer Rating: Summary: White Man CAN Jump Comment: I've always enjoyed Ron Shelton's films - well written and directed, and this film features Woody and Wesley in full flow. They make such an ideal couple they did Money Train right after this. But give the script and directing credit. This is a simple but well acted and crafted film. The chemistry is great. I enjoyed watching it again. Feels as fresh as it did the first time... Customer Rating: Summary: Now that's how you make a film Comment: This film has got to be one of the best I've ever seen. Right from the beginning when Billy and Sydney are first introduced to each other it is undeniably pure genius. It has many different elements to it all brilliantly done comedy, drama, romance and of course the best of them all - basketball. I love hearing the trash talking out on the courts. Customer Rating: Summary: if goria didn't want da $$$$ y did she leave billy in da 1st place Comment: this was a good movie goria was very spoiled and took advantage of billy "woody harrison" he was hustling all day 2 put food on da table and when he comes home his girlfriend says how much $ did u make instead of i miss u she left him at least 3 times n da movie and when she comes back it is for money after billy and snidy win some $ from da basketball contests i would have given this money a higher score if goria would have understand goria because she took things 2 far i no she was kind of smart of winning da game show on jeopardy but she still of have there until the end of da movie Joe Brown
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