Beer League (2006)

Director:

Frank Sebastiano

Writers (WGA):

Frank Sebastiano (written by) &
Artie Lange (written by)

Release Date:

15 September 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Sport

Tagline:

No Gut, No Glory

Plot:

An unemployed slacker (Lange) inspires his softball teammates to improve their game so they won't get kicked out of the local league.

Plot Keywords:

Softball | Slacker | Beer | Friend | Remake

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Artie Lange	...	Artie DeVanzo
Ralph Macchio	...	Maz
Anthony DeSando	...	Dennis Mangenelli
Cara Buono	...	Linda Salvo
Jimmy Palumbo	...	Johnny Trinno
Jerry Minor	...	Tim
Laurie Metcalf	...	Artie's Mom
Seymour Cassel	...	Dirt
Michael Deeg	...	Alfonse
Elizabeth Regen	...	Gina
Maddie Corman	...	Marilyn
Joe Lo Truglio	...	Dave
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kamal Ahmed	...	Umpire #3
Armin Amiri	...	Steakhouse Waiter
Anya Avaeva	...	Exotic Dancer
Todd Barry	...	Creepy Guy Down the Shore
Mary Birdsong	...	Rhonda
Charlene Biton	...	Layla (as Kristy Redford)
Jim Breuer	...	Football Guy
Jared Burke	...	Ed's Bar & Swill Player
Gino Cafarelli	...	Dakis
David Carney	...	Umpire #2
Alex Corrado	...	Ed
Albert DeGrasse	...	Ed's Bar & Swill Player
Nick DiPaolo	...	Cousin Mickey
Rich Duva	...	Ed's Bar & Swill Player
Bret Ernst	...	Corino Third Baseman
Tina Fey	...	Front Desk Girl
Jim Florentine	...	Crispino
Joseph R. Gannascoli	...	Giusuppe Primavera (as Joe Gannascoli)
Shane Geraghty	...	Softball Player
Keren Gilbert	...	Vicki Galliotta
Matthew Gumley	...	Tommy
Brigitte Hagerman	...	One of Dennis Mangenelli's girls
Hollie Harper	...	Tim's Wife
John Heinlein	...	Mangenelli 3rd baseman
Frank Hopf	...	Manganelli left center fielder
Lauren Hugnou	...	Hooker #1
Maria Javier	...	Hooker #2
Joanne Joseph	...	Dirt's Wife
Keisha	...	Michelle "Pitching Machine"
Tim Lajcik	...	Manganelli Outfielder
Jodi Lennon	...	Melissa
Mike Lisenco	...	Umpire #1 (as Michael Lisenco)
Louis Lombardi	...	Chief Gugliamino
Dana Lorge	...	Gina's Mom
Erik Martin	...	Manganelli Catcher
Steve Nuke	...	2nd Base Man - Green Team
George Palermo	...	Mangenelli First Baseman
Rich Pecci	...	Bachleor Party Guy
Frank Pellegrino	...	Gina's Dad
Bill Scheft	...	Championship Game Ump
Christian Sebastiano	...	Manganelli 2nd Baseman
Francisco Sebastiano	...	Dave's Baby
Rosalinda Sebastiano	...	Marie
George Seminara	...	Shoot the Geek Barker
Daniel Tay	...	Max
Nathalie Walker	...	Hooker #3 (as Natalie Twaddle)

Also Known As:

Artie Lange's Beer League (USA) (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated R for non-stop language including strong sexual references, sexuality, nudity and drug use.

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #42316) | Finland:K-13 | New Zealand:R16 | Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

Bayonne, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Identity Films (I)

Trivia:

Ione Skye auditioned for the role of Linda.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Linda claims to work at the A&P Supermarket in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. There is no A&P in Lyndhurst.

Quotes:

Alfonse: Check it out, my new italiano mit.
Maz: That's cool, Alfonse.
Johnny Trinno: How much of a guido could you possibly be?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Howard Stern on Demand: Cara Buono" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Cure Me... Or Kill Me...

Artie Lange is blue collar down to his DNA

One of the terrible because it's true facts about show business over the last few years was that many people expected Artie to die! His brutally frank tales often revolve around his gluttonous eating habits, severe depression and drug abuse. The man who could have easily become another entertainment fatality too soon has apparently cleaned up his act and finally gotten on the healthier track. Of course, his sense of what's funny will stay in the gutter where his quick with a witty and/or vile joke mind is destined to remain.

"Beer League" is a kick in the pants comedy that lets Art shine, with food stains on his shirt, in his Jersey stomping grounds. These drink a little, swear a lot leagues do exist and his natural talent for baseball was something he had going for himself before tragedy and chemical dependency took hold during the midpoint of his life. The no longer teenage looking Ralph Macchio and Seymour Cassel help Art along in this both sensitive and totally insensitive story as he finds love and the hate inside both rising to the surface.

Full of great tunes and guy humour, this star vehicle isn't for all tastes. It's primarily geared towards the audience he's won over on the radio and his stand up career. Great roles for Cara Buono as his lady and Laurie Metcalf as his saint of a mother might help keep the women who don't care for the overall raunchy tone watching.

A little poem I wrote a while back in 2007:

" Artie Lange's 40th Birthday "

You've come a long way from hopes docked

From Jersey to Holeywood, ya rocked!

Show business wasn't always your cup of tea

Give a big middle finger to all things phony!

Mad TV, we laughed deliriously

Now satellite is taking you Siriusly!

Into a wild and crazy new frontier

Let your next forty years keep the roasts near!