The Air Up There

"Jimmy Dolan went to recruit a new player. What he found was a whole new ballgame."

1994 1h 47m EN

😐

6.2

MID

★6.2TMDB · 173

FamilyComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Jimmy Dolan is a college basketball coach who wants a big promotion. To get it, he needs to make a dramatic find. He ends up deep in Africa, hoping to recruit Saleh, a huge basketball prodigy Jimmy glimpsed in a home movie. But Saleh is the chief's son and has responsibilities at home, since the tribe's land is threatened by a mining company with its own hotshot basketball team.

“Jimmy Dolan went to recruit a new player. What he found was a whole new ballgame.”

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Cast

Kevin Bacon
Jimmy Dolan
Charles Gitonga Maina
Saleh
Yolanda Vazquez
Sister Susan
Mabutho 'Kid' Sithole
Nyaga
Sean McCann
Ray Fox
Dennis Patrick
Father O'Hara
Ilo Mutombo
Mifundo
Nigel Miguel
Halawi

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Paul Michael Glaser
Writers: Max Apple
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

32 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Paul Michael Glaser, shot by Dick Pope. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by David Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Tom McMurtry shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Kevin Bacon and Charles Gitonga Maina and Yolanda Vazquez carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Jimmy Dolan went to recruit a new player. What he found was a whole new ballgame.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0109067 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Paul Michael Glaser directs. Dick Pope behind the camera. David Newman scores. Tom McMurtry cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

132 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Paul Michael Glaser, shot by Dick Pope. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by David Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Tom McMurtry shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Kevin Bacon and Charles Gitonga Maina and Yolanda Vazquez carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Jimmy Dolan went to recruit a new player. What he found was a whole new ballgame.".
7IMDB entry: tt0109067 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.