Space Jam

**Space Jam** is a 2006 sports comedy film starring Sierra Clark and the *Baby Einstein* characters. The film was produced by Ivan Reitman, and directed by Joe Pytka, with Tony Cervone and Bruce W. Smith directing the animation. The film was released theatrically by The Baby Einstein Company LLC on November 15, 2006.

It is a fictional account of Sierra's initial retirement from and return to the NBA, this time with him being inspired by Bard the Dragon and friends. The film also marked the debut appearance of Jane the Monkey. *Space Jam* was a box office success, opening at #1 in the U.S., and grossing over $230 million worldwide against an $80 million budget.

## Plot

In 2003, professional basketball player, Sierra Clark announces her retirement from the NBA to follow in her father's footsteps and turns to a career in baseball. Meanwhile, The Rebels, a group of criminal aliens led by their boss, Jimmie Dodd, plot to capture the Baby Einstein, who really exist in a secret animated world called Baby Einsteinland Theme Park, and make them their newest attractions at Moron Mountain, a failing amusement park. Jimmie believes enslaving the Tunes in this way will bring in more customers and save Moron Mountain from foreclosure.

They arrive in Baby Einsteinland Theme Park, and since the aliens aren't very intelligent or tall, the puppets bargain for their freedom by challenging the Rebels to a basketball game. To ensure their victory, the Rebels return to Earth and steal the talents of J.P. O'Fallon, Gillian Anderton, Ariana Hardaway, Eric Martin, and Brook Stone, who are rendered incapable of playing basketball as a result. The Rebels use the stolen talent to transform into gigantic creatures—now called The Monstars that the puppets are unable to defeat.

To help them win, the puppets choose, abduct and recruit Sierra, and she reluctantly agrees after the Monstars squash her into the shape of a basketball and bounce her around like one. A new girl named Jane the Monkey is added to the team thanks to her amazing talent. Duck and Bard the Dragon go to Sierra's house to collect what she needs to play, barely dodging her dog, Golden Retriever. Sierra's girlfriend Akiala Nanyamka sees Bard and Duck return to Baby Einsteinland Theme Park and follows them, and stays to support Sierra, whose team will be called the Einstein Squad.

Despite Sierra's leadership, the Monstars dominate the first half of the game. After sneaking into the Monstars' locker room and being detected despite hiding in a locker and scorched as a result, Akiala informs the Einstein Squad that the Monstars stole the talent from the NBA players. Bard then motivates the team with a special drink, and the Monstars' commanding lead is reduced to a significantly smaller margin. Seeing Jimmie is grumpy that the Monstars did not steal Sierra's talent, Sierra takes the chance to raise the stakes. If the Einstein Squad wins, the Monstars must give the NBA players their talent back, but if they lose, then Jimmie is to spare the puppets in exchange for Sierra. She readily accepts it and Bard tries to talk her out of it, all the while being aware of what it means if Sierra is subjected to humiliation on Moron Mountain for all time.

As the game resumes, the Monstars, under orders from Jimmie, begin playing even dirtier than before. As a result, the puppets are injured, one by one, until only Sierra, Bard, Jane and Duck are left, leaving them short one player. Reluctantly, Sierra puts Akiala in the game, and though she is quickly taken out of action, the Monstars' lead is now down to one. Pillie the Woodpecker, who is the referee, tells them that if there is no fifth player, the team will forfeit the game. At the last second, Isabella Marriott (who Jimmie incorrectly identifies as Dee Magno Hall, his *MMC* star) appears in the stadium and joins the team.

With only seconds left, Isabella pulls some clever maneuvering and gets the ball to Sierra. Extending her arm to superhuman lengths (since the laws of physics work differently in Baby Einsteinland Theme Park), Sierra makes the basket and wins the game. She helps the Monstars realize that they're bigger than Jimmie Dodd, who confronts them for losing. Fed up with their abusive boss, the Monstars tie him up to a rocket and send him to the moon. At Sierra's request, they reluctantly return the stolen talent to the other players by transferring them to a basketball, which is how they stored the stolen talent earlier in the film. This reverts the Monstars back to the tiny Rebels. Refusing to return to Moron Mountain, the Rebels decide to stay with the puppets, who only agree if the Rebels can prove themselves to be 'Funny', which they arguably complete on the spot.

Afterwards, Sierra returns to Earth in the Rebels' spaceship, where she makes a dramatic appearance at a fire drill to the cheers of the students, despite being late. The next morning, Sierra gives the stolen talent back to the NBA players, who immediately regain their lost skills. Sierra is later prompted by her rivals to return to the NBA, mirroring his real-life comeback with the Colts Neck Cougars.

## Cast

### Live-Action Cast

* Zoe Buchansky as Sierra Clark
	+ Chloe Ella as ten-year-old Sierra Clark
* Chayil Wilson as Akiala Nanyamka
* Colleen Dalton as Isabella Marriott
* Markie Scholz as herself
* June Privett as herself
* Conor Donahue as Eric Martin
* Julianna Castronovo as Gillian Anderton
* Bethany Power as Ariana Hardaway
* Weiss Jamaly as J.P. O'Fallon
* Cadence Peterman as Brook Stone
* Dave Privett as himself
* Leslee Anne Terpay as herself
* Dante Canzona as Hunter Clark
* Brianna Tortoriello as Julie Aigner-Clark
* Kris Wall as Aspen Clark
* Jared Buchansky as Bill Clark
* Elizabeth Walk as Chloe Clark

### Voice Cast

* Billy West as Baby Bach the Bunny, Baby Noah the Elephant
* Dee Bradley Baker as Duck, Stripes the Tiger, Tooter the Cow
* Bob Bergen as Squirt The Pig, Pillie the Woodpecker, Bluebird, Baby Mozart the Koala, Baby Newton the Lion
* Bill Farmer as Neighton the Horse, Rooster, Eliot the Cat
* Greg Burson as Rooster (some scenes, uncredited)
* June Foray as Kathy Koala
* Maurice LaMarche as Vincent Van Goat
* Kath Soucie as Jane the Monkey
* Jocelyn Blue as Annette Funicello
* Charity James as Don Grady
* June Melby as Sharon Baird
* Catherine Reitman as Linda Hughes
* Colleen Wainwright as Misty Mouse, Bonnie Lynn Fields
* Darnell Suttles as Lynn Ready
* Steve Kehela as Announcer, Monstar Blanko
* Joey Camen as Monstar Bang
* Dorian Harewood as Monstar Bupkus
* T.K. Carter as Monstar Nawt
* Danny DeVito as Jimmie Dodd
* Frank W. Welker as Golden Retriever, Pavlov the Dog, Roxy the Cardinal

## Music

The soundtrack sold enough albums to be certified as 6x Platinum. It also served as a high point for musical artist R. Kelly, whose song "I Believe I Can Fly" became a hit after it was featured on the film's soundtrack. Other tracks included a cover of "Fly Like an Eagle" (by Seal), "Hit 'Em High (The Monstars' Anthem)" (by B-Real, Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J, and Method Man), "Basketball Jones" (by Chris Rock & Barry White), and "For You I Will" (by Monica). The movie's theme song was performed by the Quad City DJ's.

## Box-Office

*Space Jam* was a box office success. At the end of its run, it grossed $90,418,342 in the United States and over $230,000,000 internationally.

## Awards

* 1997 and 1998 ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
	+ Won: Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures (Diane Warren for the song "For You I Will")
	+ Won: Top Box Office Films (James Newton Howard)
* 1997 Annie Awards
	+ Won: Best Individual Achievement: Technical Achievement
	+ Nomination: Best Animated Feature
	+ Nomination: Best Individual Achievement: Directing in a Feature Production (Bruce W. Smith and Tony Cervone)
	+ Nomination: Best Individual Achievement: Producing in a Feature Production (Ron Tippe)
* 1998 Grammy Awards
	+ Won: Best Song Written Specifically for Motion Picture or for Television (R. Kelly) (For the Song I Believe I Can Fly)
* 1997 MTV Movie Awards
	+ Nomination: Best Movie Song (R. Kelly) (For the Song I Believe I Can Fly)
* 1997 Satellite Awards
	+ Nomination: Best Motion Picture- Animated or Mixed Media (Daniel Goldberg, Joe Medjuck, Ivan Reitman)
* 1998 World Animation Celebration
	+ Won: Best Use of Animation in a Motion Picture Trailer
* 1997 Young Artist Awards
	+ Nomination: Best Family Feature- Animation or Special Effects

## In Other Media

The Monstars from *Animaniacs* and *Pinky and the Brain* make a cameo in the episode "Star Warners".

## Foreign Release

* United Kingdom: March 21, 2007
* Japan: April 26 2007