Semi-Pro (2008)

Jackie Moon, the owner-coach-player of the American Basketball Association's Flint Michigan Tropics, rallies his teammates to make their NBA dreams come true.

Director:

Kent Alterman

Writer:

Scot Armstrong

Stars:

Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Will Ferrell	...	Jackie Moon
Woody Harrelson	...	Monix
André Benjamin	...	Clarence
Maura Tierney	...	Lynn
Andrew Daly	...	Dick Pepperfield
Will Arnett	...	Lou Redwood
Andy Richter	...	Bobby Dee
David Koechner	...	Commissioner
Rob Corddry	...	Kyle
Matt Walsh	...	Father Pat the Ref
Jackie Earle Haley	...	Dukes
DeRay Davis	...	Bee Bee Ellis
Josh Braaten	...	Twiggy Munson
Jay Phillips	...	Scootsie Double Day
Peter Cornell	...	Vakidis

Storyline

Three men, three dreams. It's 1976 in Flint, Michigan. Jackie Moon's American Basketball Association team languishes in last place, with few fans in the seats. Jackie dreams of a merger with the NBA. A tough-minded point guard named Monix is at the end of his career; he's played on the champion Celtics but accepts a trade to Flint to be close to Lynn, the love of his life. Clarence "Coffee" Brown dreams of stardom: he's the Tropics' best player, but he's a hotdog who doesn't value teamwork. When the trio learns that a merger is in the works that won't include the Tropics, they pull the team together to try to achieve the impossible. Can dreams come true in Flint?

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Plot Keywords:

original story | flint michigan | team | michigan | merger | 

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Taglines:

The Greatest Fro on Earth

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Genres:

Comedy | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

New Line Cinema [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 February 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amatöör

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$15,075,114, 2 March 2008, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$33,472,850, 27 April 2008

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema,Mosaic Media Group,Donners' Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min 98 min (unrated DVD) 99 min (unrated)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Woody Harrelson plays an aging professional basketball player in this movie. He played a street ball player, along with Wesley Snipes, in White Men Can't Jump (1992).

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Goofs

Jackie Moon says PBS wanted to do a special about him never "puking" as a child. Jackie Moon was a child in the 1940s or '50s. PBS first aired in 1970.

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Quotes

Jackie Moon: [screaming angrily at Father Pat the Ref] I'll burn your house down!

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Crazy Credits

At the end of the credits, Will Ferrell's voice can be heard calling, "Precious? Here Dewey."

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Connections

Referenced in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Duplicity/Knowing/I Love You, Man (2009)

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Soundtracks

Shining Star
Written by Philip Bailey, Larry Dunn and Maurice White
Performed by Earth Wind & Fire
Courtesy of Columbia Records
by arrangement with Sony BMG Music Entertainment

User Reviews

Proof of Ferrel's weakness

This movie is a perfect example of why Will Ferrel needs to find his purpose quick before he becomes irrelevant.

After sitting through this movie, I began to ponder why I did not like it. It had all the Ferrel-isms of movies past. Ron Burgandy, Chad Michael Michaels, Ricky Bobby, etc. all made an appearance. So, why had a classic formula failed so miserably here? And then it hit me. It's because Will Ferrel CANNOT carry a movie on his own. He is a great catalyst for the actions with in a movie, however he cannot be a movie. True, Ron Burgandy was a hilarious character, but what about his news crew? How many lines are quoted from this quartet of idiots? Or Chad Michael Michaels? Will Ferrel needs to remember his strength lies in a strong comedic ensemble. While he has demonstrated some actual acting talent, he still will never be able to carry a film on his own.