Quite possibly the worst basketball film since that one where all the players were Pisces or something. I looked it up; It's "The Fish that Saved Philadelphia." I shouldn't claim this however, because I haven't seen that film. I have forced myself to sit through "Celtic Pride" and it's quite mind-numbing.

Daniel Stern is forced to open the film with the most obvious joke in the piece. Followed by a silly commercial parody featuring Damon Wayans. After that, we are introduced to Dan Aykroyd and the piece just keeps going downhill. To punctuate the lame quality of the film, acting and script let me share this: Aykroyd plays a plumber and this is constantly used by Wayans to belittle him. The script delights in it and the cast perform it straight-faced. This film, it can quite honestly be said, stinks.

For what it's worth, Wayans does an okay job here. He plays an asshole and he does so with ease. Aykroyd is surprisingly subdued. He seems to be unable to muster any interest in the film whatsoever. Stern, as always, plays the film so far over-the-top that he seems the only life blood in it. By the way, Gail O'Grady (from TV's "NYPD Blue") has a small role as Stern's long-suffering wife. Several familiar faces show up including sports newscaster Marv Albert and Bill Walton. Luminaries Larry Bird and Deion Sanders also appear in cameo form. Nobody helps. Bird fans may enjoy his brief appearance but it is hardly worth enduring the rest of the film to see this one part. Simply stop the tape after his appearance if that is all that interests you.

When one realizes that "Celtic Pride" was written by Judd Apatow from a story he concocted with Colin Quinn, it's lackluster nature seems more obvious. Quinn is a lame stand- up comic who used to be the sidekick on MTV's pseudo game show "Remote Control." He has, of late, been writing for and appearing on the rather drab "Saturday Night Live." He really has a very tired sense of humor.

Director Tom De Cherchio really wastes our time here. Of course, he's got a dull script and boring, fat actors to work with. His basketball footage can't even enliven the proceedings. He can't even make these potentially interesting segments work for us. We could care less who wins or loses here and that lies at the heart of the film's plot. De Cherchio lets the film falter and meander throughout. It's really a bad job. One suspects he doesn't even like the sport - let alone understand it.

"Celtic Pride" is a complete failure. If I was a Celtic fan, I'd burn every copy I could find to show my pride.

Note:

Music by Basil Poledouris. Director of Photography Oliver Wood. Apatow and Quinn also acts as Producers.

Several songs by Stuart Gruisin are used in the film. Wild Cherry's "Play that Funky Music" and Johnny O's "Meet the Bongo Man" are used more than once in the film.

Review written in 1996

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