"Mike! The Mike Lupica Story." Starring Nathan Lane.
Mike! -- A Trage-Drama in 3 Acts:
---- Act I: The Rise.
---- Act II: The Slow Descent.
---- Act III: ESPN's "Sportwriters!" weekly appearances.
Produced by Mirimax, a sub-division of Disney Studios.
Directed by Sly Stallone, in his triumphant return to moviemaking.
Starring Broadway's eternal leading man, Nathan Lane. Viggo ("not macho enough") and Ed Begley, Jr. ("too macho") were also considered, but when the great Al Pacino was bumped ("too much height" per Harvey), Sly gave Nathan a shot. Lane went through months of prep work on Mike!'s unusual style of speaking, and nearly has it down.
The Plot
---- Act I: Mike!'s first reporting assignment, at Shea Stadium in 1964. He's asked several times by more senior writers at the game (Mike! barely reached the "You must be this high to enter the Press Box" bar) to fetch 'em cigarettes, coffee, cigars, and Maalox refills. He complies. Mike!'s first attempt at a game summary ran 4,000 words. The editor of the Bergan Daily Bugle cuts it down some, and Mike! was a professional sportswriter.
---- Act II: Mike! conquers Bergan. Then Newark. Then Staten Island. And then, he hits the big time, landing a columnist gig at the New York Post, where he could serve at the hands and feet of New York's word master-smith, Dick Young. Though it took two years for Young to learn Mike!'s first name, he took a liking to the youngster, and let Mike! buy him his daily supply of cigarettes, coffee, cigars, Maalox, and bagels. Mike! was quite pleased with himself, though he wanted more out of life/work.
---- Act III: Mike! reaches pinnacle: Mike! becomes the most mportant, most respected, and most read sports columnist in the Five Boroughs. To celebrate, a Comedy Central Comedy Roast is planned, for "Catch A Rising Star" in Brooklyn. Scheduled to host is Comedian/Former Radio Personality Marc Maron. Among the superstars scheduled to appear are Randy Jackson, who will read some of his poetry (not expected to be funny), and Dane Cook, who will be followed by the standup comedy headliner, Louis C.K. The evening goes well, and Mike! is pleased. Following the high of that night, Mike! immediately begins a thorough search for more lucrative employment, while still fulfilling his contractual obligations to The Worldwide Leader's "Sportwriters!" He shows up at 10:52 Sunday morning for the 11am taping. The other panelists, jealous of Mike!'s fame and power, tend to ignore what he has to say, but Mike! will not be denied his right to shout his mind each Sunday morning. After a decade of strong numbers, "Sportswriters!" falls in the raings, and is cancelled. Mike! is sad, but vows to continue telling people what he thinks.
---- Act I: The Rise.
---- Act II: The Slow Descent.
---- Act III: ESPN's "Sportwriters!" weekly appearances.
Produced by Mirimax, a sub-division of Disney Studios.
Directed by Sly Stallone, in his triumphant return to moviemaking.
Starring Broadway's eternal leading man, Nathan Lane. Viggo ("not macho enough") and Ed Begley, Jr. ("too macho") were also considered, but when the great Al Pacino was bumped ("too much height" per Harvey), Sly gave Nathan a shot. Lane went through months of prep work on Mike!'s unusual style of speaking, and nearly has it down.
The Plot
---- Act I: Mike!'s first reporting assignment, at Shea Stadium in 1964. He's asked several times by more senior writers at the game (Mike! barely reached the "You must be this high to enter the Press Box" bar) to fetch 'em cigarettes, coffee, cigars, and Maalox refills. He complies. Mike!'s first attempt at a game summary ran 4,000 words. The editor of the Bergan Daily Bugle cuts it down some, and Mike! was a professional sportswriter.
---- Act II: Mike! conquers Bergan. Then Newark. Then Staten Island. And then, he hits the big time, landing a columnist gig at the New York Post, where he could serve at the hands and feet of New York's word master-smith, Dick Young. Though it took two years for Young to learn Mike!'s first name, he took a liking to the youngster, and let Mike! buy him his daily supply of cigarettes, coffee, cigars, Maalox, and bagels. Mike! was quite pleased with himself, though he wanted more out of life/work.
---- Act III: Mike! reaches pinnacle: Mike! becomes the most mportant, most respected, and most read sports columnist in the Five Boroughs. To celebrate, a Comedy Central Comedy Roast is planned, for "Catch A Rising Star" in Brooklyn. Scheduled to host is Comedian/Former Radio Personality Marc Maron. Among the superstars scheduled to appear are Randy Jackson, who will read some of his poetry (not expected to be funny), and Dane Cook, who will be followed by the standup comedy headliner, Louis C.K. The evening goes well, and Mike! is pleased. Following the high of that night, Mike! immediately begins a thorough search for more lucrative employment, while still fulfilling his contractual obligations to The Worldwide Leader's "Sportwriters!" He shows up at 10:52 Sunday morning for the 11am taping. The other panelists, jealous of Mike!'s fame and power, tend to ignore what he has to say, but Mike! will not be denied his right to shout his mind each Sunday morning. After a decade of strong numbers, "Sportswriters!" falls in the raings, and is cancelled. Mike! is sad, but vows to continue telling people what he thinks.
posted by joe sweeney at 12:41 AM
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