THE HURRICANE (1999)

Producer/director Norman Jewison and his writers must have known the basic material in this largely true Miscarriage-of-Justice story about middle-weight boxer Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter, falsely charged with a triple homicide in the ‘60s, would play to an audience two & a half steps ahead of every legal setback, prison humiliation and racial dig.  Worse, without careful handling, the tropes of Black civil impotence and White Savior syndrome (by well-meaning Canadians, no less!) could tarnish even the noblest sentiments.  It explains why the first two acts are tricked out in non-linear fashion, with mini-flashbacks within discrete sequences in the film’s hopscotch timeline; action in the ring shot in b&w; a secondary story involving those Canadians taking in a Black inner-city kid who’ll come to idolize Carter and draw the two stories together for a third act.  Here, the film restarts itself in straightforward fashion as a more traditional detective yarn, a sort of anti-police procedural to uncover the truth.  This turns out to need three acts of its own.  But with everyone now on the same page, the film stops having to reinvent the wheel, Jewison even comfortable enough to toss in a bit of showmanship bringing back his old IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT/’67 star Rod Steiger to act as Fairy Godfather.  Not exactly light on its feet, especially when Denzel Washington’s Carter is asked to over-verbalize his thaw from prison toughness to flawed human grace.  But it works; even when its aim is no higher than (Junior) High School civics class.

SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY:  Though not Jewish, Jewison’s name helped get him FIDDLER ON THE ROOF/’71.  Perhaps being Canadian (for real this time) landed this one.

ATTENTION MUST BE PAID:  Denzel Washington worked himself into fantastic shape to play Carter, but at just over 6', he’s a heavy-weight compared to Carter’s 5'8"/160 lb. frame, something that helps explain the boxer’s fierce personality.