Product Details

• Actors: Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson, Rosie Perez, Tyra Ferrell, Cylk Cozart
• Directors: Ron Shelton
• Writers: Ron Shelton
• Producers: David V. Lester, Don Miller, Michele Rappaport
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Unknown)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• DVD Release Date: May 21, 2002
• Run Time: 115 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305929718
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #72,298 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "White Men Can't Jump" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

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

Product Description

Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson) and Sidney Deane (Wesley Snipes) are an unlikely pair of basketball hustlers. They team up to con their way across the courts of Los Angeles, playing a game that's fast dangerous - and funny. Directed and written by Ron Shelton ("Bull Durham"), and co-starring the sizzling Rosie Perez, "White Men Can't Jump" is a slam dunk, high-flying comedy hit!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great sports movie and much more. June 11, 2000

By Mark Hudson

Format:DVD

White Men Can't Jump is a movie about basketball hustlers but the characters are multifaceted and this movie focuses on their reasons for hustling rather than the hustle itself. Sidney(Snipes) hustles as a means to get his family out of the ghetto. He is driven by an undying sense of family and a desire to be the provider that his family is looking for. Billy(Harrelson) hustles out of an addiction to gambling and also a desire to show his girlfriend(Rosie Perez) that he is becoming more responsible with money. The basketball in this movie is realistic as is the language and behaviors of the players. The real story; however, is one of loyalty, betrayal and eventually friendship. This is a smart and funny movie that transcends the "sports movie" genre.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Movie May 28, 2002

By K. Kainula

Format:DVD

This movie portrays loyalty, betrayal and friendship between two white and black men basketball hustlers. This movie has a lot of swearing and sex. I wouldn't recomend this to anyone under 15 unless you feel comfortable with your children watching this movie. Watch this movie because it is really awesome and I loved it so much.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Classic comedy that rocketed 2 stars to fame June 13, 2000

By David P. Chesher

Format:DVD

If you like basketball at all, you're going to love this movie. If you like to make fun of your friends, you're going to love this movie. Witty comedy that doesn't offend (that's hard to come by these days).

Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson) is a street-wise basketball player with something to prove. He heads to Venice Beach to hustle big-time players for money. Hoyle bites off more than he can chew when he meets up with Sydney Dean (Wesley Snipes) and becomes the victim of a hustle himself. However, Dean and Hoyle can't deny the bond of friendship between them, no matter how hard they try. When Billy loses his girlfriend because he loses all of their money and Dean's home is robbed they turn to each other for the solution...the ultimate pick-up game vs the legends: Eddie "The King" Farooq and "Duck" Johnson. $2500 to play, winner take all. Do they win? Well, as Gloria would tell you, "Sometimes when you win, you really lose. Sometimes when you lose, you really win. And sometimes when you win or lose you actually tie. And sometimes when you tie, you actually win or lose." Yeah, it's confusing. But that's the way it ends.

Classic comedy.