The Great White Hype

views updated

The Great White Hype ★★½ 1996 (R)

Screenwriter Shelton, who penned “Bull Durham” and “White Men Can't Jump,” returns to the sports arena with this satire of the sleazy world of boxing. Jackson's the Don King-esque promoter and manager of heavyweight champ Wayans. Noticing that pay-per-view revenues are slipping, he searches for a white boxer to generate interest and dollars and finds boxer-turned-musician Berg, who beat the champ in their Golden Glove days, and the publicity machine is cranked up for a veritable Lollapalooka. Jackson's performance as the flamboyant Rev. Fred Sultan fuels the entire movie. Concentrating on the shady wheeling and dealing, the boxing action is kept to a minimum. 95m/C VHS, DVD . Samuel L. Jackson, Damon Wayans, Peter Berg, Jeff Goldblum, Jon Lovitz, Corbin Bernsen, Richard “Cheech” Marin, John Rhys-Davies, Salli Richardson, Rocky Carroll, Jamie Foxx, Michael Jace; D: Reginald (Reggie) Hudlin; W: Ron Shelton, Tony Hendra; C: Ron Garcia; M: Marcus Miller.

More From encyclopedia.com