Celtic Pride

Lore & Background

The narrative centers on Mike O'Hara, a physical education teacher who recently moved back in with his best friend Jimmy Flaherty after his wife Carol left him due to his obsession with the Celtics. Their shared passion for Boston sports, particularly the team's final season at the Boston Garden, unites them against despair following Game 6. After stumbling upon Utah Jazz star Lewis Scott at a nightclub, Mike and Jimmy initially attempt to get him drunk but end up kidnapping him in their apartment. The dynamic shifts when Scott reveals his arrogance, mocking Mike for being a washed-up college player who couldn't go pro, while Mike criticizes Scott's behavior, including skipping practices and starring in an Oscar Mayer hot dog commercial.

In Their Own Story

Escalating tensions lead to a confrontation where Scott frees himself using Jimmy's gun but is foiled by a local cop named Kevin and an antagonistic cabbie, both fellow Celtics fans. Facing prison, Mike reconciles with his wife and son while Jimmy bids farewell to his grandmother. At the game, they convince other fans their support for the Jazz is a ruse to jinx them. With Utah trailing by one point and just over 7 seconds remaining, Scott refuses to pass the ball, allowing the Celtics to close the gap. In a twist, Mike and Jimmy choose life over victory, rooting for Utah as Scott scores the winning basket. Post-game, Scott denies the kidnapping charges to save them from Kevin's arrest. Months later, despite promising his wife he would never interfere with an NBA Finals game again, Mike and Jimmy sneak into Deion Sanders' hotel room at 3:00 a.m., presumably to kidnap him during football season.

Reader's Guide

Critics received Celtic Pride poorly upon its April 19, 1996 release. Hal Hinson of The Washington Post called it woefully short on laughs, coarse, and insulting, while TV Guide noted its disturbing racial implications went unacknowledged, awarding it one-and-a-half stars. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 12% approval rating based on 25 reviews. Audiences were slightly kinder, giving it a B− grade from CinemaScore. Despite negative reception and star power including Daniel Stern, Dan Aykroyd, and Damon Wayans, the film grossed only $9.3 million domestically. Ironically, Bill Murray has stated he saw the film and credits it as the reason he turns down role offers from writer Judd Apatow.

Did You Know?

• The film grossed $9.3 million domestically, less than the $10 million threshold mentioned in reception reports.
• Bill Murray claims he turns down role offers from Judd Apatow because of his experience watching this specific film.
• Lewis Scott's character is depicted as starring in a campy Oscar Mayer hot dog commercial within the movie's plot.
• The kidnapping plot was foiled by an antagonistic cabbie and a local cop named Kevin, both of whom were revealed to be Celtics fans.