The Bad News Bears (1976)

An aging, down-on-his-luck ex-minor leaguer coaches a team of misfits in an ultra-competitive California little league.

Director:

Michael Ritchie

Writer:

Bill Lancaster

Stars:

Walter Matthau, Tatum O'Neal, Vic Morrow

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Walter Matthau	...	Coach Morris Buttermaker
Tatum O'Neal	...	Amanda Whurlitzer
Vic Morrow	...	Roy Turner
Joyce Van Patten	...	Cleveland
Ben Piazza	...	Bob Whitewood
Jackie Earle Haley	...	Kelly Leak
Alfred Lutter III	...	Ogilvie (as Alfred W. Lutter)
Chris Barnes	...	Tanner Boyle
Erin Blunt	...	Ahmad Abdul Rahim
Gary Lee Cavagnaro	...	Engelberg
Jaime Escobedo	...	Jose Agilar
Scott Firestone	...	Regi Tower
George Gonzales	...	Miguel Agilar
Brett Marx	...	Jimmy Feldman
David Pollock	...	Rudi Stein

Storyline

First of a trilogy of films takes an unflinching look at the underbelly of little league baseball in Southern California. Former minor leaguer Morris Buttermaker is a lazy, beer swilling swimming pool cleaner who takes money to coach the Bears, a bunch of disheveled misfits who have virtually no baseball talent. Realizing his dilemma, Coach Buttermaker brings aboard girl pitching ace Amanda Whurlizer, the daughter of a former girlfriend, and Kelly Leak, a motorcycle punk who happens to be the best player around. Brimming with confidence, the Bears look to sweep into the championship game and avenge an earlier loss to their nemesis, the Yankees.

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Plot Keywords:

baseball | little league | coach | california | little league baseball | 

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Taglines:

The coach is waiting for his next beer. The pitcher is waiting for her first bra. The team is waiting for a miracle. Consider the possibilities.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Sport

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

7 April 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Björnligan

Filming Locations:

Intersection of Sunset Boulevard and North Mapleton Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Glen Glenn Sound)

Color:

Color (Movielab) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bill Lancaster's screenplay was based on his experiences with his father, Burt Lancaster. Buttermaker was based on Burt, who was known for his grumpiness and the character of Amanda was based on himself. Burt Lanacster would later be cast as an aged version of early 20th Century ballplayer, Archibald "Moonlight" Graham in Field of Dreams.

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Goofs

The team photo at the end of the movie differs from the team photo taken earlier. The later photo includes Amanda and Kelly who were not on the team on opening day. Also Tanner and Jimmy are no longer "flipping off" the camera man. And Buttermaker's shirt and the photo background change. This suggest a possible re-shoot during or after the season.

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Quotes

P.A. Announcer: [announcing Mets batter] Carl Paranski, Number 6...
Coach Morris Buttermaker: [yelling to Bears fielders] The cool Carl Paranski shift!

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Crazy Credits

When the Paramount logo turns blue, the "Paramount" text extends beyond the dark blue area instead of staying inside the dark blue.

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Fast & Furious/Adventureland/Sugar (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Carmen"
Written by Georges Bizet

User Reviews

Who better to leave your children's care than in the hands of an alcoholic?

LOL, I know I stole that line from I love the 70's, but I just thought it was so true and that was my exact thought from the first minute I started watching The Bad News Bears. Now to the movie, The Bad News Bears is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time, I almost died laughing throughout the whole movie. I obviously heard about this movie from the show I love the 70's on VH1, way before the remake with Billy Bob Thorton. It always slipped my mind though when I wanted to rent it, but finally I remembered and I am so glad that I got the chance to see it, because this is one of the best comedies to come out of the 70's.

Buttermaker is a has been baseball player and now an alcoholic, he is given the job of a little league coach for the Bears since no other fathers are taking the job. But he's definitely taken back when he finds out that the team he is coaching are kids who are, well, I guess you could say "lacking" in the department of knowing how to play baseball. But he just wants to get paid and get the job over with, but when their first game comes along, the kids get creamed 26-0, Buttermaker is pressured to drop the team out of the league, but instead teaches the kids how to play and recruits a couple of new kids, a girl who's mother he used to date, and a rebel without a cause. The kids get better in each game, but it's a matter of Buttermaker getting his priorities straight when he lets the game get the worst of him... and he's an alcoholic!

The Bad News Bears is just so funny, Walter Matthau was just too perfect for this role as Buttermaker, he was so believable. I think my favorite Bear was Tanner, because the role could have been over done, but the kid did it just right, not to mention his last line of the film is just classic and fit the movie just right. I loved how the film wasn't your traditional your favorite team is always going to be out of no where champions, this was an awesome comedy that anyone would just fall in love with.

9/10