Eddie (1996)
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15% of critics liked it
(33 reviews) -
42% of users liked it
(24,616 ratings)
In this comedy, a basketball fan figures she could be a better coach than the guy getting paid millions to do the job -- and then gets the chance to prove it. Edwina "Eddie" Franklin (Whoopi Goldberg) is a limousine dispatcher and sometime driver who is a passionate New York Knicks fan;… More In this comedy, a basketball fan figures she could be a better coach than the guy getting paid millions to do the job -- and then gets the chance to prove it. Edwina "Eddie" Franklin (Whoopi Goldberg) is a limousine dispatcher and sometime driver who is a passionate New York Knicks fan; she loyally follows their every move, attending as many home games as possible from the cheap seats and radioing game updates to her drivers when they play during her working hours. The Knicks are purchased by eccentric Southern millionaire Wild Bill Burgess (Frank Langella) in the middle of a long losing streak; when Wild Bill calls for a limo, Eddie arranges to drive him herself, and gives him a piece of her mind about the sad state of the team. Impressed, Wild Bill makes Eddie an honorary coach for the night, and her spitfire attitude and encouragement of the players impresses her. However, Wild Bill thinks putting on a show to boost attendance is more important than having a winning team, and eventually Knicks coach Bailey (Dennis Farina) quits in disgust. Wild Bill gets the bright idea of hiring Eddie as the team's new head coach; she considers it an honor, and at only $50,000 a year, he considers it a bargain. While Eddie is hardly an experienced leader, she soon learns how to motivate her team, and against all odds she helps pull the Knicks out of their losing streak -- but now has to face Wild Bill, who is losing interest in the team and wants to sell. Several real-life NBA stars make cameo appearances, including Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Rick Fox, and Mark Jackson, while prominent New Yorkers David Letterman and Donald Trump play themselves. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Steve Rash
- Genres
- Comedy
PG-13,
- In Theaters
- May 31, 1996 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Bruce Walker, Washington Post
The next hour or so is filled with the Knicks committing turnovers, until a player tells Eddie they'll keep losing until she takes an interest in their personal lives. Wow!
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Charlotte O'Sullivan, Time Out
What saves the film from abomination is the basketball.
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Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
It's a fresh, funny, engaging picture that sets up an arresting situation and then follows through on it realistically.
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Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
This sounds like a sensational scenario, but, alas, almost everything in betweenis recycled out of lightweight sports-movie cliches, and the movie never captures the electricity and excitement of the real NBA.
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Mike Clark, USA Today
As long as the hoopsters mix it up with the Whoopster, it's fun. A second-string story keeps interrupting, though.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
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Cast
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Whoopi Goldberg
as Edwina "Eddie" Franklin
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Frank Langella
as Wild Bill Burgess
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Dennis Farina
as Coach Bailey
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Richard Jenkins
as Carl Zimmerman
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Lisa Ann Walter
as Claudine
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John Benjamin Hickey
as Joe Nader
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Marvin H. Albert
as Himself
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Chris Berman
as Himself
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Troy Beyer
as Beth Hastings
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Vlade Divac
as Himself (Los Angeles Lakers)
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Alex English
as Himself (Cleveland Cavaliers head coach)
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Fabio
as Himself
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J. Don Ferguson
as Game Referee
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Edward I. Koch
as Himself (Former New York City mayor)
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David Letterman
as Himself (uncredited)
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Mick McGovern
as Game Referree
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Albert Pisarenkov
as Mischa
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Gene Anthony Ray
as Dancer
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Rob Ryder
as Himself (Cleveland Cavaliers assistant c...
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John Salley
as Nate Wilson
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Donald Trump
as Himself
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Spud Webb
as Himself (Atlanta Hawks)
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David Dwyer
as Game Referree
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Brian Grant
as Himself (Sacramento Kings)
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Eartha Robinson
as Knicks choreographer
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Mark Jackson
as Darren Taylor
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Johnny Williams
as Big Al
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Larry Johnson
as Himself (Charlotte Hornets)
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Dale Davis
as Himself (Indiana Pacers)
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Herb Williams
as Pickup Player
- Dennis Rodman
- Dwayne Schintzius
- Greg Ostertag
- Jerry Seinfeld
- Malik Sealy
- Marv Albert
- Rick Fox
- Rudolph W. Giuliani
