White Men Can’t Jump * (1992, Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson, Rosie Perez) – Classic Movie Review 10,754

Woody Harrelson played the popular Woody Boyd in 200 episodes of the classic TV series Cheers (1985-1993). But beware the perils of trying to move from a hit TV show to the big screen.

The 1992 sports comedy drama film White Men Can’t Jump stars Woody Harrelson, who misses the net as a goofy white basketball shooter called Billy Hoyle, who gambles on the game and gets into trouble with the mob and his girl, Gloria Clemente (Rosie Perez). Wesley Snipes also stars as his hustler buddy Sidney Deane on the tough basketball courts of LA.

Writer-director Ron Shelton has a problem making the rugged buddy-buddy material funny, exciting or touching – all three of which he goes for in turn. Where is the charm, the complexity, the good story? The oft repeated ‘shut the fuck up, man’ has to substitute for a witty line. There is no big finish either, not even a pleasant resolution.

But Woody Harrelson made it big time on the big screen, and stayed there, a long-time popular star, and he is a three-time Oscar nominee for The People vs Larry Flynt (1996), The Messenger (2009) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).

Wesley Snipes had less good fortune, ending up in prison. On April 24, 2008, Snipes was sentenced to three years in prison for willful failure to file federal income tax returns. Snipes reported to federal prison on December 9, 2010 and was released on April 2, 2013. He said: ‘I hope I came out a better person’. Sylvester Stallone wanted him for The Expendables 3 (2014) and Eddie Murphy wanted him for Dolemite Is My Name (2019) and Coming 2 America (2021).

Harrelson reunites with Shelton for Play It to the Bone (1999), in which Snipes appears as himself.

Also in the cast are Tyra Ferrell, Cylk Cozart, Kadeem Hardison, Ernest Harden Jr and John Marshall Jones.

White Men Can’t Jump is directed by Ron Shelton, runs 115 minutes, is made by 20th Century Fox, is released by Twentieth Century Fox (1992) (US), is written by Ron Shelton, is shot by Russell Boyd, is produced by Don Miller and David Lester, is scored by Bennie Wallace and is designed by Dennis Washington.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 10,754

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