The Air Up There

{{Infobox film

| name = The Air Up There

| image = Air up there.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Paul Michael Glaser

| writer = Max Apple

| starring = Kevin Bacon

| producer = {{unbulleted list|Robert W. Cort|Ted Field|Rosalie Swedlin}}

| music = David Newman

| cinematography = Dick Pope

| editing = Michael A. Polakow

| studio = {{unbulleted list|Hollywood Pictures|Interscope Communications|PolyGram Filmed Entertainment|Nomura Babcock & Brown}}

| distributor = Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

| released = {{Film date|1994|01|07}}

| runtime = 107 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $17 million

| gross = $21 million

}}

The Air Up There is a 1994 American sports comedy film directed by Paul Michael Glaser and starring Kevin Bacon and Charles Gitonga Maina with Yolanda Vazquez as Sister Susan.

Plot

Jimmy Dolan is a college basketball assistant coach who wants to find a new star for his team since he believes this will get him a promotion to head coach at the school. He sees a home video of a prospect named Saleh and travels to Kenya to recruit him. Upon arriving in this country, Dolan finds himself confronted not only with the challenges of basketball but also with the challenges of adjusting to and learning how to live in the midst of a brand-new culture. Though Dolan is initially opposed by Saleh's father who is also the leader of the village, he later agrees to let his son play. Dolan and Saleh both teach each other life lessons before they take the court for one final game with everything on the line. One of the most dramatic scenes in the film involves the instruction of Saleh by Dolan regarding the "Jimmy Dolan Shake and Bake."

Cast

Kevin Bacon as Jimmy Dolan, a college basketball coach
Charles Gitonga Maina as Saleh, a basketball player from a village in Kenya{{citation |url=https://www.si.com/college/2016/07/07/charles-gitonga-maina-air-there-where-are-they-now-kevin-bacon/|title=Far from Hollywood, the Life of Charles Gitonga Maina Is a Complicated Tale|publisher=Sports Illustrated|date=7 July 2016|access-date=30 June 2024}}
Yolanda Vazquez as Sister Susan
Winston Ntshona as Urudu
Mabutho "Kid" Sithole as Nyaga
Sean McCann as Ray Fox
Dennis Patrick as Father O'Hara
Ilo Mutombo as Mifundo
Nigel Miguel as Halawi

Production

For scenes taking place in North America, the film was shot in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Copps Coliseum stood in for the University's arena. Scenes in Africa were shot in Kenya and Hoedspruit, South Africa.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109067/locations|title=Internet Movie Database - Filming locations for The Air Up There|website=IMDb |accessdate=2008-12-20}}

Reception

The Air Up There received negative reviews from critics.[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-01-07-ca-9215-story.html "MOVIE REVIEW : 'The Air Up There' Is Pretty Thin"]. Los Angeles Times. January 07, 1994|KENNETH TURAN | The Austin Chronicle mentions its "timeworn formula" and "cultural imperialism".[http://www.austinchronicle.com/calendar/film/1994-01-07/the-air-up-there/ "The Air Up There"]. The Austin Chronicle. The New York Times review points to a plot similar to several other Disney movies.[https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C07E0DE1631F934A35752C0A962958260 "The Air Up There (1993) Review/Film; Basketball As a Bridge Between 2 Cultures"]. New York Times. By JANET MASLIN January 7, 1994{{cite news | last=Goff | first=Keli | url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/05/04/can-belle-end-hollywood-s-obsession-with-the-white-savior.html | title=Can 'Belle' End Hollywood's Obsession with the White Savior? | work=The Daily Beast | date=May 4, 2014 | accessdate=May 14, 2014 }} The film holds a rating of 21% on Rotten Tomatoes from 28 reviews.{{cite web|title=The Air Up There|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_air_up_there_1994|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes}}

Year-end lists

Dishonorable mention – John Hurley, Staten Island Advance{{cite news|last=Hurley|first=John|date=December 30, 1994|title=Movie Industry Hit Highs and Lows in '94|newspaper=Staten Island Advance|page=D11}}