Semi-Pro

For the term semi-pro in relation to the type of athlete, see Semi-professional.

Semi-Pro
Promotional film poster
Directed by	Kent Alterman
Written by	Scot Armstrong
Produced by	Jimmy Miller Co-Producer: Joshua Church Executive Producer: Toby Emmerich Lauren Shuler Donner Kent Alterman Michael Aguilar Cale Boyte David Householter
Starring	Will Ferrell Woody Harrelson André Benjamin Maura Tierney David Koechner Will Arnett Andrew Daly Andy Richter Ryan Marques Rob Corddry Matt Walsh
Cinematography	Shane Hurlbut
Edited by	Debra Neil-Fisher Peter Teschner
Music by	Theodore Shapiro
Production companies	Mosaic Media Group The Donner's Company Road Rebel
Distributed by	New Line Cinema
Release date	February 29, 2008 (2008-02-29)
Running time	92 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$90 million
Box office	$43,884,904

Semi-Pro is a 2008 American sports comedy film from New Line Cinema. The film was directed by Kent Alterman and stars Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin and Maura Tierney. The film was shot in Los Angeles near Dodger Stadium (in the gym of the Los Angeles City Fire Department Training Center), in Detroit and in Flint, Michigan. It was released in theaters on February 29, 2008 and was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 3, 2008. This was the last film from New Line Cinema before its sister company Warner Bros. took over.

Plot

Set in 1976, Jackie Moon is a singer who has used the profits from his one hit single "Love Me Sexy", to buy a basketball team in the American Basketball Association, the Flint Tropics, becoming the owner, head Coach and starting power forward. The ABA Commissioner announces a plan to merge the league with the National Basketball Association, but only four teams will move to the more established league. The Tropics, the worst team in the league, are in danger of dissolving. In response, Jackie argues that the teams with the four best records overall should be merged into the NBA. The Commissioner reluctantly accepts Jackie's offer.

Now that the Tropics have somewhat of a shot to be an NBA franchise, Jackie trades away the team's washing machine to the Kentucky Colonels for Ed Monix, former backup point guard for the NBA Champions the Boston Celtics. Soon, the Commissioner reveals that as well as having a top-four record, the Tropics will also need a stable fan base and have an attendance of at least 2,000 fans at every remaining home game of the season.

Jackie begins to stage extremely desperate stunts, like wrestling a bear named Dewie after a basketball game. The Tropics begin playing better with Monix, as well as the increased intensity of Clarence Withers. Monix soon takes over as offensive and defensive co-ordinator, as well as starting point guard, leaving Jackie merely the title of head Coach. Monix trains the team rigorously with a play he calls the "puke", as the players are to run it, without a ball, until they vomit.

From Monix's training, the Tropics go on a winning run, moving them up from last to fifth. Suddenly Jackie, now extremely excited about the possibilities in his grasp, gets a visit from the Commissioner. The Commissioner tells the team that the NBA does not think that Flint has a large enough media market and will not allow the Tropics into the league even if they beat the first place San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. Distressed, Jackie admits that he stole "Love Me Sexy" from a napkin his mother wrote on three weeks before she died. Now realizing that all his assets, including the team, are basically stolen, Jackie trades Withers to the Spurs so that he may realize his dream in the NBA. Monix inspires the team to leave everything on the court as, while they may not be able to continue the franchise after this season, they have come very far and still have a lot to prove.

Going into the Spurs game, which Moon declares the "MegaBowl", the Tropics are in fifth place and with a win they would make it into fourth, although they have no chance in making it into the NBA. The game begins and the Tropics fall behind quickly. In the closing seconds of the first half, Jackie gets fouled hard by Spurs player Petrelli while going up for a shot and is injured. Withers decides he has seen enough and rushes in to the Tropics locker rooms with the rest of the team, which angers the Spurs players and Coach.

During halftime, an unconscious Jackie imagines that he is in heaven with his mother. He apologizes for stealing her song and then she gives him a weapon in order to win the final game of the franchise. Awaking in the locker room, he tells the team what they are going to do to win. Back on the court, the Tropics reveal their new weapon: the Alley-Oop. With the return of Withers, it is very effective and he leads the charge. At first, the referee calls the play a foul, but after some persuasion by Jackie and Monix, is soon convinced that it is a legitimate score. The Tropics take advantage of this new strategy and begin coming back. After the Spurs start defending against the Alley-Oop, Monix then takes a charge and calls for them to run the "Puke" with 12 seconds left and down by two points, 115-117. The play gives Jackie the ball, but he gets fouled hard again with two seconds left. Shooting granny style, Moon sinks the first basket. The second rebounds off and Monix tips it in right at the buzzer for two points to score a victory for the Tropics.

The Coach of the Spurs offers Withers his position back on the team. The now-former ABA Commissioner offers Jackie a position on the staff of the NBA Assistant Commissioner, as a marketing director. Just as Jackie is about to accept, the Commissioner is mauled by the bear Jackie wrestled with earlier.

Cast

• Will Ferrell as Jackie Moon - The owner/player(Power Forward)/coach of the failing Flint Tropics and once famous billboard hit song "Love Me Sexy". Although Jackie has no knowledge in coaching, he turns out to be a great promoter at the last season of the ABA.
• André Benjamin as Clarence Withers / Coffee Black / Downtown "Funky Stuff" Malone / Sugar Dunkerton / "Jumping" Johnny Johnson - Shooting Guard for the Tropics. His dream was to play for the NBA, although all he ever did was gossip about going. Later trained by Ed Monix and offered a spot for the San Antonio Spurs after the final game.
• Woody Harrelson as Ed Monix - The aging Point Guard for the Tropics traded for a washing machine from the Kentucky Colonels. Took over as head coach of the Tropics to the teams request. Also a former NBA Champion although he sat through every playoff game for the Boston Celtics.
• Maura Tierney as Lynn - Ed Monix's love-interest.
• Andy Richter as Bobby Dee - General Manager for the Tropics. Jackie thinks of Bobby as a son and a best friend, namely a son-friend.
• Andrew Daly as Dick Pepperfield - Play-By-Play Announcer for the Tropics. It is also revealed that Dick is unfaithful to his wife in the middle of the film.
• Will Arnett as Lou Redwood - Color Commentator for the Tropics. While calling the game, Lou smokes cigarettes and drinks scotch. Also curses in the middle of the game
• David Koechner as Alan Ault, the ABA Commissioner - Always hard-nosed and straight up. Doesnt hold Jackie in high-esteem, but later comes to respect him considering Jackie was starting to turn the Tropics around.
• Rob Corddry as Kyle - Lynns new boyfriend. Also a big fan of Ed Monix.
• Matt Walsh as Father Pat - Although a priest, he still curses hypocritically. In an argument with Jackie Moon, Pat told Jackie "Maybe your mom didnt go to heaven".
• Patti LaBelle as Jackie's Mom - Appeared in Jackie's unconcious dream to invent the Alley oop. Jackies song "Love Me Sexy was actually his mom's, although she never was mad at Jackie for stealing it.
• Tim Meadows as Cornelius Banks - A friend of Jackie's who thinks he plays for the Tropics.
• Jackie Earle Haley as Dukes - a unemployed pothead who makes a long distance basketball shot to win 10,000 dollars, although Jackie originally made it up to promote more fans. After the end of the season although, Jackie starts paying Dukes.
• Kristen Wiig as Bear Trainer Girl - Only been with the bear for two days. Has a small crush for Jackie after realizing they are both wearing red.
• Jay Phillips as Scootsie Double Day - Point Guard for the Tropics.
• Josh Braaten as Twiggy Munson - Small Forward for the Tropics.
• Peter Cornell as Vakidis - Center for the Tropics. Does not understand english.
• Ian Roberts as Spurs Coach
• Phil Hendrie as Nets Coach
• DeRay Davis as Bee Bee Ellis - Guard/Forward and also the sixth man for the Tropics.
• Pat Kilbane as Petrelli - Ruthless and foul prone power forward for the Anaheim Amigos. Has a heated rivalry with both Jackie moon and Ed Monix.
• Ellia English as Ms. Quincy, Clarence's mother - Always at every Tropic game to support her son as well as the team. Holds Clarence in high-esteem for his NBA dreams.
• Ed Helms as Turtleneck reporter
• Brian Huskey as White Pants reporter
• Collette Wolfe as Melinda the Ball Girl
• Erinn Selkis as Ball Girl
• Artis Gilmore as Restaurant customer
• George Gervin as Restaurant customer
• Jason Sudeikis as Danny
• Kate Luyben as Staci Moon (uncredited)- Jackie Moons wife in the unrated version. Known to be an unfaithful tramp as she is always making out with other men.
• Grayson Boucher as Spirits Player #31 / Spurs Player #22 (uncredited)
• Arne Starr as NY Nets On-Air Announcer (uncredited)
• Jerry Minor as Paul the DJ (uncredited)
• Tiffany Michelle as Sarah (uncredited)

Dewie the Bear

The 5-year-old, 7+1⁄2-foot-tall (2.3 m), 700-pound (320 kg) male grizzly bear named Rocky appeared in the film in a scene where Will Ferrell's character wrestles him to promote his basketball team. Stuntman and trainer Randy Miller doubled for Ferrell during the wrestling match with the bear. On April 22, 2008, the bear bit 39-year-old Stephan Miller (Randy Miller's cousin and fellow trainer) on the neck, killing him.

Historical inconsistencies

• In one scene, the Tropics are shown playing against the Anaheim Amigos. The movie is set in 1976, but the Amigos relocated to Los Angeles to become the Stars after their first season in 1967-68.

• Also, in 1976 there were no "Break-Away" Rims as depicted in the film. The first breakaway rims (as the model depicted in the film) were introduced in 1981.

Marketing

• A number shown in the teaser trailer 1-800-TROPICS, when called played a recorded message of Jackie Moon talking about season ticket packages for the 1976 season
• Several ads for Anheuser-Busch were filmed featuring Will Ferrell in character as Jackie Moon that were aired during Super Bowl XLII. Some of the ads touted humorous promotional items with offers expiring in November 1977.
• A music video was released with Jackie Moon singing his 'hit' "Love Me Sexy"
• A prescreening at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas two weeks prior to the box office debut featured an appearance by Will Ferrell and director Kent Alterman. In order to obtain entrance to the theater, all viewers had to wear a basketball uniform similar to the one worn by Ferrell in the film.
• An official Jackie Moon Semi-Pro costume was released in summer 2008 for Halloween.
• A Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue spread featured Ferrell with Heidi Klum.

Reception

Critical reception

The film received poor reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 21% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 155 reviews (as of August 9, 2011), although the movie also received a rating of 5/10 from the same site. Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 63 out of 100, based on 29 reviews. In his review for The Village Voice, Robert Wilonsky wrote that director Kent Alterman, "valiantly tries to tweak the formula by adding a dash more sincerity and humanity to the froth but doesn't get too adventurous. But in the end, it's comedy comfort food, something powdered poured from a box". The movie received 2 stars of a possible 4 in the conventional ratings system.

Box office performance

In its opening weekend, the film grossed $15 million in 3,121 theaters in the United States and Canada, holding the number one position at the box office. Alicia Chang of the Associated Press described the opening as "lackluster" compared to Ferrell's previous sports spoofs Talladega Nights, which opened with $47 million, and Blades of Glory, which opened with $33 million. The basketball film went on to gross $33,479,698 domestically and $10,404,532 internationally, for a total of $43,884,230 worldwide.

Awards

2008 ESPY Awards

1. Best Sports Movie ESPY Award

Home Media

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on June 3, 2008. There is a theatrical R-Rated version DVD and Blu-ray Disc or a 2-Disc "Let's Get Sweaty" Unrated Edition DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Special features include unrated deleted scenes and more.

Soundtrack

Untitled

The soundtrack for the film was released on February 26, 2008 and featured songs by Labelle, WAR, Curtis Mayfield, Will Ferrell, among others. "Love Me Sexy" is sung by the fictional Jackie Moon (played by Will Ferrell).

1. "Love Me Sexy" – Will Ferrell
2. "Get Da Funk Out Ma' Face" – Brothers Johnson
3. "Lady Marmalade" – Labelle
4. "The World Is a Ghetto" – WAR
5. "Tell Me Something Good" – Ronnie Laws
6. "Mr. Big Stuff" – Jean Knight
7. "Give Me Just a Little More Time" – Chairmen of the Board
8. "Why Can't We Be Friends" – WAR
9. "Walking in Rhythm" – The Blackbyrds
10. "Dance to the Music" – Sly & The Family Stone
11. "Love Rollercoaster" – Ohio Players
12. "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" – Sly & The Family Stone
13. "Move on Up" – Curtis Mayfield
14. "Shining Star" – Earth, Wind, & Fire

See also

• The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh
• Slap Shot

External links

• Semi-Pro
• Official site
• Official trailer
• Semi-Pro at IMDb
• Semi-Pro at Rotten Tomatoes
• Semi-Pro at Metacritic
• Semi-Pro at Box Office Mojo
• Semi-Pro at AllMovie