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 ****
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Boyo-216 July 2002Even in small comedies, I believe the screenwriter has to be a little respectful to his audience. I think the average person on the street will extend disbelief in a movie if you present it in an acceptable manner. No one complained that in 'While You Were Sleeping' that the entire plot in completely dependant on everyone experiencing the same misunderstandings. Or did they?
So, in that same way, Whoopi should get to do a stupid movie that no one will believe a word of. She has an Oscar and some box office clout, why not take them out for a spin?
She plays Edwina, a loudmouth Knicks fan who is cursed with lousy seats, a really bad team and a boss who does not understand her obsession. Since the team has a new owner (Langella) who conveniently does not get along with the coach (Dennis Farina), changes are in store. The owner is more suited to the WWF, as he speaks to the crowd before the game from the court, on a HORSE, and during his pyro show he accidentally destroys the retired jersey of Walt Frazier...I told you it was illogical.
So he's tacky and has no regard for team tradition. Its not a long stretch for him to arrange things to get Edwina (known as Eddie) to coach the team for half a game in the name of promotion. When the current coach protests, he gets fired.
So Eddie gets to be the coach full time, and takes a loser team and makes them a winner..I told you it was predictable. What's worse is that Eddie was extremely knowledgable in the problems of the team before she took over, but once the coaching job is given to her she is mysteriously clueless.
But in addition to believing that a fan would take on the head coach job, you are also asked to believe that the owner will move the team to St. Louis, IF THEY WIN..this put Eddie in an awkward situation, no?
Unless you never saw another movie in your life, you can predict the outcome.
But as a sports fan, who's suffered at times like all sports fans suffer in the name of love for your team, I can't help but enjoy it on at least a couple of levels. 5/10. -
michel-fahed30 September 1999I think that you should watch movies like EDDIE only when you don't want to work you brains on. I'm not saying that it's not a funny movie but if you look deep inside you find that it does not contain the real life of the N.B.A. 5/10 is what this movie deserves
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bob the moo23 November 2003When the New York Knicks are in the middle of a really poor run when they are purchased by a new owner, Wild Bill Burgess. In an attempt to get the fans into the Garden, he arranges a `honorary coach' contest which fan Eddie Franklin wins. She takes to the bench pushing Coach Bailey's patience to breaking point. When Wild Bill sees the fans react to Eddie he lets Bailey walk and gives her the job. When she turns the losing streak around the team starts to change but what is Wild Bill's financial plan for the Knicks?
As a Knicks fan I am used to seeing them play rubbish and `snatch defeat from the jaws of victory' so I didn't think it would hurt to watch this film at least in this fictional film they stand a chance of a playoff berth! The plot is quite silly in essence, and very unlikely but it is used well to create jokes and good basketball action. The jokes are a mix of Goldberg's usual stuff as well as New York & NBA in-jokes. The Goldberg stuff is OK if you like her, I always liked her smart mouth so I enjoyed it.
The in-jokes and cameos also help the film. Be it Letterman, the Mayor or a host of NBA stars, the film is carried by these until it realises that it needs to get an actual plot to finish on! At one point I feared a romantic interest but was happy to see that dropped and a plot about Wild Bill's plans brought into play instead. This isn't great but it does OK and provides a good enough framework for Goldberg's wise mouth and lots of NBA cameos! The cast is deep in players, some knicks, most not, some knicks-to-be! Johnson, Jackson, Rodman, Patton, Mouges, Rick Fox and so on, they all play a good part in the film and the `oh look it's' effect helps keep the interest.
Of course many jokes do fall flat and the overall narrative is pretty weak, but the film is a fun diversion. As a knicks fan I did enjoy it on that level but I also felt it wasn't a bad way to spend 90 minutes. It has a watchable energy and is worth seeing if you like basketball and are in an undemanding mood. -
Non-stop hilarity. Genius Film-making. Unworldly writing. Heavenly Acting. This movie has it all.This movie gets an A+++ from me. Some people might say "You're Crazy Man This Movie is worse than an alligators ball sack". TO those people I say look no farther than Greg Ostertags genius acting. Why he hasn't been in more movies is beyond me.
By the way. All that I said above is untrue. This movie is horrible. Whoopi Goldberg is horrible. Greg Ostertag is horrible (on the basketball court and the big screen). I currently rate this movie below the Power Rangers movie. Thats right. I rate this movie BELOW The Power Rangers Movie. Save yourself that free rental at Blockbuster and don't get this film. -
taruss17 September 2001I have a friend who mentioned that she had been looking for a used copy of this movie for her collection, and I found one by accident at a flea market the other day. I had not seen the movie and wondered why, out of all the movies that a person might possibly want in their collection, she had wanted this one. So, I decided to watch it before sending it on, with the excuse for opening it, that I wanted to make sure it still watchable, being as some of the movies I have found at flea markets have proven to be well worn out copies, on occasion.
Well, there was nothing that I did not predict way before it happened in this one. It was an enchanting story, but nothing about which to think deeply. I did notice a veiled feminist vein in the premise, and I suppose this is what my friend saw that made her desire this movie. It will not bore you, but I doubt you would find yourself wanting to tell everyone to go see this one either. I hope my friend is happy with her gift. See it or not . .. there is nothing you have not seen before, just the sport/characters were changed. -
TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews5 February 2006I remember passing up many an opportunity to watch this film... I would catch commercials stating that it would air within days, I never made a point of watching it(in fact, I rather made one of missing it). Tonight, I saw it (as the famous line in Spaceballs goes) for the first time, for the last time. The movie is just not funny. I never laughed, smirked, heck, I didn't even smile. It wasn't charming, clever or even sporadically amusing. I'm generally not into movies about sports... but I have liked them. I didn't like this one. Didn't care for it a bit. Whoopi Goldberg has her moments, but they are few and far between... and none of them are in this flick. The plot is daft and poorly written. The acting is unimpressive. The characters are thin, clichéd stereotypes. The humor is simplistic and unfunny. The timing is off, more often than not. The sports scenes aren't particularly exciting or involving. The score is decent enough, with one or two great songs. All in all, the film is just not all that interesting... it might be decent entertainment for fans of basketball. But then again, the same could be said of Space Jam, and we all know the level of quality presented in that film... exactly. That film may actually be more entertaining, since it at least has one or two comedic talents(take that, Goldberg). I suggest you skip it, unless you *really* want to see a basketball flick. I recommend this to fans of basket and/or Whoopi Goldberg. Everyone else probably shouldn't bother. 5/10
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robert1500ca5 January 2003Eddie 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
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PCC092120 February 2023If you look at Whoopie Goldberg's resume of work, this film, I'm sure ranks near the bottom of the list. That doesn't mean this is a bad film. I am sorry to say though, it is not a great film either. Goldberg was so busy working during this time in her career, that smaller projects were coming into her circle too. During this time, for a brief moment in film history, Whoopie was actually the highest paid female actress ever, because of her payroll for Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993). She just started hosting the Oscars two years before the release of this film. Her star was high right now. She was a very busy person. In order to build-up her resume, she accepted smaller roles, produced by smaller studios, using the second-tier of Hollywood creators.
It begins with the script for this film. When trying to convince a fantasy, superhero or science fiction audience, that your fictional character is real, can sometimes be easier, than trying to convince your real-world audience, that your real-world character is believable. When a writer establishes a film as being totally void of fantasy, a film that takes place in the real world about real things, you still have to make it believable. It also looks like a director is force-feeding the audience a plot, that the audience must accept, no matter how silly it is. It's like your director is saying, "just believe it and go with it", which never works. The first stretch in this film's script occurs when a New York Knicks fan, named Eddie (Goldberg), wins the prize of being the honorary coach of the Knicks team, during the game she is attending. She then becomes elected the head coach of the team, for the second half of the game, after the real head coach, John Bailey (Dennis Farina), walks off the court.
Then the script-writers send this twist at us. The new owner of the team, William "Wild Bill" Burgess (Frank Langella), decides he likes Eddie so much, that he fires Coach Bailey and makes Eddie the coach of the New York Knicks, for the rest of the season. From there, it's a mad dash to the playoffs for Eddie and her spoiled, lazy basketball team. This film also suffers from the fact, that Whoopie's supporting cast was mostly NBA players, who can't really act. The rest of the cast consists of Frank Langella in the miscast role of Texas-born, Knick's owner, Burgess. He is the man who keeps handing everything to Eddie, like this could really happen in real-life. The reality gauge was turned way up. I know Eddie (1996), is just a movie, but I need a little more authenticity in the explanation, on how lucky Eddie is.
The film tries to be a comedy, but I think it loses some of that, while trying to get the flimsy story to conclude. It feels more like a feel-good movie than I comedy really. I always enjoyed watching Whoopi Goldberg do her work. I loved watching her host the Oscars back in the 1990s. She also had just finished her excellent run on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1988-1993), at this time too. Whoopie is fine in this movie, but no one really else is. The script just wasn't there. It is only the work of Whoopi, that can really save this film. As the film begins to right itself, it shoots itself in the foot again. As we near the end of the season, the unbelievable plot-turns keep coming, as the film spirals into a ridiculous finale. The film also has a made-for-tv feel to it. The film does make you feel good, even though most of the story is hard to swallow. Look for a cameo by Dennis Rodman.
5.9 (D MyGrade) = 6 IMDB. -
herbertatara22 June 2005This 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. -
PredragReviews13 May 2016This film shows Whoopi Goldberg at her big mouth wise cracking best. The film is about a rich chairman who buys the New York Nicks and try's to turn a losing team into a freak show to make money. So he hires a big mouth fan as the head coach who he believes can't coach. The first half of the film is funniest as Whoopi Goldberg tells the Nicks coaches what she really thinks of them. Some of the misfit players are quite good to. There is a Russian who can't speak any English, a great player except he won't pass the ball and a player who is more interested in his failing marriage. And let's not forget the showman owner, who rides a real horse on the court, wants to "give the folks a good show", and sees a better money-making opportunity once Eddie turns the team around.
Sure it was kind of predictable, and as many have observed, it pretty much derails by the midway point. But Whoopi Goldberg as the Knicks fan-turned-coach gives a spirited, touching performance. Her initial awkward moments with team members ring true enough. The ways that attempts to reach out to team members range from the plausible (providing ad hoc marriage counseling to one) to the highly unlikely (learning enough Russian to begin to bridge the cultural and linguistic gap of a Russian born player). The contrived, feel-good ending brings the film down several notches on the originality scale. But Whoopi Goldberg gives it all she's got as does the rest of the cast. They wind up giving the movie pretty much all the appeal that it's got.
Overall rating: 7 out of 10. -
Gordon-1126 September 2021The film may have a satisfying ending, but the journey to getting there is a little tedious and annoying. It didn't engage me.
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Movie concept: Promising. Actors: Goldberg perfect for the role. Script: 6 writers couldn't put something together with a tighter script than this?????
This film has a pretty low rating on IMDb, and I'm not surprised. Although the concept was pretty good, the execution was sloppy...just about as sloppy as the team was during the first half of the film. I had the idea throughout the film that most people involved were just going through the motions.
That's not to say there aren't some good moments here. There are some good laughs. Occasionally Whoppi shines like I expected her to shine. It's all pretty good natured, and some of the cameos by politicians and others are fun.
Whoopi does fairly well in the lead. Although it's hardly his finest hour, Frank Langella is decent as the new Texan club owner. And Dennis Farina is fine as the old and opposing coach. But there was no danger here of anyone winning an Oscar or Golden Globe.
It's a couple of hours of fun, but I'd never be tempted to watch it a second time. -
tyshimah37 February 2008Eddie: Just about a pro team overcoming obstacles that many teams face in a season. Basketball is my favorite sport. Rick Fox is my favorite actor. So this is definitely one of my favorite movies. There are so many good "life" points in the movie. Whoppi Goldberg is great in this movie and it is filled with a lot of stars without the movie being egotistical and whatnot. It is just a feel good movie with a lot of funny bits. And I watch it because of Goldberg, Fox and Malik Sealy who was so good in this movie and who was killed a while after it was released.
It will keep you laughing non-stop and the music is good as well. I hope this is helpful. -
johnnykeane1010 September 2011Eddie starring Whoppi Goldberg is a product of the tremendous interest generated by the game of Basketball in the 90s in the USA, mostly because of the jazz and excitement of the game and players like Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman etc who drew in large crowds and made the NBA big business.
The best feature about this film is it does not take itself seriously from the beginning. There fun poked at greedy players, foreign imports and egotistical coaches! The film itself is about a huge fan of the New York Knicks who becomes coach of the New York Knicks by becoming close to the new owner of the Knicks Wild Bill Burgess( Frank Langella)
The cameos in the film are plentiful and while MJ himself does not make an appearance it gives a funny insight into what its like to be on the court and what makes players tick. One shot of John Salley making a free throw is very striking and would send a shiver down any sports fan of any sport.
Its not a blue chips type basketball film, its a comedy/sports movie that is easy to watch and thats why i am giving it a 7!
P.S look out for a rare cameo from Leroy from Fame as a dancer! -
Bluesradio6221 March 2020This is definitely a cute movie that has some profound lines about standing up for your rights and treating people with respect....Also cute seeing some profound acting roles by folks like Rick Fox and John Salley as well as cameos by people like Ed Koch and Donald Trump. Think the film is worth checking out and is definitely worthwhile checking out.....
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tfrizzell5 July 2002The 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.
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edwardi-koch9 February 2006Whoopi Goldberg is ideally cast as a passionate and loud-mouthed Knicks fan with the best of intentions. The film does as a good job of setting up its fantastic premise: Whoopi appointed as coach of the Knicks to help the owner break obnoxious coach Dennis Farina's ironclad contract. Farina is terrific as the ex-coach of the Knicks who tries to edge the Knicks out for the last playoff spot in the East as the Coach of the Hornets. Vlade Divac is hysterically funny, but not-at-all over-the-top as Ivan. Frank Langella is perfectly sinister but never unbelievable as the larger-than-life Cowboy owner who buys the Knicks to try to sell them for a profit. There are hilarious cameos throughout especially by two former NYC mayors.
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CmHowell9920 February 2003I saw this film about a week ago. It's about a die hard New York Knicks fan named Edwina she becomes cursed with lousy seats, a bad team, and a boss who doesn't understand her obsession. In a contest to see to be the new coach for the Knicks Edwina wins the contest she's a bit pushy at first but she then goes a little easier on the players. The owner badly wants Edwina to sell the Knicks but the fans say boo to the game when Wild Bill tells her to get off the court. But she refuses at the next game she also teaches the players that they have fans that care for them. They go from a lousy team to a really good team they also win the championship game by a score of 99-98. It is a depressing loss for Carolina. Check it out you may like it.
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rockchester21 June 2014This is arguably one of Whoppi's best movies. It's also a well done movie overall. It's an unassuming comedy that focuses more on positive characters and the better aspects of humanity than on controversy and good versus evil. It's a movie that you can watch with the entire family, especially children.
Whoppi's character is a woman obsessed with the New York Knicks and through a convergence of an unusual and unlikely set of circumstances, becomes the coach of the team. Her admirable ability to see good in everyone and a lack of guile makes her a leader who steers the people around her towards victory in their lives as well as on the court.
There is some genuine pathos in the movie as well as some loads of human to human interactions that are heartwarming and, yes, again, positive that will leave you satisfied and feeling pretty good. It'll turn that frown upside down. -
KevinSmith1320 October 2004As a black man, I need inspiration from fellow African Americans. This film provides it...IN FOLDS! Whoopi Goldberg gives a heartwarming performance, perhaps even better than her work in "The Color Purple", "Amistad", "Ghostbusters." Goldberg's performance is masterful; however, the true star of this magical movie is Greg Ostertag. His bravery in portraying this enigma of a character is mindboggling. Little known fact about Mr.Ostertag, he portrayed the ghost of Christmas future in his 10th grade production of "A Christmas Carol." Ostertag is not only a dominating force on the basketball court, he is dominating with his screen presence in "Eddie." I recommend seeing this film immediately if only for Greg Ostertag's performance. 9/10. If you enjoy this film I would also recommend "Space Cowboys"
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ThunderKing610 February 2024Sometimes being very different from reality is what movies need to be entertaining. Eddie had many unrealistic moments and it helped make this film enjoyable
Date:
February 9 2024
Genre;
Sports, comedy
Duration:
1 hour 36 min
What was this film/show/game about?:
It was about a taxi driver becoming the head coach of the New York Kinckerbockers. While being the coach and a Knicks fangirl The owner has secret plans.
The story and the production overview:
A nice sports film.
No one Sometimes being very different from reality is what movies need to be entertaining. Eddie had many unrealistic moments and it helped make this film enjoyable
Date:
February 9 2024
Genre;
Sports, comedy
Duration:
1 hour 36 min
What was this film/show/game about?:
It was about a taxi driver becoming the head coach of the New York Kinckerbockers. While being the coach and a Knicks fangirl The owner has secret plans.
The story and the production overview:
A nice sports film.
A good movie for a weekend.
It has unrealistic stuff like moving a team from NY to st Louis.
If they want to move a team they will move a team they never tell a coach as if they need permission.
The growth was fine.
Seeing various nba players were cool too.
Overall:
Fine little movie.
Highlight:
Corny ending where the fans go on the court.
Moral:
Win!
Villian:
Cowboy owner. He was ok.
Punny Rating:
Felt like a championship film
Finals words:
Malik Sealy died in st Louis... What are the odds. -
RevAnthonyCary2 August 2001If genocide and SIDS weren't enough to convince you that there is no altruistic higher-power, then Eddie will set you straight. Eddie did more than follow a formula. It told you the formula as it was fulfilled so that you could tell that they followed it. Have you ever seen a movie that involved sports? Eddie stole from that movie, or at least the spirit of that movie. The characters are so thin that they are considered by physicists to be vacuums, and Whoopie Goldberg phoned it in the way a tired grad-student phones in a bomb threat to get out of a mid-term. If your faith is weak as it is, don't test it via the Eddie litmus test.
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harperelf-111 October 2011I'll try to keep this short and to the point. This is not a complex drama, not was it meant to be. As a previous reviewer pointed out, the pacing is quick and timely. On some levels, you could view this as a moral tale. The good guys win in the end. The heroine puts out a max effort, remains true to her values, but also discovers her view of the situation was a bit too simple. (Perhaps as many of us have a tendency towards?). As in life, a little attitude and approach adjustment, and she zeroes in on the goal. The willingness to risk failing, however, remaining steadfast to her morals, provides the final tension that is resolved with the cathartic victory in the end.