December 22, 2016
'White Men Can't Jump'
HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Chris Ryan and Rembert Browne to induct 'White Men Can't Jump' into the Sports Movie Hall of Fame. They cover Woody Harrelson's hustling tactics, Wesley Snipes's height, Rosie Perez's polarizing character, the essence of pickup basketball, Woody's fashion, Wesley Snipes's career trajectory, the black-actor championship belt, 'New Jack City' power rankings, and the premise of the planned remake.
Cast
Woody Harrelson as Billy Hoyle
Wesley Snipes as Sidney Deane
Rosie Perez as Gloria Clemente
Kadeem Hardison as Junior
Marques Johnson as Raymond
Directed by: Ron Shelton
Written by: Ron Shelton
Notes
- This was originally a Sports Movie Hall of Fame episode, later folded into The Rewatchables.
- Bill: 'Borderline rewatchable Hall of Famer. Honorable mention for rewatchable, unquestionable sports movie Hall of Famer.'
- The first 19-35 minutes are universally praised as incredible – the opening basketball scene, yo mama jokes, and the double-cross. After that, the movie becomes polarizing due to the Rosie Perez/Jeopardy subplot and the dark gambling storyline.
- Bill describes the movie as 'The Sting meets Bull Durham.'
- Woody Harrelson was a legitimately good basketball player. Bill compares his game to 'a little Zach LaVine, Chase Budinger – a gunner with a nice handle.' There were large-scale side bets and prop bets on set during filming.
- Wesley Snipes was a very good athlete who had no idea how to play basketball – they taught him. The slow-motion camera work hides his lack of real basketball skill beautifully.
- Kadeem Hardison takes credit for the explosion of yo mama jokes after this movie. Bill calls this 'Peak Kadeem Hardison.'
- The soundtrack is a major weakness – not enough hip-hop for a 1992 basketball movie set in Venice Beach and Inglewood.
- Wesley Snipes held the 'black actor championship belt' from roughly 1989 to 1992, before Denzel took it with Malcolm X and 'Philadelphia'.
- Rembert: The movie handles race 'without being heavy-handed about it – it's better than every movie that is trying to be about race in the past 20 years.'
- Ron Shelton's three perfect movies: Bull Durham, 'White Men Can't Jump', and 'Tin Cup'.
- Bill saw it in Worcester, Massachusetts with friends. CR says the movie was formative for understanding relationships and race during the early 90s hip-hop era.
- Best sports movie title ever, unanimously agreed upon.
- Bill on Rosie Perez: her 'usage rate' was too high – she should come off the bench for a few scenes. CR and Rembert strongly disagree.
Categories
Casting what-ifs
- Keanu Reeves was close to getting the Billy Hoyle role, but he couldn't play basketball and 'there's nothing we can do about this.'
- Denzel Washington was in the mix for Sidney Deane but chose Malcolm X instead.
- Holly Hunter was considered for the Rosie Perez part.
Sequel, prequel, prestige TV or untouchable?
- They discuss the announced remake with Blake Griffin producing, Kenya Barris writing, and Michael B. Jordan as the Wesley Snipes role.
- Bill: the movie feels very 90s – pop culture references are Brady Bunch, Opie, Gomer Pyle, Godfather, Jeopardy – 'all stuff that belongs to another era.'
- CR argues the remake needs to find a modern equivalent of the racial dynamics – 'the Woody going into Inglewood version of this movie.'
- Bill suggests having Wesley and Woody cameo, maybe 'playing in a senior's tournament.'