In the 1996 film Space Jam, flight is a major underlying theme. In the beginning of the movie, a young Michael Jordan is shooting hoops in his backyard as R. Kelly’s hit song “I Believe I Can Fly” plays in the background. Jordan’s father comes out from the house and asks him why he’s out so late, but then stays to watch him play. Jordan makes several wishes as he practices, sinking the ball into the net with every wish. At the end of this exchange, his father asks him: “After you’re finished with [baseball], I suppose you’re gonna fly or something”. Jordan looks over his shoulder and rushes toward the hoop, marking his desire for flight and foreshadowing the climax of the film.
In the final game of the movie, in which an older Michael Jordan