The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

Michael Pressman

Writers:

Paul Brickman (written by)
Bill Lancaster (characters)

Release Date:

8 July 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Sport

Tagline:

They've fired their coach. They've "borrowed" a van. They're on their way to the Houston Astrodome...with girls on their minds, cops on their tails, and the game of their lives at stake.

Plot:

A troubled, rebellious teen drives his rambunctious baseball team out to Houston where they play an exhibition game and the boy meets his estranged father, and hires him as the teams coach.

Plot Keywords:

Baseball | Sequel | Little League | Astrodome | Houston Astrodome

Cast

William Devane	...	Mike Leak
Clifton James	...	Sy Orlansky
Chris Barnes	...	Tanner Boyle
Jackie Earle Haley	...	Kelly Leak
Jimmy Baio	...	Carmen Ronzonni
Erin Blunt	...	Ahmad Abdul Rahim
George Gonzales	...	Miguel Agilar
Jaime Escobedo	...	Jose Agilar (as Jamie O. Escobedo)
Alfred Lutter III	...	Ogilvie (as Alfred Lutter)
Brett Marx	...	Jimmy Feldman
David Pollock	...	Rudi Stein
Quinn Smith	...	Timmy Lupus (The Big Looper)
David Stambaugh	...	Toby Whitewood
Jeffrey Louis Starr	...	Mike Engelberg
Lane Smith	...	Officer Mackle

Also Known As:

Breaking Training (Philippines: English title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Astrodome - 8400 Kirby Drive, Houston, Texas, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

During the game at the Astrodome, a Toros player comments that Jimmy Feldman looks like "one of the Marx Brothers". Brett Marx, who plays Jimmy, is the grandson of Gummo Marx, a brother of the Marx Brothers.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Bears and Toros players can be seen leading off during several scenes of the film. If we are to assume these are little league teams this would be illegal as there is no leading off allowed in little league. Runners are not permitted to leave bases until the pitched ball has crossed the plate.

Quotes:

Mike Leak: Listen it's been a long time...
Kelly Leak: It's been eight years. You know why I know that? You know why I know it's been eight years? Because on the day left you gave me this little blue bicycle, I was five years old, some little punk kid, and you have me the bike thinking that if I accepted the gift, I'd accept a deal, well you were wrong! I didn't except that bicycle, it's eight years old, it's untouched and it's still in my basement...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)

Soundtrack:

1812 Overture

Not a foul ball but not a home run either

This second installment in Paramount's "The Bad News Bears" film series is (as most sequels are) not quite as good as the original film but it's not entirely bad either. William Devane does a fairly good job in his role as the new coach of the Bears little league baseball team. He has his sights set on big things including giving the team a shot for the little league world series and a chance to play at the famed Houston Astrodome. However, what could've made this sequel better was if some of the talent that came together to make the first film so enjoyable could've returned. The series was never the same without Walter Matthau and Tatum O'Neal.