Eddie

This is a comedy-fantasy, people -- not a documentary. The pacing is bouncy and rollicking. The performances are precisely what they should be -- neither "villain" is one-dimensional or over-the-top, but just menacing enough in the right amounts, and the ways in which Eddie triumphs over each of them are quite clever.

Mayor Koch's cameo is hysterical, as is the bit with Stacey's Mom. Ostertag shows good comic timing. The background of Eddie is just touching enough without being maudlin. The transition of the Knicks from selfish losers to re-motivated winners is handled just right for a comedy-fantasy. This is at least in a class with Angels In The Outfield as an enjoyable comedy-fantasy.

Eddie isn't the best movie ever made, but it's perfect for watching on a lazy afternoon. It's one of those unpretentious Whoopi Goldberg comedies that bring a smile to your face. Whoopi plays Eddie, a loud-mouthed New York Knicks fan who through dumb luck becomes head coach. Expect lots of cameos from real NBA players and wooden acting from those same players (There are many howlers by "Preacher" a.k.a. B-baller Mark Jackson). Overall, a pleasant diversion not meant for film snobs. 7/10

After winning free-throw contest at a New York Knicks basketball game, b-ball fanatic Whoopi Goldberg is pegged to be the last place team's new coach! She whips the boys into shape...but is she just being used as a publicity clown? Cookie-cutter movie (with a script cobbled together from work by seven different writers!) is saddled with a limp third act, very little substance overall, and one-dimensional supporting characters. However, director Steve Rash wisely allows Whoopi to be Whoopi, and her contagious good spirit rises above the mire and is enjoyable. The takeover sub-plot really sinks this comedy-fantasy in the end, but Goldberg is a trouper and offers several hearty laughs. ** from ****

The NBA's New York Knicks are caught in a record-breaking losing streak, attendance is way down and new owner Frank Langella has a plan to make a few quick bucks and then move the team away from the Big Apple by hatching a plan to get super-fan Whoopi Goldberg to coach the team. What follows is a minimally funny and heartwarming movie that stays above the water due to Goldberg's enthusiasm and the surprisingly good performances of real NBA stars who play different parts as her Knick players. John Salley, who just shines in front of the camera, Vanessa Williams' real-life husband Rick Fox, Greg Ostertag and Mark Jackson are real scene-stealers. However, it is the late Malik Sealy (tragically killed in a car wreck a couple of years ago while a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves) who out-does all his NBA co-stars with a somewhat deep and personal performance as a superstar who learns that teamwork is the true key to success. Worth a look, but just presentable. 2.5 out of 5 stars.

The film may have a satisfying ending, but the journey to getting there is a little tedious and annoying. It didn't engage me.