The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979)
Rated: PG
Runtime: 102 minutes
Stars: Julius Erving, Stockard Channing, James Bond III
Director: Gilbert Moses
Plot: Moses Guthrie (Julius Erving) is a star player for the Pittsburgh Pythons. He and his team are in a slump and fighting amongst each other. Tyrone (James Bond III), the team ball-boy/water-boy, has an idea that might turn their season around. He acquires the help of local astrologer Mona Mondieu (Stockard Channing) to restructure the Pythons around Moses with a whole new team of players who fall under the sign of Pisces.
Rating—out of 5 basketballs: 2 basketballs. 1 for the cool music, and the other because I recommend this movie.
Tournament seed: 10–12—movie is a sleeper, primed to upset a higher seed. Don’t be surprised if other people jump on the bandwagon when the brackets are released. It could play its way into the sweet 16.
A lot better than the low rating it received on IMDb. This movie is groovy with plenty of jive and turkey. The basketball scenes are well done with the use of real NBA players. Lyrics in the songs describe the plot as it’s happening, which help move the film along at a great pace. The new team (which appropriately gets a name change from the Pythons to the Pisces) is a collection of crazy characters that work well as a group. Bullet, Driftwood, Jackhammer, Reverend, Running Hawk, Setshot, Truth, and the Rae twins all have great moments while leading the team to the finals. Who knew that astrology would do for basketball what sabermetrics did for baseball? Tyrone was the Billy Beane of his time. The downtown Pittsburgh of the movie seems to be obsessed with “adult” entertainment: there is a strip club and an adult theater around every corner. The movie walks a fine line between PG and R. This is best exemplified in an awesome montage involving Moses (who is one sweet mutha dude) and Tyrone’s older sister, where he seduces her with an array of smooth jump shots and powerful slam dunks. I am glad the movie never crosses over to R because it would have made Moses an unlikeable guy.
I am not sure if my being born on February 29th had anything to do with my enjoyment of the movie, but…
Moses: “I’m a Pisces, man. I need a little stroke from time to time.”
Dynamite review! I honestly laughed out loud (not just lol'd) at the Sabremetrics line. How was Dr. J as an actor? As good as Kareem in Slam Dunk Ernest? I love it when movies use song as narrative drive. It's not just for musicals and Disney movies! While this may be a good sleeper pick now, because of its age, it's more suseptable to injury late in the season, so I'm not sold on an upset so early in the season.
ReplyDeleteJeff! I would NEVER have picked this movie to watch....NEVER!!!! Ive never even heard of it, but now I have to see it. This sounds so groovy! Ha ha....I have this really cheesy vision of a 70's sports opera...loaded with jive recitative and "wocka wock boom" overtures.....and awesome bell bottoms. Ha ha ha ha....I can't stop laughing
ReplyDeleteN: Dr. J carried this movie. I know, hard to believe. Kareem was never good at anything. I may just be saying that though, because I hate the Lakers.
ReplyDeleteE: It is definately a crowd pleaser, and if people knew you were watching it, they would flock to your house by the hundreds!