White Men Can't Jump

It ain't easy being this good
It ain't easy being this good
WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP (12)
D: Ron Shelton
20th Century Fox (Don Miller & David Lester)
US 1992
112 mins

Sports/Comedy

W: Ron Shelton
DP: Russell Boyd
Ed: Paul Seydor
Mus: Bennie Wallace

Wesley Snipes (Sidney Deane), Woody Harrelson (Billy Hoyle), Rosie Perez (Gloria Clemente), Tyra Ferrell (Rhonda Deane), Cylk Cozart (Robert), Kadeem Hardison (Junior)

Paying no mind to the slightly racist title, Ron Shelton's follow-up to Bull Durham is a multicultural sports comedy which sees Woody Harrelson's street hustler embarrass Wesley Snipes in a one-on-one game on the Venice Beach courts. The two later pool their talents to win a tournament, but Harrelson loses his share of the winnings in an all-or-nothing challenge which also sees his Puerto Rican girlfriend (Rosie Perez) walk out on him, meaning the two men unite again so Woody can win her back.
As good as the partnership is for the two leading men, it's the sassy performance of Perez which earns the plaudits here. As for the film itself, it's entertaining enough, and received decent success simply for coming out at the right time, when the appeal of basketball was at its peak on both sides of the Atlantic, due to the popularity of players like Shaquille O'Neal and Michael Jordan.
6/10

White Men Can't Jump
White Men Can't Jump