21 years after its debut in 1992, “Boomerang” has stood the test of time as the vanguard of the black rom-com ensemble. Directed by Reginald Hudlin (“House Party”), “Boomerang” assembled the creme-de-la-creme of African-American actors – Eddie Murphy, Halle Berry, David Alan Grier, Robin Givens, Grace Jones, and even vintage icons like Eartha Kitt and Melvin Van Peebles.
Set in the glamorous world of cosmetics, the movie followed Marcus Graham (Murphy) a notorious womanizer who meets his match in the beautiful Jacqueline (Robin Givens). What follows is a hilarious role reversal, as Marcus gets a taste of his own medicine when he finds himself vulnerable to Jacqueline’s mind games.
We list ten valuable lessons in love we’ve gleaned from this classic flick:
10. Pedicures are a girl’s best friend
Ladies, it doesn’t matter if you spend hours on your clothes, hair and makeup. Jacked up feet will derail all your efforts.
9. Don’t sh*t where you work
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Business and pleasure never mix. Even after giving up the goodies to both his man-eating bosses (Robin Givens, Eartha Kitt), Marcus didn’t get any higher on the corporate ladder and found himself the laughingstock of his fellow colleagues.
8. Loose lips sink ships
Men aren’t the only ones who like to brag about their sexual conquests. When Strange hears of Marcus’ “special abilities” from Jacqueline, she decides to get in on the action.
7. New Orleans jazz is the ultimate aphrodisiac
After weeks of playing hard to get, a night of bumping and grinding on the dance floor finally gets Jacqueline to drop the panties for Marcus.
6. Love means never having to say you’re sorry
Nothing like showing up in some Victoria’s Secret after standing up your date.
5. There’s no school like the old school
When Marcus invites Gerard’s parents to Thanksgiving dinner, he gets some priceless advice from Gerard’s pop on how to regain his top dog status with Jacqueline:
4. “Star Trek” brings couples together
Never hide you inner geek from a potential love interest – bonding over a shared passion is like relationship Viagra.
3. Never let a girl get in the way of a good bromance
Even though Gerard (David Alan Grier) struck out with Angela after their uber-awkward first date, it was clear he still carried a torch for her when Marcus revealed he was now involved with her. Luckily the two realized the value of their friendship and worked out their differences towards the end. Lesson of the day: ask first before pursuing a friend’s past crush.
2. Sometimes you just can’t teach an old dog new tricks
Even after finding himself in a stable and blissful relationship with Angela, Marcus reverted to his womanizing ways in a one night stand with former flame Jacqueline. Marcus was in for a big surprise when Angela read him the riot act, spawning the 90′s anthem for single women everywhere:
1. Good girls finish first
After a heart-breaking split from Marcus, Angela was now a cold and distant corporate clone, very much like Jacqueline. But Marcus broke through her glacial facade, when he ambushed her at work, accompanied by her former cute-as-buttons art students. Angela decides to take Marcus back, but this time we know she’ll be using her brains as well as her heart going forward with her reformed bad boy.
