TAKING `PRIDE' IN MAKING SPORT OF ATHLETIC OBSESSION.Byline: Tod Camp Fort Worth Star-Telegram The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is a major U.S. daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. Its area of domination is checked by its main rival, The Dallas Morning News 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 sendup of how far fans will go. For the hordes of sports enthusiasts who believe having a basic encyclopedic en·cy·clo·pe·dic adj. 1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of an encyclopedia. 2. Embracing many subjects; comprehensive: "an ignorance almost as encyclopedic as his erudition" 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 devise a plan to help their beloved Celts The following pages provide lists of nations or people of Celtic origin, arranged by branch of Celtic ethnicity or language grouping: Goidelic Celts
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 until 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 shenanigans Noun, pl Informal 1. mischief or nonsense 2. trickery or deception [origin unknown] . 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 ob·sess v. ob·sessed, ob·sess·ing, ob·sess·es v.tr. To preoccupy the mind of excessively. v.intr. to save his own relationship. Wayans is right on as the overpaid o·ver·pay v. o·ver·paid , o·ver·pay·ing, o·ver·pays v.tr. 1. To pay (a party) too much. 2. To pay an amount in excess of (a sum due). v.intr. To pay too much. , 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 Fanaticism See also Extremism. Adamites various sects preaching a return to life before the fall. [Christian Hist.: Brewer Note-Book, 8] assassins Moslem murder teams used hashish as stimulus (11th and 12th centuries). , ``Celtic Pride'' serves subtle satire between the silliness. Sports fans might suffer a grimace grimace Neurology A humorless facial 'mask' typically seen in Pts with catatonia. See Amimia. of guilt amid the chuckles - that is, at least until football season starts. The facts The film: ``Celtic Pride'' (PG-13; lots of coarse language, adult subject matter, cartoonish violence). The stars: Dan Aykroyd, Daniel Stern, Damon Wayans and Gail O'Grady. Behind the scenes: Directed by Tom De Cerchio. Written by Judd Apatow. Produced by Roger Birnbaum. Released by Hollywood Pictures. Running time: One hour, 31 minutes. Playing: Citywide. Our rating: Two stars CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Damon Wayons plays an egomaniacal basketball star in ``Celtic Pride.'' |
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