Silly ‘Celtic Pride’ Bounces Along

Fri., April 19, 1996

Todd Camp Fort Worth Star-Telegram

At last, there’s a sports movie for people who can’t stand sports.

For the legions of athletically illiterate types who marvel at how sports junkies waste valuable brain space memorizing useless stats and trivia, “Celtic Pride” is an on-target send-up of how far fans will go.

For the hordes of sports enthusiasts who believe having a basic encyclopedic knowledge of game scores, batting averages and team rosters is essential to day-to-day living, the actions of basketball fans Dan Aykroyd and Daniel Stern will seem more than justified.

In short, there’s a little something for everyone.

Stern stars as Mike O’Hara, an elementary-school basketball coach who lives out his failed hoop dreams by idolizing the Boston Celtics, often at the expense of his marriage. With his buddy Jimmy Flaherty (Aykroyd), the two cook up a plan to help their beloved Celts take the NBA Finals championship after Game Six ends in a tie.

There’s only one thing in the way: Utah Jazz superstar Lewis Scott (Damon Wayans). Jimmy and Mike plot to get the arrogant Lewis so liquored up the night before the big game that he’ll be unable to play well. They end up kidnapping him instead, and then struggle to keep their secret quiet till it’s too late. But Lewis proves to be as much of a match off the court as he is on, and Mike and Jimmy are dribbling for disaster.

Though “Celtic Pride” starts to fall apart in its second half, Aykroyd and Stern make an excellent team in the film’s opening shenanigans. Aykroyd’s motor-mouthed delivery is perfect for a character who memorizes sports statistics, and Stern stirs up some sympathy as a pathetic dreamer too obsessed to save his own relationship.

Wayans is right on as the overpaid, egomaniacal ballplayer who learns a hard lesson in humility from the folks who help keep those multimillion-dollar contracts coming.

With a cleverly contemptuous look at exorbitant player salaries, commercial endorsements and sports-aholic fanaticism, “Celtic Pride” serves subtle satire between the silliness. Sports fans might suffer a grimace of guilt amid the chuckles - that is, at least until football season starts.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: “Celtic Pride” Locations: East Sprague, North Division and Showboat cinemas Credits: Directed by Tom De Cerchio; starring Dan Aykroyd, Daniel Stern and Damon Wayans. Running time: 1:31 Rating: PG-13

This sidebar appeared with the story: “Celtic Pride” Locations: East Sprague, North Division and Showboat cinemas Credits: Directed by Tom De Cerchio; starring Dan Aykroyd, Daniel Stern and Damon Wayans. Running time: 1:31 Rating: PG-13

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.