Search - The Air Up There on DVD

Julie D. (ecomama)
Reviewed on 7/11/2008...

This movie is in my "All Time Favs" Top 10
Jimmy Dolan is all about winning. He played sports until he blew out his knee, then he became a coach's assistant. He can't stand the young athletes that are just in it for the money and he can't resist a challenge. The head coach says he isn't a team player and he's about to be passed up when the head coach retires. That's the movie's setup.
Jimmy gets a wild idea (after drinking too much) to head to Africa and find a extremely tall basketball playing native he saw on a documentary.
Jimmy pushes all of his boundaries, stretches all of his limits and at the end he has to chose between doing what is best for himself or doing what is best for the "team."
Well, the reason this is one of my favorite movies is that I feel it's the best portrayal of what Peace Corps experience is like (forget the dumb movie with Tom Hanks & John Candy that is NOTHING like Peace Corps). It's a great movie that will have you literally jumping out of your seat at the end (actually, jumping up and down, as high as you can go!)...we've tried to find it on DVD for years.

1 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

I Hate Basketball And Love The Movie

Richard Posner | Long Island, NY USA | 11/25/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a pretty well educated film goer--took film courses in college, read much, understand the vocabulary and history of film. AND I have a secret, forbidden list--a list of films I really love but critics didn't. Such gems as Gung Ho! (with Michael Keaton) and The Golden Child (Eddie Murphy) grace this list. Out with snobbery, in with fun I say!The Air Up There is definitely on my list. I hate basketball--I'm bored by sports in general. But I love this movie. It makes me feel good. Kevin Bacon is at his brash and cocky best as an assistant coach for a Catholic college team which apparently is expected to win big. When his personal pride costs him the loss of a promising prospect, he journeys to Africa to recruit a VERY tall fellow he saw in a home movie from a priest doing Good Works out there. When the basketball prospect turns out to be a prince and some tribal rivalry and mining interests complicate matters, the brash assistant coach has to find out what really matters.Cliched? Sure. Predictable. I hope to tell you. But I love it anyway. The acting is amiable, the characters fun, the setting just exotic enough, the writing sure-handed, the story uplifting, and I got excited watching the basketball sequences even though I hate the game.So what can I tell you? We talk now about not letting terrorists run our lives. I say don't let critics run your life either. I watch this movie at least twice a year and feel a whole lot happier when it's over. Try it."

A quality basketball movie

Michael J. Sopher | Green, Ohio | 03/20/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This movie proves that it doesn't matter where you are, if you have talent, someone will find it. I enjoyed this film a lot."

Let The Music Play

Alfreda doyle | Charleston, South Carolina (USA) | 08/22/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The really enjoyed the movie. Kevin bacon was great and so was the African actors. I have seen this movie about four times on our local cable network and I laugh as if it was the first time viewing it. The main reason I wanted to review this movie because I really enjoyed the soundtrack. The music on the soundtrack was especially good. I enjoyed the african songs, but I was not sure who sang them. I am looking to purchase this soundtrack but I could not find anyone selling it. I am really interested in the african lyrics or songs and I will really like to know who the artists are."