Isiah Thomas Movies
Actor Billy Crystal co-wrote, directed, and starred in this romantic comedy. Forty-something couple Andy (Joe Mantegna) and Liz (Cynthia Stevenson) are about to be married, and as they gather with their friends for dinner not long before the wedding, they are told the story of their mutual friends Mickey (Billy Crystal) and Ellen (Debra Winger) as a cautionary tale of where a relationship can go wrong. Mickey is a top referee with the NBA who has traveled to Paris to bury his father, who wanted to be laid to rest with his Army buddies from World War II. The body is somehow lost in transit, and Mickey has an argument with Ellen, who works for an American airline in France. However, she likes his sense of humor, he is taken with her, and after a few days together in Paris, they decide to marry. However, once they return to Mickey's home in the United States, things get complicated; she's not so sure that she cares for his bachelor apartment ("a shrine to watching ESPN"), or juggling her career against his, while both have problems with their respective families. Several major basketball stars and sports figures appear in Forget Paris as themselves, including Charles Barkley, Bill Walton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Marv Albert. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Billy Crystal, Debra Winger, (more)
This documentary about the aspirations of high-school basketball players from inner city Chicago won awards from the Sundance film festival, the New York Film Critics Circle, and the Academy Award (Oscar) for best editing. Two young men are followed during their entire high-school career, beginning with their participation in playground games and ending with their being recruited by colleges. The obstacles these young men face include parental drug addiction, family poverty, and inner-city violence, as well as the usual obstacles that arise in competition, including physical injuries. While each aspires to leave the ghetto, there are many reasons to suppose they may not be able to, despite each beating the odds against them by winning college scholarships. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- William Gates, Arthur Agee, (more)
- 1991
- Add NBA: Comic Relief - The Great Blooper Caper to QueueAdd NBA: Comic Relief - The Great Blooper Caper to top of Queue
An unusual sports event takes place when a new commissioner decrees that basketball will no longer be a serious sport -- and some of the greatest players in the NBA compete against an All-Star team of comedians. Actors and athletes include Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, George Wendt, Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson, Marv Albert, Shelley Long, Stephen Wright, Bob Saget, Rich Hall, Elayne Boosler, Jim Morris, Chuck Daly, John Salley, Rick Mahorn, Shadoe Stevens, Jimmie Walker, Paul Rodriguez, Vlade Divac, and Mychal Thompson. ~ Alice Duncan, Rovi
- 1990
Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) seethes with jealousy as Will (Will Smith) becomes the star of the prep-school basketball team. Worse, the team's obsequious coach (Dave Florek) treats Will like a pampered prima donna, allowing him to cut practice and slough off. The situation climaxes at a crucial basketball game, where Carlton is determined to show up Will--who for his part is enjoying the fact that he's finally been accepted by his wealthy peers, and isn't about to relinquish this honor. NBA legend Isiah Thomas appears as himself. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
