Juwanna Man
Cross-dressing sports comedy has lockerroom humor.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this movie has a lot of raunchy humor, mostly revolving around Jamal's anatomical differences from his teammates, but pretty typical for the increasingly graphic PG-13 rating.
Community Reviews
What's the Story?
Jamal Jeffries (Miguel A. Nunez Jr., in his first starring role) is a star pro basketball player whose bad attitude and poor sportsmanship are constantly getting him in trouble. He is indefinitely suspended after one particular mishap. Low on money, he takes up his only option: dressing like woman and playing women's basketball.
Is It Any Good?
This film was a bit of a surprise, though with a nice spirit and a willingness to avoid the obvious. JUWANNA MAN is basically Tootsie on a basketball team. A conceited pro basketball player gets fired, and the only job he can get is on a woman's team. So, he dresses up like a woman. He's in for some lessons about life, and we're in for some locker room humor. The movie's nowhere near the quality of Some Like it Hot or Tootsie, or even Mrs. Doubtfire, but it is better than recent cross-dressing films like Big Momma's House and the abominable Sorority Boys.
Besides the talented stars, a supporting cast consisting of reliable character actors like Kevin Pollak, Tommy Davidson, and Wayans' sister Kim, as well as good turns from hip-hop stars Genuwine and Lil' Kim. The "dude looks like a lady" plot has been done many times before and there's nothing new here, from the awkward moments with the love interest to the big moment where all is revealed to the men who were hitting on the main character. So the plot is predictable and a lot of the jokes are lazy. Although there were no surprises and some gratuitous stereotypes, I found myself caring about the characters.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the behavior that got Jamal fired from his team at the beginning of the movie. How would the average person have been treated? Also, how does Jamal's attitude toward -- and treatment of -- women change over the course of the movie? What does he learn?
Movie Details
- In theaters: June 21, 2002
- On DVD or streaming: November 19, 2002
- Cast: Kevin Pollak, Miguel A. Nunez, Vivica A. Fox
- Director: Jesse Vaughn
- Studio: Warner Bros.
- Genre: Comedy
- Run time: 91 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: language and sexual references
- Last updated: March 1, 2023
Our Editors Recommend
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Tootsie
Touching romantic comedy with a twist.
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Some Like It Hot
One of the wildest romantic farces ever.
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Love and Basketball
Romance and sports mix; some strong language and sex.
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