The Air Up There

Jimmy Dolan is a college basketball coach angling for a promotion, convinced that landing a single spectacular recruit will seal the deal. While watching old footage he spots Saleh, a towering natural with raw talent, and flies to rural Africa to try and bring him back to the United States. Saleh isn't just a player, he’s the son of his village chief and tied to family duties, and the community is under pressure from outside interests who want their land. Jimmy must balance his own ambitions with respect for the local way of life, while trying to teach and earn the trust of a young man whose world is very different from his own.

Released in 1994, the film was directed by Paul Michael Glaser and developed from material by Max Apple. Kevin Bacon headlines as Jimmy, with Charles Gitonga Maina playing Saleh, supported by Yolanda Vazquez and Mabutho Sithole.

The movie had a modest commercial run, earning enough attention to be a familiar title among 90s sports comedies but it didn’t dominate the box office landscape or generate blockbuster returns.

Over time the film has stuck in popular memory as a fish-out-of-water sports comedy. Audiences tend to recall the outdoor training sequences and the contrast between modern basketball moves and village life. It’s often mentioned alongside other 90s films that mix sports with culture clash humor, and it introduced Charles Gitonga Maina to international viewers.

Critics gave mixed to okay reviews, and audience ratings reflect that middle ground, with a vote average around 6.16 out of 10 from a modest pool of voters. The picture raises themes of ambition versus obligation, cultural respect, and mentorship, and it plays those ideas through lighthearted comedy rather than heavy drama, so viewers looking for something earnest but easygoing will find it approachable.