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The Rewatchables ·

Boomerang

year 1992decade 90sdirector Reginald Hudlingenre Comedygenre Romance
host Bill Simmonshost Van Lathanhost Wesley Morris
All 21 categories

Most Rewatchable Scene · 45:55

Split: John Witherspoon’s dinner sequence

The opening lunch establishes the three friends through Marcus’s dating philosophy and Martin’s asparagus riff.

Bill Simmons: Marcus sleeping with Lady Eloise and then meeting Jacqueline at work is praised as a perfect six-minute comic sequence.

The film

Boomerang (1992)

Directed by Reginald Hudlin · Comedy

117 minutes

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Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Eddie Murphy Marcus Graham
Robin Givens Jacqueline Broyer
Halle Berry Angela Lewis
David Alan Grier Gerard Jackson
Martin Lawrence Tyler Hawkins
Grace Jones Helen Strangé
Eartha Kitt Lady Eloise
Chris Rock Bony T

Everything from the episode

In the order the hosts got to it. Open a row for the discussion.

36:52

Roger Ebert's review

3 stars (scale not stated)
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:36:52Read transcript
  • The episode states “Roger Ebert, our guy, three stars.” — Bill Simmons
  • The quoted review calls the film evidence that Eddie Murphy was back on track. — Bill Simmons
  • Ebert is quoted praising a kinder, gentler and funnier Murphy who can build a character while landing small and large laughs. — Bill Simmons
  • One participant agrees with the review and calls Murphy at the peak of his powers. — Wesley Morris
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45:55

Most Rewatchable Scene

Split: John Witherspoon’s dinner sequence; Grace Jones’s first perfume-boardroom scene

Split: John Witherspoon’s dinner sequence; Grace Jones’s first perfume-boardroom scene

In the discussion (13)
Approx. transcript time · 00:45:55Read transcript
  • The opening lunch establishes the three friends through Marcus’s dating philosophy and Martin’s asparagus riff.
  • Marcus sleeping with Lady Eloise and then meeting Jacqueline at work is praised as a perfect six-minute comic sequence. — Bill Simmons
  • Jacqueline’s party flirtation works because Robin Givens matches Eddie Murphy’s confidence and control.
  • The art-class scene is praised for Eddie Murphy imitating the little girl, recalling his earlier comic appeal. — Bill Simmons
  • The John Witherspoon dinner is praised for its mushroom outfit, sexual advice, bathroom reveal and improvised family chaos. — Bill Simmons
  • One host argues the dinner also explains Gerard’s vulnerability and why Marcus’s later betrayal hurts him. — Van Lathan
  • The pool game makes Marcus’s embarrassment over Angela visible while preserving the friendship’s comic rhythm.
  • The rooftop reconciliation culminates in Martin arriving late to demand another hug and then moves into the P.M. Dawn song.
  • Two hosts select the Witherspoon sequence. — Wesley Morris
  • Wesley selects Grace Jones’s first boardroom pitch and the “Steel Vagina” suggestion. — Wesley Morris
  • One objection is that the dinner sequence was shoehorned into the story and is not needed for the plot, even though its comic digression is pleasurable. — Wesley Morris
  • The scene evokes Black theater and its later Tyler Perry counterpart, bringing class tensions into the comedy. — Wesley Morris
  • The chitlins in a wealthy household and Angela being asked to handle them are described as a collision of Black culture and snobbery. — Wesley Morris
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47:21

What’s Aged the Worst?

The opening lunch's homophobic and transphobic material is identified as an element that has not aged well.

The opening lunch's homophobic and transphobic material is identified as an element that has not aged well.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:47:21Read transcript
  • The panel says the opening lunch's ‘chicks with dicks’ bit has not aged well and identifies its homophobia and transphobia as part of Eddie Murphy's response to rumors about him.
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49:50

What’s Aged the Best?

Marcus’s head tilt on seeing Robin Givens and the “breathtaking” exchange

Marcus’s head tilt on seeing Robin Givens and the “breathtaking” exchange

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:49:50Read transcript
  • Marcus tilting his head on first seeing Robin Gibbons and delivering the ‘breathtaking’ line is proposed for Aged Best. — Bill Simmons
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52:50

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Why does Robin Givens outshine Halle Berry? Deliberate styling and Givens’s presence are debated; Berry’s comedy is d...

Why does Robin Givens outshine Halle Berry? Deliberate styling and Givens’s presence are debated; Berry’s comedy is defended

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:52:50Read transcript
  • Robin Givens is said to outshine Halliberry because Givens is styled for a red carpet while Halliberry is initially hidden in a shapeless costume.
  • The response is disputed because Hallie Barry's comedy and later visual confidence are defended even while Robin Gibbons is said to sizzle whenever she appears.
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1:17:03

What’s Aged the Best?

Halle Berry’s performance (final first choice), Jeffrey Holder’s ads, the Martin origin story, slang, Murphy’s reacti...

Halle Berry’s performance (final first choice), Jeffrey Holder’s ads, the Martin origin story, slang, Murphy’s reactions and clothes, role reversal, Strangé ads, Star Trek riff, Angela’s breakup, and the recovery arc

In the discussion (14)
Approx. transcript time · 01:17:03Read transcript
  • Jeffrey Holder makes the deliberately vulgar Kissable ad pitch funny through the character’s sincere disappointment at being restrained. — Van Lathan
  • The episode reports that Murphy’s praise of Martin Lawrence and Tisha Campbell helped inspire their pairing on Martin. — Bill Simmons
  • “Hammer time” and “the twizzah” remain instantly recognizable bits from the movie. — Bill Simmons
  • Murphy’s comic orgasm and Grace Jones’s helicopter entrance are singled out as physical and visual comedy. — Bill Simmons
  • Angela is praised as an unusually complete romantic-comedy character whose humor, warmth and natural presence were underused later. — Van Lathan
  • The film’s gender role reversal remains clear in how Jacqueline controls the sexual relationship with Marcus. — Bill Simmons
  • The first Strangé commercial and Eartha Kitt’s horrified reaction preserve the campaign’s escalating absurdity. — Bill Simmons
  • Marcus improvising Spock Jenkins is praised as an early example of casual pop-culture conversation inside a movie. — Bill Simmons
  • Angela’s breakup line and real slap give the emotional turn force. — Bill Simmons
  • Marcus’s no-tie wardrobe is described as sharp and still wearable. — Bill Simmons
  • The loss and recovery of Marcus’s confidence is treated as an identifiable relationship arc. — Bill Simmons
  • Halle Berry’s charisma and complete performance receive the final selection. — Van Lathan
  • A longer discussion argues Black actors can receive different, often richer opportunities from Black directors, producers and writers. — Wesley Morris
  • Berry’s uneven 1990s roles are contrasted with the promise visible in Boomerang. — Bill Simmons
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1:32:02

What’s Aged the Worst?

Marcus overlooking Angela, Jacqueline’s forced Knicks fandom, synchronized gym routine, the racist clerk, Tisha Campb...

Marcus overlooking Angela, Jacqueline’s forced Knicks fandom, synchronized gym routine, the racist clerk, Tisha Campbell’s thin role, fade-to-black edits, and pervasive harassment

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:32:02Read transcript
  • Eddie not realizing Halle Berry was hot for ninety minutes is the first answer. — Bill Simmons
  • Jacqueline’s investment in a random Knicks game is called an artificial way to make her seem like one of the guys. — Bill Simmons
  • Three friends moving together across identical gym machines feels staged and implausible. — Bill Simmons
  • The store clerk’s immediate cash warning is criticized as an abrupt, mechanically inserted racism beat, while another host defends its realism. — Bill Simmons
  • Tisha Campbell’s character is described as one-note and possibly present for one scene too many. — Bill Simmons
  • Repeated fade-to-black transitions expose a patched-together final act. — Bill Simmons
  • The hosts identify pervasive sexual harassment across nearly every relationship as the broadest dated element.
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1:36:21

Casting What-Ifs

Halle Berry was Reginald Hudlin’s preferred Angela and Eddie Murphy ended the search after her screen test; Paramount...

Halle Berry was Reginald Hudlin’s preferred Angela and Eddie Murphy ended the search after her screen test; Paramount executives resisted Robin Givens, with Vanessa Williams held as the backup for Jacqueline.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:36:21Read transcript
  • Hudlin wanted Halle Berry and worried Murphy might reject her. — Bill Simmons
  • Murphy reportedly ended the search after Berry’s screen test. — Bill Simmons
  • Paramount executives were nervous about Robin Givens’s public reputation, while the filmmakers fought for her. — Bill Simmons
  • Vanessa Williams was the stated backup for Jacqueline. — Bill Simmons
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1:37:32

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Jeffrey Holder

Jeffrey Holder

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:37:32Read transcript
  • Jeffrey Holder is selected immediately. — Bill Simmons
  • The reasoning is that audiences recognize the creepy advertising executive without necessarily knowing Holder’s name. — Bill Simmons
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1:37:44

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

Grace Jones

Grace Jones

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:37:44Read transcript
  • Grace Jones is the only developed candidate.
  • Her restaurant leg display is praised at mock-Oscar intensity. — Van Lathan
  • The panel agrees the performance is dialed up but argues casting Grace Jones necessarily means getting that energy. — Van Lathan
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1:38:12

Brandy Booth Award for Best Performance by a Pet

Kirby, the never-seen dog

Kirby, the never-seen dog

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:38:12Read transcript
  • Kirby is named as the new pet-performance category winner. — Bill Simmons
  • The invisible dog receives a ten out of ten. — Bill Simmons
  • He calls Kirby just for himself even though the dog is never seen. — Bill Simmons
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1:38:34

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

John Witherspoon

John Witherspoon

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:38:34Read transcript
  • The candidates include Chris Rock, John Witherspoon, BB Drake, Eartha Kitt, the unnamed man commenting on the nipple, and the girl in the art class. — Bill Simmons
  • Witherspoon’s dinner is considered possibly the movie’s most memorable scene. — Van Lathan
  • His nine minutes are compared to a 29-point performance that swings the score. — Bill Simmons
  • The panel keeps the Dion Waiters name but places Witherspoon in the prospective category Hall of Fame. — Bill Simmons
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1:41:07

Recasting Couch

Whitney Houston as a new nightclub-singer girlfriend for Martin Lawrence

Whitney Houston as a new nightclub-singer girlfriend for Martin Lawrence

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:07Read transcript
  • The category opens with “I love the casting” and “I wouldn’t change anything.” — Wesley Morris
  • Whitney Houston is proposed because she would fit the ensemble’s environment and energy.
  • Whitney Houston is considered for Robin Givens’s role or Strangé. — Wesley Morris
  • Strangé and the character described as Lila Rashon’s are suggested, with concern that the latter would be too small for Houston’s stardom.
  • Halle Berry’s part is floated, but replacing Givens is specifically rejected before a new character is proposed.
  • The final solution creates a new singer character paired with Martin Lawrence. — Bill Simmons
  • The imagined character performs Millie Jackson songs in a club. — Bill Simmons
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1:43:41

Half-Assed Internet Research

Research attributes the concept to Eddie Murphy, describes Eartha Kitt’s objections and a deleted nude metal-detector...

Research attributes the concept to Eddie Murphy, describes Eartha Kitt’s objections and a deleted nude metal-detector gag, cites Jules and Jim as a structural influence, and explains how Lela Rochon’s feet were made less attractive.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:43:41Read transcript
  • Eddie Murphy is said to have created the film idea and taken it to Barry Blasstein and David Schepfeld. — Bill Simmons
  • Eartha Kitt was reportedly hardest to cast because the original Lady Eloise material offended her, leading to joke changes. — Bill Simmons
  • A deleted Newark Airport scene had Strangé remove a metal dress at security; footage was repurposed in the perfume commercial. — Bill Simmons
  • Reginald Hudlin cited Jules and Jim as an influence on the Angela-Gerard-Marcus triangle. — Bill Simmons
  • The production reportedly used makeup and fake ‘hammer time’ details to make the feet of the person transcribed as Lila Roshan look less attractive. — Bill Simmons
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1:45:24

Apex Mountain

Robin Givens, David Alan Grier, Boyz II Men, Reginald Hudlin, P.M. Dawn, Strangé perfume, and the three-man pool-game...

Robin Givens, David Alan Grier, Boyz II Men, Reginald Hudlin, P.M. Dawn, Strangé perfume, and the three-man pool-game format

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:45:24Read transcript
  • Robin Givens receives an immediate and emphatic yes. — Bill Simmons
  • David Allen Greer receives support because the film coincides with In Living Color and showcases his humanity and comic generosity.
  • A correction inserted after recording gives Boys to Men an emphatic unanimous yes. — Bill Simmons
  • Toni Braxton, Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence are rejected. — Bill Simmons
  • Reginald Hudlin, P.M. Dawn, Strangé perfume and the unusual three-man pool game receive yes answers. — Bill Simmons
  • The 1992 Knicks and chitlins are rejected. — Bill Simmons
  • Black romantic comedies are unresolved: one yes, one undecided answer and one semi-yes limited to Black-themed sex comedy. — Bill Simmons
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1:46:29

What’s Aged the Best?

David Alan Grier’s likability, comic humanity, and ability to improve every production

David Alan Grier’s likability, comic humanity, and ability to improve every production

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:46:29Read transcript
  • David Allen Greer is praised as extremely likable, unlucky to have gone first in several comic formats, and an actor who adds to every production.
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1:50:07

Picking Nits

Angela appears to move into Marcus’s home almost immediately, while the later four-month jump and other implied elaps...

Angela appears to move into Marcus’s home almost immediately, while the later four-month jump and other implied elapsed time make the story’s overall chronology difficult to reconcile.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:50:07Read transcript
  • Angela’s belongings appear abruptly after the Star Trek hookup. — Bill Simmons
  • A later line says four months have passed, yet Angela has a new job and perfume while Marcus has lost his job. — Bill Simmons
  • The hosts cannot tell whether the movie spans months or years and speculate about a three-hour cut. — Bill Simmons
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1:51:47

The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie

“Love should have brought your ass home last night”; “Don’t get pussy-whipped, whip that pussy”; “I’m giving you my M...

“Love should have brought your ass home last night”; “Don’t get pussy-whipped, whip that pussy”; “I’m giving you my Mac Daddy vibe”; the love-as-disease exchange

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:51:47Read transcript
  • “Love should have brought your ass home last night” is Bill’s answer and is valued partly because it became a song. — Bill Simmons
  • The longer exchange about men using love like a disease accompanies Bill’s selection.
  • “Don’t get pussy-whipped, whip that pussy” is asserted as the quote of the movie. — Van Lathan
  • “I’m giving you my Mac Daddy vibe” is another line that stayed with one host for years. — Wesley Morris
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1:53:24

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

A ten-episode series already exists; another version is not agreed to improve it

A ten-episode series already exists; another version is not agreed to improve it

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:53:24Read transcript
  • The category is phrased as whether the movie could be remade as a ten-episode Netflix show. — Bill Simmons
  • The panel answers that BET already remade it as a show. — Bill Simmons
  • Whether a new adaptation should be made or would be better remains unanswered. — Bill Simmons
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1:53:49

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Why are Keith Sweat and Sade absent from the soundtrack? What did Jacqueline tell the office about Marcus after their...

Why are Keith Sweat and Sade absent from the soundtrack? What did Jacqueline tell the office about Marcus after their breakup?

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:53:49Read transcript
  • Keith Sweat’s absence is questioned because the soundtrack belongs to his era. — Bill Simmons
  • The proposed answer is that Babyface shaped this soundtrack while Sweat belonged more to Teddy Riley’s New Jack Swing lane.
  • Chade is another proposed omission, although the exchange says the P.M. Dawn song is basically a Chade song. — Bill Simmons
  • The office’s laughter after Marcus and Jacqueline break up prompts a question about what she told their coworkers. — Bill Simmons
  • The speculative answer says Marcus cried like a baby, sucked his thumb and asked for his mother after the orgasm. — Van Lathan
  • The exchange also speculates that Robin Givens was cast because of the public story that she took Mike Tyson’s confidence. — Bill Simmons
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1:57:47

Who Won the Movie?

Eddie Murphy (two votes); Halle Berry (one)

Eddie Murphy (two votes); Halle Berry (one)

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:57:47Read transcript
Podcast choices
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More from the conversation

Boomerang is framed as Murphy’s rebound after Harlem Nights and Another 48 Hrs. and as the start of a more romantic, adult screen mode.
Approx. transcript time · 00:02:51Read transcript
The hosts describe the film as a rare early studio picture centered on successful Black professionals and as an enduring family rewatch despite initially mixed critical framing.
Approx. transcript time · 00:03:27Read transcript
The film is credited with launching or consolidating major career phases for Halle Berry, Martin Lawrence, David Alan Grier, Robin Givens, Lela Rochon and John Witherspoon.
Approx. transcript time · 00:05:58Read transcript
Shampoo and Sin City are proposed while discussing unusually attractive ensembles; the conversation is not a named or ordinal Top Ten List.
Approx. transcript time · 00:21:55Read transcript
The discussion separates Givens’s magnetic film performance from the hostile public narrative surrounding her marriage to Mike Tyson.
Approx. transcript time · 00:29:47Read transcript
The Babyface-produced soundtrack, including Toni Braxton, P.M. Dawn, Boyz II Men, Johnny Gill and A Tribe Called Quest, is treated as an early-1990s landmark.
Approx. transcript time · 00:35:09Read transcript
Strictly Business, The Wood, Brown Sugar, Love & Basketball and Love Jones are discussed as later films working in or extending Boomerang’s lane.
Approx. transcript time · 00:39:39Read transcript
The opening lunch is celebrated for allowing three adult Black male friends to talk casually without crime or danger driving the scene.
Approx. transcript time · 00:45:55Read transcript
The dinner sequence is reported as heavily improvised, with Murphy, David Alan Grier, Martin Lawrence, Witherspoon and Bebe Drake building comic momentum together.
Approx. transcript time · 00:58:03Read transcript
Van Lathan reads Gerard’s family scene as evidence for why Marcus’s romantic betrayal damages their friendship so deeply.
Approx. transcript time · 01:02:06Read transcript
The rooftop reconciliation is described as an original ending before the production added Marcus’s final romantic choice.
Approx. transcript time · 01:10:04Read transcript
The hosts trace the long gap between Berry’s promise in Boomerang and the later roles that finally established her at the top of Hollywood.
Approx. transcript time · 01:24:16Read transcript
Wesley Morris argues that Black directors, writers and producers can create distinct conditions for Black actors to do their strongest work.
Approx. transcript time · 01:25:50Read transcript
A soundtrack question compares Teddy Riley, Babyface, the pair called Jimmy and Terry, and Dallas Austin as architects of the era's sound; the pair's full identities remain unresolved from this transcript alone.
Approx. transcript time · 01:53:49Read transcript
The winner discussion digresses into the reported fight between Gabriel Aubry and Olivier Martinez; it is retained as episode context rather than a film finding.
Approx. transcript time · 01:58:00Read transcript