White Men Can't Jump
A pair of street basketball hustlers in Los Angeles turn their rivalry into a partnership, betting on their own stereotypes to hustle bigger scores.
Where to watch online
Official services. The link goes straight to this film.
Availability data by JustWatch
About the film
It ain't easy being this good
What it’s about
Billy Hoyle makes his living on the asphalt courts of Los Angeles by playing on a common assumption: white men can't jump. He wins bets against players who don't expect his skills, but his college debts are catching up. Sidney Deane, a black streetball star and con man, spots Billy's hustle and challenges him. Their initial clash becomes a wary alliance when they realize they can earn more together than apart.
What hooks you
Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson play the leads, and their on-screen chemistry earned an MTV Movie Award nomination for Best On-Screen Duo. Ron Shelton, known for sports dramas, directs. The film's basketball consultant was Bob Lanier, a Hall of Fame center, who praised Snipes and Harrelson's playing as comparable to U.S. college level.
Who it’s for
It is a good pick for those who like fast-talking con artists, streetball energy, and comedy built on racial assumptions being turned upside down. It is also for viewers who enjoy stories of unlikely partnerships where the competition is as much verbal as physical.
- Country
- United States
- Year
- 1992
- Running time
- 1h 58min
- Age rating
- 17+
- MPAA
- R
- World premiere
- Mar 27, 1992
Ratings
MOVIE․ONE · 614 votesCreative team
All 10
Trivia
All facts 8
- Bob Lanier, a legend of the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, was the basketball coach during the filming of the movie. He was impressed by the level of play of Snipes and Harrelson, which fully corresponds to the level of US college basketball.
- Freeman Williams, who played Duck Johnson in the film, had a successful NBA career. Over 8 years (1978-86) he played for the LA Clippers, Utah Jazz, and Washington Bullets.
- At the beginning of the film, a hip-hop version of the studio's musical intro plays over the 20th Century Fox logo.
- There is a computer game for the Atari Jaguar console based on the film.
- Future NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton appears in the film as an extra playing a basketball player.
- Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. appears in the film in the crowd of spectators at a game.
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White Men Can't Jump (1992)
White Men Can't Jump
1992
White Men Can't Jump
1992
White Men Can't Jump
1992