Eddie (1996)

Eddie is a New York limo driver and a fanatical follower of the New York Knicks professional basketball team. The team is struggling with a mediocre record when, in mid-season, "Wild Bill" ... See full summary »

Director:

Steve Rash

Writers:

Steve Zacharias (story), Jeff Buhai (story)

Stars:

Whoopi Goldberg, Frank Langella, Dennis Farina

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Whoopi Goldberg	...	Eddie
Frank Langella	...	Wild Bill Burgess
Dennis Farina	...	Coach Bailey
Richard Jenkins	...	Assistant Coach Zimmer
Lisa Ann Walter	...	Claudine
John Benjamin Hickey	...	Joe Nader
Troy Byer	...	Beth Hastings (as Troy Beyer)
John Salley	...	Nate Wilson
Rick Fox	...	Terry Hastings
Malik Sealy	...	Stacy Patton
Mark Jackson	...	Darren Taylor
Dwayne Schintzius	...	Ivan Radovadovitch
Greg Ostertag	...	Joe Sparks
Vernel Singleton	...	Jamal Duncan
Marv Albert	...	Marv Albert

Storyline

Eddie is a New York limo driver and a fanatical follower of the New York Knicks professional basketball team. The team is struggling with a mediocre record when, in mid-season, "Wild Bill" Burgess, the new owner, as a public relations gimmick, stages an 'honorary coach' contest, which Eddie wins. The fans love it, so "Wild Bill" fires the coach and hires her. She takes the bunch of overpaid prima donnas that make up the team and turns them around. But the owner hopes to move the team, now the darling of the New York fans, to St. Louis. He may OWN the team, but it BELONGS to the city and the fans!

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Plot Keywords:

limousine | limousine driver | new york city | horse | car radio | 

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Taglines:

The Newest Coach In The NBA Has Got The Knicks Right Where She Wants Them.

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Genres:

Comedy | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some language and brief sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Movie Web

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

31 May 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Eddie - En värsting till coach

Filming Locations:

Charlotte Coliseum - 100 Paul Buck Boulevard, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$178,363, 19 July 1996

Gross USA:

$31,356,117, 22 September 1996

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,700,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Permut Presentations, Hollywood Pictures, Island Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Both Richard Jenkins, who plays assistant coach Carl Zimmer, and Frank Langella, who plays Wild Bill Burgess, were both nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2008.

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Goofs

When the announcer is reading off the list of seat numbers for the Honorary Coach selection, he says "Row R, seat 15" and Eddie and her friends start cheering that it is her seat. You can see the row letters on the side of the chairs beginning each row. Eddie is actually in row "S", seat 15 and the gentleman in front of her is in the actual row "R" seat 15.

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Quotes

Ivan Radovadovitch: [Ivan is doing a commercial] Ivan learn important English words like "renegotiate," "eliminate salary cap," and "union lockout."
[the respective words appear on screen]
Ivan Radovadovitch: That is why I am Hooked on Phonics.
[Ivan turns to the camera holds up a box saying "Hooked on Phonics" as the phone number appears on screen]

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Connections

Referenced in Talk Show the Game Show: She Ready, Boo! (2017)

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Soundtracks

ROCK 'N ROLL PART II
Written by Gary Glitter and Mike Leander
Performed by Gary Glitter
Courtesy of Laurence Myers Ltd.

User Reviews

A Lay-Up, But Not a Slam Dunk.

The NBA's New York Knicks are caught in a record-breaking losing streak, attendance is way down and new owner Frank Langella has a plan to make a few quick bucks and then move the team away from the Big Apple by hatching a plan to get super-fan Whoopi Goldberg to coach the team. What follows is a minimally funny and heartwarming movie that stays above the water due to Goldberg's enthusiasm and the surprisingly good performances of real NBA stars who play different parts as her Knick players. John Salley, who just shines in front of the camera, Vanessa Williams' real-life husband Rick Fox, Greg Ostertag and Mark Jackson are real scene-stealers. However, it is the late Malik Sealy (tragically killed in a car wreck a couple of years ago while a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves) who out-does all his NBA co-stars with a somewhat deep and personal performance as a superstar who learns that teamwork is the true key to success. Worth a look, but just presentable. 2.5 out of 5 stars.