Film credit
Robin Givens
Stats
- Episodes featuring their films
- 1
- Movies in this archive
- 1
Rewatchables episodes featuring Robin Givens’s films
Mentioned in discussions
Recasting Couch
No recast; Shari Headley kept
In the discussion (5)
- The movie is well cast, but Robin Givens and Angela Bassett are floated as alternatives to Shari Headley. — Bill Simmons
- Bassett was 28 during filming, raising whether a white casting agent in 1987 would know to find her; she had done a lot of TV. — Bill Simmons
- Either one in 1988 is claimed to make a better movie. — Bill Simmons
- The objection: Robin Givens must be saved for Boomerang. — Van Lathan
- The exchange ends with "I buy Sherry Headley in this" and agreement; the proposer only wanted to have the conversation. — Bill Simmons
Probably Unanswerable Questions
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)
- 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
Apex Mountain
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)
- 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
Recasting Couch
Whitney Houston as a new nightclub-singer girlfriend for Martin Lawrence
In the discussion (7)
- 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
Casting What-Ifs
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)
- 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
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Why does Robin Givens outshine Halle Berry? Deliberate styling and Givens’s presence are debated; Berry’s comedy is defended
In the discussion (2)
- 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.
What’s Aged the Best?
Marcus’s head tilt on seeing Robin Givens and the “breathtaking” exchange
In the discussion (1)
- Marcus tilting his head on first seeing Robin Gibbons and delivering the ‘breathtaking’ line is proposed for Aged Best. — Bill Simmons
Most Rewatchable Scene
Split: John Witherspoon’s dinner sequence; Grace Jones’s first perfume-boardroom scene
In the discussion (13)
- 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
What’s Aged the Worst?
The opening credits, dated sexual and technological moments, weak soundtrack, cartoonish extremists, and uneven acting
In the discussion (10)
- The opening credits are condemned as an inappropriate blaxploitation-style choice.
- The Deja and Malik sex scene is criticized for an unnecessary nipple-sucking detail, while the era's more explicit screen intimacy is discussed.
- Robin Givens's performance and career in Boomerang prompt a digression arguing that she deserved greater stardom.
- The impact of Taryn and Kristen kissing is said to have diminished since 1995 because same-sex intimacy became more common on screen. — Bill Simmons
- The film's email-pricing joke is identified as technologically dated.
- The soundtrack is criticized as weak for 1995, especially beside Above the Rim and other era-defining soundtracks.
- The surviving Taryn-Kristen relationship material is considered sufficient to establish trust and safety even though the studio reportedly cut more.
- The white supremacist characters are criticized as cartoons.
- The actor initially disputed as the player from The Program is subsequently confirmed as the same performer.
- The opening credits are ultimately selected as the clearest Aged Worst answer. — Bill Simmons

