Touchstone and Beyond: "The 6th Man"
Feature Presentation: The 6th Man
Cast of Characters
- Marlon Wayans as Kenny Tyler
- Kadeem Hardison as Antoine Tyler
- David Paymer as Coach Pederson
- Michael Michele as R.C. St. John
Elevator Pitch
Antoine and Kenny Tyler are leading their college basketball team to glory with a dream chance at winning the NCAAA finals. When Antoine dies, so does the heart and soul of the team. Kenny is heartbroken, and the team starts a losing slide.
When Antoine returns in ghost form which only Kenny can see, the team is now playing with a 6th man on the court. The wins start piling up, Kenny and Antoine are back together, and with the team’s blessing, Antoine works to help the squad get to the finals.
The team starts to feel resentment towards Antoine, and when they tell him they don’t want his help anymore, Kenny is forced to choose between holding on to the only connection he has with his brother or leading his team to victory on their own terms.
Can the team win without Antoine’s ghostly help? Can Kenny learn to let go of the brother he lost? It will all be decided by the end of the NCAA finals.
The Orson Welles Award of Brilliance
Kadeem Hardison and Marlon Wayans are perfect as brothers. They have chemistry on multiple levels. Each scene sparkles with the mirth and stupidity that brothers who love each other will show. They’re funny and genuine, and that’s what makes this movie so enjoyable.
The scene in the locker room when the coach tells Kenny that Antoine has died is heartbreaking, and beautifully shot between David Paymer, Marlon Wayans, and the rest of the team.
There is a lot of basketball in the film and that’s what this movie needs. We need to see action on the court and The 6th Man delivers for the sports fan.
The Alan Smithee Award of Anonymity
Michael Michele is wasted in the film. Her character isn’t interesting, and Michele gets little to do in a film that is so focused on the two brothers.
Production Team
- Directed by Randall Miller
- Produced by Touchstone Pictures / Mandeville Films / All Net Productions
- Written by Christopher Reed / Cynthia Carle
- Release Date: March 28, 1997
- Budget: $11 million
- Domestic Box Office Gross: $14,772,788
I Know Their Name
No, you are not seeing things. That is Octavia Spencer playing the part of Nativity Watson.
Deep Dive Behind the Scenes
- The film’s opening weekend gross was just over $4 million.
- Shawn Wayans was considered for the part of Antoine.
- Harold Sylvester plays Kenny and Antoine’s father in the film. Sylvester also played Kadeem Hardison’s father on the tv show A Different World.
- The movie was dedicated to gaffer Duncan MacGregor. It was his last film.
- The film was savaged by film critic Roger Ebert. He called the film a paint-by-the-numbers sports movie. He also said that it was dumb.
- The soundtrack for the movie peaked at #33 spot.
Bill’s Spicy Take
Is Sinner’s the most recently released film by a major studio that featured a story focused on two black lead characters? If so, then Hollywood is far behind what they were accomplishing in the 1990’s.
Oscar Thoughts
(These rankings are awarded based on my love for Hitchcock films)
{Frenzy Award-Skip this Film, Torn Curtain Award-Desperate for Something to Watch, For the Birds-A Perfect Film for Any Device, Rear Window Award- You Must Watch This Film on a Big Screen because this film is cinema.}
The 6th Man is not a perfect film, but it is a fun movie that is perfect to watch and relax to. If you are a fan of basketball, you will love this movie. If you laugh at silly humor that is generated by two people who act as close to brothers as possible, then you will love this movie. If you enjoy a movie that is all about family, the power and faith one has in the eternal bonds of family, then The 6th Man is for you.
Or, if you simply like a movie that has a simple story with funny men doing their thing on the screen, then ignore Roger Ebert’s ridiculous critique of the film, and sit down and watch The 6th Man.
It’s not an Oscar winner, nor should it be, but The 6th Man gets my For the Birds Award. This is the perfect film for any device and would make any commute all the more enjoyable.
Coming Attractions
Next week, a look back at Halle Berry’s The Rich Man’s Wife.