Celtic Pride (1996)

Two over-loyal Celtic fans kidnap their opponent's star player in order to guarantee their team the championship.

Director:

Tom DeCerchio

Writers:

Judd Apatow (story), Colin Quinn (story)

Stars:

Damon Wayans, Daniel Stern, Dan Aykroyd

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Damon Wayans	...	Lewis Scott
Daniel Stern	...	Mike O'Hara
Dan Aykroyd	...	Jimmy Flaherty
Gail O'Grady	...	Carol O'Hara
Christopher McDonald	...	Coach Kimball
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Kevin O'Grady
Adam Hendershott	...	Tommy O'Hara
Scott Lawrence	...	Ted Hennison
Deion Sanders	...	Self
Bill Walton	...	Self
Guss Williams	...	Derrick Lake (as Gus Williams)
Ted Rooney	...	Tony Sheppard
Vladimir Cuk	...	Lurch
Keith Gibbs	...	Terry Kirby
Joe Mingle	...	Referee

Storyline

The National Basketball Association play-offs are taking place, and the Boston Celtics are facing the Utah Jazz in a crucial series. This is also the last year that any games will be played in the Boston Garden, which is going to be torn down after the end of the season. Mike and Jimmy, two die-hard sports fans who will risk anything for the Celtics to win, are really getting into the games. The Celtics would be a sure win if it weren't for Lewis Scott, the cocky, loud-mouth star of the Jazz. After Scott himself punishes the Celtics in a bad loss, Mike and Jimmy decide to take things into their own hands by kidnapping Scott and holding him until after the crucial game takes place.

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Plot Keywords:

sports fan | kidnapping | basketball | boston celtics | friend | 

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Taglines:

If you can't beat 'em... steal him!

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Genres:

Comedy | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language and an abundance of crude humor

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of two films that writer/director Judd Apatow wrote the screenplay for in 1996. The other was The Cable Guy starring Jim Carrey and Matthew Broderick which he fought hard to get credit in a battle with the WGA after rewriting the majority of the script for both Carrey and director Ben Stiller. He still got a producer's credit despite it.

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Goofs

After badly spraining his right ankle in the one-on-one game with Lewis, Mike goes to see his wife and can barely walk up the stairs. In a subsequent shot while they are all at the dinner table, a long shot shows Mike vividly bouncing his right leg on the ball of his foot showing no signs of the injury, impossible to do without immense pain.

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Quotes

Jimmy Flaherty: You're still dwellin' on that Buckner thing?
Mike O'Hara: Yeah, Chris McCarthy.

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Crazy Credits

After the credits, the Boston Garden is demolished. (This is a special effect; at the time the movie was released, the real Garden was still standing.)

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Connections

References The Addams Family (1964)

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Soundtracks

Play That Funky Music
Written by Rob Parissi (as Robert W. Parissi)
Performed by Wild Cherry
Courtesy of Epic Records
By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

Entertaining effort, non-sports fans be cautious.

Two die-hard Boston Celtic fans go out of their way to mess up the star player before game 7 of the Finals, and then accidently kidnap him. Not deep, but it doesn't have to be.

A movie that a good sports fan would find as humorous, but a movie fan would only find forgetable. Akroyd, Stern, and Wayans all turn in entertaining performances, but the true star of the movie is....

Christopher McDonald. He made me laugh my head off with the "Uhhhhhhh I hate my life" line. Akroyd doing the "Shakacon" thing was hillarious, as was his dream.

Overall, it was enjoyable, but proceed with caution.

***+(3.5)/*****(5).

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 April 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Celtic Pride

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,809,248, 21 April 1996

Gross USA:

$9,255,027

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,255,027

Company Credits

Production Co:

Caravan Pictures, Hollywood Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1