Bad News Bears (2005)

A grizzled little league coach (Thornton) tries to turn his team of misfits into champs.

Director:

Richard Linklater

Writers:

Bill Lancaster (screenplay), Glenn Ficarra (screenplay),

Stars:

Billy Bob Thornton, Greg Kinnear, Marcia Gay Harden

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Billy Bob Thornton	...	Morris Buttermaker
Greg Kinnear	...	Roy Bullock
Marcia Gay Harden	...	Liz Whitewood
Sammi Kane Kraft	...	Amanda Whurlitzer
Ridge Canipe	...	Toby Whitewood
Brandon Craggs	...	Mike Engelberg
Jeffrey Davies	...	Kelly Leak
Timmy Deters	...	Tanner Boyle
Carlos Estrada	...	Miguel Agilar
Emmanuel Estrada	...	Jose Agilar
Troy Gentile	...	Matthew Hooper
Kenneth 'K.C.' Harris	...	Ahmad Abdul Rahim
Aman Johal	...	Prem Lahiri
Tyler Patrick Jones	...	Timmy Lupus
Jeffrey Tedmori	...	Garo Daragabrigadien

Storyline

Morris Buttermaker (Thornton), an alcoholic pest removal worker and former professional baseball player (for a very short time), is recruited to coach and train a failing baseball team of 12-year-olds which is about to be thrown out of the league.

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Plot Keywords:

baseball | coach | alcoholic | little league | father son relationship | 

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Taglines:

Baseball has rules. Meet the exceptions.

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Genres:

Comedy | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for rude behavior, language throughout, some sexuality and thematic elements

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount Pictures [us] UIP [es]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

22 July 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Los osos de la mala suerte

Filming Locations:

Barone's Famous Italian Restaurant - 13726 Oxnard Street at Mammoth Avenue, Van Nuys, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$159,042 (Australia) (9 December 2005)

Gross:

$159,042 (Australia) (9 December 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Media Talent Group, Detour Filmproduction

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When looking for a local business to sponsor the team, Buttermaker tries a business called "Chico's Bail Bonds" which sponsored the team in the original.

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Goofs

In the middle of the championship game when Billy Bob yells at the team in the dugout his watch reads 10:48 when he starts yelling while at the end of the yelling it reads 11:45.

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Quotes

Liz Whitewood: I have been thinking a lot about you.
Morris Buttermaker: I have that effect on women.
Liz Whitewood: Really...
Morris Buttermaker: Yeah. Well, I haven't paid for sex in years. I think a lot of it has to do with getting older and... you know, being more distinguished.
Liz Whitewood: I was thinking more along the lines of the dangerous type. What you hear about the bad boy, the sexy scumbag, the serial killer who gets married in prison. I have never felt like that. Until I met you.
Morris Buttermaker: Well, thanks.

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Connections

Remake of The Bad News Bears (1976)

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Soundtracks

"Cocaine"
by J.J. Cale
Performed by Eric Clapton
Courtesy of PolyGram International Music BV
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Washed out clone!

By Travis & Annette: Both of us really liked the Walter Matthau version, but we feel this remake, while adhering to the original story (almost verbatim in some places), was a total bomb.

ANNETTE: The kids were not nearly as cute or spontaneous as in the original. I just couldn't develop much empathy for them. And their interaction with Thornton as Buttermaker was not nearly so humorous and engaging as with Matthau.

TRAVIS: Massive agreement there Annette. I wasn't impressed at all; although I still liked the Tanner kid and his cocky attitude. But, strangely, I was also favourably impressed with the kid that played Kelly. I don't think I've ever seen that kid before, but he might just have what it takes to make a decent actor. Sorry about the vagueness in my reasoning, but I can't really put my finger on why I feel this way. He just had a "presence" that impressed me for some reason even though his character was a lesser one.

ANNETTE: Sadly, Hollywood is very inept it seems in the remake department. Just look at such disasters as "War of the Worlds", "Bewitched", "Dukes of Hazzard" and this atrocity. Usually Travis is much harsher in his criticism of movies than I am. But, in this case, it's the opposite. I felt that, while this movie hashed through the same story, somehow it lost the "soul" of the original. My rating is a 1.

TRAVIS: I'm going with a 4 on this. I was impressed with the Kelly kid, Tanner was still cool, and there was "eye candy" in the cheerleader department (Ouch! Annette socked me for that).

We'll be kind and round up our average to a 3. Our suggestion is watch the original Matthau version and don't waste your time with this poor excuse for a remake.