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Title: Bad News Bears (2005)
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| 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 | |
To scrape up some extra cash, the semi-inebriated, cigar-smoking, former minor-league pitcher and now professional exterminator, Morris Buttermaker, agrees to coach the inept little-league baseball team of young misfits, the Bears. Against the backdrop of a tough championship and an intense rivalry with the impeccable Yankees, Coach Buttermaker goes as far as to recruit Amanda Whurlitzer, the twelve-year-old daughter of one of his ex-girlfriends and star pitcher, and the troubled bike-riding baseball hitter, Kelly Leak. Under those circumstances, do Morris' uncoordinated boys have what it takes to start winning? Did the maladroit Bears bite off more than they could chew? Written by Nick Riganas
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"Bad News Bears" (2005) is a likable film about a lousy dad who becomes a decent baseball coach and it can be lewd but there's a genuine caring in it and a willingness to let kids be kids in all their cussing and beating each other up and not caring that much about being polite. I liked it. No complaints from me. Didn't see or know about the original "Bad News Bears" (1976). Maybe this was an average remake, but by no means terrible. Probably better than most remakes these days anyway.
Many older reviews call this adaptation "Bad News Bears" soulless and over-sweary, but I wouldn't go that far. If you are a fan of Billy Bob Thornton's "Bad Santa" character you'll appreciate the scent of desperation and alchohol his "Bad News Bears" character has, as well as his appreciation for hookers and predilection for both swearing at and fathering forgotten kids. There's many tropes that are familiar between "Bad News Bears" and "Bad Santa." There's even a cameo from one of the "Bad Santa" characters. I wouldn't necessarily call "Bad News Bears" PG-13 but it is a lot more PG-13 than "Bad Santa."
"Bad News Bears" even includes several pep talks about winning and not learning to be a total quitter. And for once, the moral message doesn't fall flat. Billy Bob Thornton does have a way of never sounding like he's taking the high road and that's a good thing when it comes to talking straight to kids. I would still want to recommend "Bad News Bears" to a 13 year old who isn't too sheltered because there's some sex references every now and again.
On top of this, "Bad News Bears" boasts some great cast. In addition to Billy Bob Thornton there is Greg Kinnear as the try-hard rival coach, and Marcia Gay Harden as an uptight lawyer mom of one of the baseball players who likes to win. The child actors who play Billy Bob Thornton's ragtag baseball team are believable and rather refreshing-none are overly sweet or doormats. They strike a good balance.
Overall decent film with worthy acting moments from most actors, even if both Billy Bob Thornton and Marcia Gay Harden are somewhat typecast (Thornton as the alcoholic derelict and Harden as the uptight businesswoman). A little bit of a rehash, but enjoyable anyways.