White Men Can't Jump is a 1992 feature film starring Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes as basketball hustlers. Rosie Perez co-stars as Harrelson's girlfriend. The film was written and directed by Ron Shelton. It was released to theatres on March 27, 1992 by 20th Century Fox. Image File history File links White_men_can't_jump. ... Ron Shelton is a film director, most notable for making movies about sports. ... Ron Shelton is a film director, most notable for making movies about sports. ... Wesley Snipes as Blade Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962, in Orlando, Florida) is an American actor, martial artist and producer. ... Impromptu shot of Woody Harrelson in Eugene, Oregon, 2004 Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961), better known as Woody Harrelson, is an American actor. ... Ron Shelton is a film director, most notable for making movies about sports. ... Fox Plaza, the company headquarters. ... March 27 is the 86th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (87th in leap years). ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... A reel of film, which predates digital cinematography. ... Impromptu shot of Woody Harrelson in Eugene, Oregon, 2004 Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961), better known as Woody Harrelson, is an American actor. ... Wesley Snipes as Blade Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962, in Orlando, Florida) is an American actor, martial artist and producer. ... Sara Giauro shoots a three-point shot, FIBA Europe Cup for Women Finals 2005. ... Pool hustling is generally defined as the art of playing pool for money, often times using deception. ... Perez in Do the Right Thing Rosa Maria Perez (born September 6, 1964 in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York) is an Oscar-nominated American actress, dancer, and choreographer based in New York City. ... Ron Shelton is a film director, most notable for making movies about sports. ... March 27 is the 86th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (87th in leap years). ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Fox Plaza, the company headquarters. ...

Plot synopsis

Woody Harrelson plays Billy Hoyle, a talented basketball player whose only source of income is to play on people's prejudices that white people cannot play basketball very well. He uses his talent to earn money by hustling streetball players. The 'hustle' is even more provoking as Billy never plays badly to increase the money stakes, although he does act slightly more goofy than usual. Instead, the African-American basketball players in Venice Beach simply assume that as a 'white guy', Billy cannot play. The opening scene is set as Wesley Snipes' character, Sidney Deane loses a game to Billy in front of all of his friends on the playground in Venice Beach, California.
Impromptu shot of Woody Harrelson in Eugene, Oregon, 2004 Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961), better known as Woody Harrelson, is an American actor. ... Sara Giauro shoots a three-point shot, FIBA Europe Cup for Women Finals 2005. ... Caucasian is originally a geographical term, meaning relative or pertaining to the Caucasus region of eastern Europe. ... For general discussion of dark-skinned people, see Black people. ... ... Wesley Snipes as Blade Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962, in Orlando, Florida) is an American actor, martial artist and producer. ...

Billy is trying to pay off his girlfriend's debt as they are both on the run from mobsters and Sidney is attempting to buy a house for himself and family outside of the slums of LA.

Both players earn significant income through street basketball and begin a partnership to earn money by using Billy's skin colour as a hustle tactic. In one game however, Sidney sets Billy up by deliberately playing badly alongside him and against a group of his friends, who take his $1700 and split it among them. Gloria is incensed when she hears the story from Billy, and insists that they go to Sidney's place. On the way, she tell Billy, "Sometimes when you win, you really lose, and 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. Winning or losing is all one organic mechanism, from which one extracts what one needs."

Billy is totally confused by this statement. Once they arrive at Sidney's place, Gloria and Sidney's partner agree to split some of the money, and agree that Sidney and Billy will team up in a major 2 on 2 tournament.

Though initially disgareeing, Sidney and Billy play together, and with Billy's ability to trash out his opponents out of their mind set, are able to win the major prize of $10,000.

By this point Sidney has noticed Billy's tendency not to slam-dunk the ball. Billy says this is as he feels it is unnecessary showboating (also believing that African-Americans are more interested in looking good than winning), while Sidney holds the view expressed in the film's title. He also believes that white people only 'listen to' Jimi Hendrix but don't 'hear' him, also being surprised to learn that the other two members of the Jimi Hendrix Experience were white. Sidney challenges Billy to dunk the ball at a local court, playing for their slice of the $10,000. In three attempts, Billy is unsuccessful, and loses the $5,000 he just won. When Billy tells this to Gloria, she leaves him. For general discussion of dark-skinned people, see Black people. ... James Marshall Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, guitarist, innovator, and cultural icon. ... Jimi Hendrix James Marshall Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 - September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer who is widely considered to be the most important electric guitarist in the history of popular music. ...

Billy's girlfriend Gloria Clemente, played by Rosie Perez, has a dream of appearing on the quiz show Jeopardy!; she devotes nearly every waking moment to memorising obscure facts. Fortunately one of Sidney's friends works at the TV company which makes the show, and agreed to fix it that she gets on the show - as long as Billy can sink a half court hook shot, which he does. Gloria stumbles early with sports questions, notably naming Babe Ruth as the NBA's leading rebounder. However, she comes back with a pet topic, 'Foods beginning with the letter q' and easily wins $12000 on her first episode.
Perez in Do the Right Thing Rosa Maria Perez (born September 6, 1964 in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York) is an Oscar-nominated American actress, dancer, and choreographer based in New York City. ... Jeopardy! is a very popular international television game show, originally devised by Merv Griffin, who also created Wheel of Fortune. ...

Gloria and Billy get back together, however, it is Sidney's turn for misfortune as he is burgled and becomes more desperate for money. Billy was set to get a white collar job, and set up his life with Gloria. Despite Gloria warning Billy that if he gambles with her money, 'they are through', Billy sides with the debt he owes Sidney, and plays a final game against two hoops legends of the LA scene, The King and Duck Johnson. In a very tough game, Sidney and Billy prevail, with Sidney throwing an 'over his head' alley oop to Billy, who dunks, for the winning basket.

Upon returning home he discovers that Gloria has remained true to her word, and left him. Initially confused, in that he had won the game and the money, and Gloria had left, whereas previously she had stayed when he lost, he begins to understand the meaning of her earlier statement:

"Sometimes when you win, you really lose, and 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. Winning or losing is all one organic mechanism, from which one extracts what one needs."

He had stayed loyal to his friend, and won the game and respect of the LA pick up scene, but had lost the girl as a result. The mobsters which were after Billy finally track him down, and he pays his debts. In the end, Billy asks Sidney to set him up with a real job, and as the closing credit are about to roll, Billy starts arguing with Sidney over his dunk, and challenges him to a game of one of one.

Trivia

• Bob Lanier, the Pistons legend and Hall of Famer was hired as a basketball coach for the movie. He was impressed with Harrelson and Snipes, suggesting that both reached college basketball skill level.
  
• The musical R&B quintet Riff made a song and accompanying music video called "White Men Can't Jump" for the movie. The music video featured Woody Harrelson, Wesley Snipes and Rosie Perez. It can be seen on the DVD release with bonus features.
  
• Duane Martin, who played Willie Lewis, and Freeman Williams, who played "Duck" Johnson, both had undistinguished NBA careers. Martin played briefly for the Knicks. Williams had an 8 year career where he played for the Clippers, Jazz, and Bullets from 1978-86. Duane Martin however received more prominence as an actor. He had a leading role in the movie Above the Rim alongside Tupac Shakur and he is also noteworthy for marrying the actress Tisha Campbell.

This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Duane Martin (born on January 1, 1970 in Hollywood, California, USA) is an African-American film and television actor. ... Freeman Williams (b. ... Above the Rim is a 1994 basketball-drama film, written by Jeff Pollack and Benny Medina, and directed by Jeff Pollack. ... Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971–September 13, 1996), also known by his stage name 2Pac, was an American hip hop artist, poet and actor. ... Tisha Campbell-Martin (born October 13, 1968 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA) has starred in television shows such as Martin (as Gina Waters) and My Wife and Kids (as Janet Kyle). ...

External link

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

White Men Can't Jump

• White Men Can't Jump at the Internet Movie Database