With organized sports shut down due to COVID-19, ‘Touchstone and Beyond’ is looking at some sports themed movies from the Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures catalogue that might help fill the void left by the NBA, NHL, and MLB cancellations.
Here is 1996’s Hollywood Pictures NBA comedy, Celtic Pride.
The Movie
Mike, played by Daniel Stern, and Jimmy, played by Dan Aykroyd, are super fans of the Boston Celtics. They live and breathe the success and failures of the team. The movie opens with the two at courtside for game 6 of the NBA finals. Boston needs a win to be the champions. Their one problem is Utah Jazz star player Lewis Scott, played by Damon Wayans. Boston loses game 6 thanks to the incredible athleticism of Scott.
Dejected by the loss, Mike and Jimmy concoct a scheme to kidnap Scott keeping him from playing in game 7, thus guaranteeing the Celtics a win and the championship. With the help of ample amounts of alcohol, the two are successful at kidnapping the star.
The next day Scott wakes up in Jimmy’s apartment realizing the situation he is in, and quickly starts playing mind games with the two captors. Questioning why they are so devoted to the teams and what they have ever gotten out of being such rabid fans, Scott starts to dig into their psyche, while finding a way to escape. After a couple of failed escape attempts, Scott challenges Mike to a game of one on one, and though Mike may know history and stats, Scott dominates him in the game.
Scott gets the upper hand and escapes, telling Mike and Jimmy that they need to show up to game 7 and cheer on the Utah Jazz and Scott, or else he is going to turn them in to the police. Mike and Jimmy don’t want to go to jail so they get dressed in Jazz uniforms and cheer against their hometown team. The game ends with Mike and Jimmy avoiding jail time while celebrating Utah’s game 7 victory. The two men have a fresh lease on life.
The Best
Damon Wayans brings a resentment and hostility to the Lewis Scott character that is funny and articulate in his role as the mega athlete. Wayans also brings a small sense of vulnerability. Scott is a fantastic athlete and Wayans shows us how skilled Lewis Scott is, but his ability to learn to pass the ball is a direct result of his time with Mike and Jimmy. Lewis Scott is the only character in this film who shows growth and change and thanks to Wayans, we root for the Jazz even though this is a Boston set story.
Christopher McDonald as Coach Kimball is hilarious. He plays the typical tightly wound ready to explode coach, and every scene McDonald is in is funny, and makes the movie better. His role is small, and though he is the stereotypical coach, McDonald makes the audience laugh.
The Worst
Celtic Pride hasn’t aged well. Yes, there are certain funny moments throughout the film, mostly because of Damon Wayans’ timing and delivery, but there is not much to root for in the movie. Mike and Jimmy are obsessed fans, and the routine they go through when they enter the Boston Garden, shows the deep level of neurotic thoughts they have regarding sports. The fact that Mike and Jimmy are willing to kidnap Scott to help the Celtics win the NBA Finals, shows that their obsession has pushed them to another level. Mike and Jimmy aren’t violent, and they don’t want to hurt Scott, but kidnapping the star player of the opposing team is a crime that no devoted fan should commit.
Mike’s rollercoaster marriage to Carol, played by Gail O’Grady, is another sore point to the film. Carol has had enough of Mike’s sports obsession and decides to leave him. However, she changes her mind even though she knows her husband’s obsessions has led him to kidnapping. Gail has no redeeming qualities, and the fact she stays with Mike makes her less likeable.
Film Facts
- Colin Quinn and Judd Apatow wrote the film.
- Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird has a cameo during the club scene.
- The character of Lewis Scott was meant to mirror Michael Jordan’s playing habits and skills.
- Celtic Pride was the second film of 1996 that dealt with sports obsession. The Fan starring Robert DeNiro and Wesley Snipes was released in August.
See It/Skip It?
Skip It. The movie just isn’t funny. Mike and Jimmy are unlikeable, and the film doesn’t deliver any credible payoff at the end. Neither of the men have learned their lesson from the kidnapping. They are emboldened to try it again, as the film concludes with them sneaking into Deion Sanders’ home to kidnap him in a bid to help the New England Patriots.
As much as I enjoyed Damon Wayans and Christopher McDonald as Coach Kimball, Celtic Pride is only worth your time if you want to see some semblance of an NBA game. The film was a major disappointment at the box office with a pitiful $9 million-dollar gross, and a 9% score on Rotten Tomatoes. If you are looking for a sports fix, Celtic Pride won’t fill that need. There are too few scenes at the NBA championship, and too much time spent in Jimmy’s apartment. The Fan is the better film from 1996.
Next week, ‘To Touchstone and Beyond’ taps into the college football world with 1993’s The Program.
Director: Tom DeCerchio
Production Company: Hollywood Pictures
Principal Cast:
- Damon Wayans as Lewis Scott
- Daniel Stern as Mike O’Hara
- Dan Aykroyd as Jimmy Flaherty
- Gail O’Grady as Carol O’Hara
- Christopher McDonald as Coach Kimball
Release Date: April 19, 1996
Box Office Gross Domestic = $9,255,027