Alright, settle in, grab your favorite faded armchair, maybe pop some Jiffy Pop if you're feeling adventurous. Tonight on VHS Heaven, we're rewinding to 1997, a time when sports comedies often came with a hefty dose of high-concept weirdness. And few concepts got weirder, or frankly, more weirdly charming, than The 6th Man. Imagine Hoosiers getting haunted by Beetlejuice's slightly less malevolent, basketball-obsessed cousin, and you're halfway there.
This wasn't some gritty court drama; it was pure fantasy fulfillment slipped into a Washington Huskies jersey. The premise is simple, yet ripe for 90s shenanigans: College basketball star Antoine Tyler (Kadeem Hardison) tragically dies mid-game, only to return as a ghost to help his struggling younger brother, Kenny (Marlon Wayans), lead their team to the NCAA championships. Yeah, it’s exactly as goofy as it sounds, and honestly? That's a big part of its enduring appeal.
### Brothers Beyond the Grave
At the heart of The 6th Man is the chemistry between Kadeem Hardison and Marlon Wayans. Hardison, already a familiar face from his iconic role as Dwayne Wayne on A Different World, brings a swaggering charm to Antoine, even in spectral form. He’s the cocky older brother, full of himself but fiercely protective. Wayans, meanwhile, channels his signature manic energy into Kenny, the initially overshadowed sibling suddenly burdened (and blessed) with supernatural assistance. Their back-and-forth, the bickering mixed with genuine brotherly love, carries the film through its more outlandish moments. It feels authentic, grounding the ghostly hijinks in something relatable. Remember seeing Marlon Wayans starting to really break out around this time, post-In Living Color but before the Scary Movie phenomenon fully hit? This film was a solid step in showcasing his leading man potential, blending physical comedy with moments of real vulnerability.
### Ghostly Game-Winners and 90s Effects
Let's talk about the main event: the basketball. Director Randall Miller, who also gave us the Kid 'n Play vehicle Class Act (1992), clearly had fun staging these sequences. When Antoine starts interfering, things get enjoyably ludicrous. We see impossible shots sink, players tripping over thin air, and basketballs taking physics-defying detours. How did they pull off these ghostly plays back in '97? It wasn't the seamless CGI of today, that's for sure. You can almost feel the practical approach – clever wire work pulling balls towards the hoop, maybe some sneaky editing, and performers reacting to things that weren't there. It has that slightly tangible, almost theatrical quality that defined so many pre-millennium effects. Does it look dated now? Sure, but there's a certain charm to its visible seams, a reminder of a time when visual trickery felt more like stage magic than digital perfection.
Retro Fun Fact: Much of the film was shot on location at the University of Washington and inside Seattle's KeyArena (now Climate Pledge Arena). Seeing the actual campus and court adds a layer of authenticity that helps sell the fantastical premise. It wasn’t just green screens; they were playing real ball on real courts... mostly.
### More Than Just Laughs?
While primarily a comedy, The 6th Man isn't afraid to dip its toes into sentimentality. The themes of grief, letting go, and finding your own strength are handled with a surprising amount of sincerity, particularly in Kenny's arc. David Paymer, always reliable, plays Coach Pederson with the right mix of exasperation and eventual belief, providing a necessary anchor to the escalating absurdity. The film juggles broad physical gags (Antoine messing with opponents in the locker room) with moments aiming for genuine heart. Sometimes the tonal shifts are a bit jarring, like switching channels between a sitcom and a melodrama, but it mostly sticks the landing thanks to the conviction of the leads.
Retro Fun Fact: The film came together on a relatively modest budget of around $11 million and pulled in just under $15 million at the box office. Not a blockbuster smash, but like so many films we cherish here at VHS Heaven, it found a solid afterlife on rental shelves and cable TV, becoming a familiar favorite for a generation. Critics at the time were pretty mixed, maybe finding the blend of slapstick and sentiment a bit uneven, but audiences often connected with its earnest charm.
### The Final Buzzer
Watching The 6th Man today is like finding a beloved, slightly worn-out sweatshirt in the back of the closet. It’s comfortable, familiar, and brings back a specific feeling – the uncomplicated fun of mid-90s comedies that weren't afraid to be a little goofy and wear their hearts on their sleeves. The effects might creak, the fashion might scream 1997 (so much baggy gear!), but the core appeal – the brotherly bond and the sheer wish-fulfillment of supernatural sports dominance – remains intact. It perfectly captures that era's blend of comedy, fantasy, and feel-good sports tropes.
Rating: 6.5 / 10
Justification: The rating reflects the film's undeniable charm, strong central performances, and nostalgic appeal, balanced against its sometimes uneven tone and dated effects. It's not high art, but it delivers exactly what it promises: a fun, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt supernatural sports romp.
Final Thought: The 6th Man is a time capsule of 90s high-concept comedy – earnest, silly, and powered by charisma rather than pixels. It might not have the slickest moves by today's standards, but its ghostly assists still score points for pure nostalgic fun. Definitely worth dusting off the VCR for... if you can find one.