Celtic Pride

Celtic Pride (1996)
Buena Vista Pictures
Directed by Tom DeCerchio
Starring Damon Wayans, Daniel Stern, Dan Aykroyd

On the outside, Celtic Pride looks like a terrible film. Overall, it isn’t that good, but to a sports fan, this film will definitely appeal to them. The Boston Celtics are playing their last season in the Garden against the Utah Jazz for the NBA Championship. Best friends, Mike O’Hara (Stern) and Jimmy Flaherty (Aykroyd) are die-hard Boston fans. After the Celtics lose one game, they find the Jazz’s top player, Lewis Scott (Wayans), in a Boston bar. They get him drunk and after a night of bad decisions, wakeup to find that they have kidnapped Scott. They decide to hold him until after the series is finished, so that he cannot play against their beloved Celtics.

Anyone who is or has a friend who is a sports fan will appreciate this film, especially any Boston fans. Boston fans are the most extreme sports fans that there are. This film goofs on those people by showing just how ridiculous it is to be this obsessed with a team. However, fans will look past the goofing and connect with the two main characters. Many fans have their own rituals when their team is playing to help them win, but this film brings to reality just how it would be like to actually help your team win. Though it is very far-fetched and unrealistic, Celtic Pride is fun and brings many sports fans’ fantasy to life. I’m not saying that all fans want to kidnap the opponent’s best players, but the film showcases how two friends can help their team achieve victory.

The message of the film is not to be too obsessed with sports. There are many people who memorize sports statistics and never miss a game. They feel like they are actually part of the team. These are true obsessed fans. Celtic Pride makes itself out to be a spoof on these people and show support for the Celtics, but in the end, it fails on both levels. Yes, it does make fun of these people, but it doesn’t put any “umph” into it. There is no clever or smart way to portray it. Instead, it relies on a weak script and stereotypical characters to give its message.

The acting in the film is fine with good performances by Aykroyd and Wayans. Stern, from Home Alone fame, is not funny in this film. He tries too hard to portray his character humorously. Wayans is very sarcastic and is the best piece of this film. Aykroyd plays a pitiful plumber who has some good moments with Wayans. Aykroyd is a comedic genius, and brings life to all of his characters.

Overall, Celtic Pride starts off to be a spoof film on sports fans, but instead relies on stereotypes and poor plot to portray this. Celtic Pride is only for sports fans and major fans of Boston, but for everyone else, it’s not worth the watch. However, over time this film gets stronger as the Boston Celtic’s fanbase rises again. As the Celtics win again, the fans become even crazier, which is what this mediocre film is trying to show. Everyone wishes that they were part of their favorite team and could help them win the championship.

Rating: C-


June 22, 2010