I think back to my early days of little league baseball in Elmont. I wore my first purple and white uniform with the sponsors name across the back "Talk Of the Town Grocery". There I was at 9 years old fumbling grounders, bobbling fly balls and whiffing at bad pitches killing potential rallies by my team mates. earning the nickname "Duchebag". A traumatic experience playing hardball for the first time for any child. Take an over the hill, cigar smoking, beer guzzling pool cleaner in search of extra cash. Add some bungle-some maladroit's, one Harley Davidson Juvenile delinquent and flame throwing lassie and you have The Bad News Bears sponsored by Chico's Bail Bonds. If your looking for a wholesome warm movie about a star player getting the game winning hit to win the championship with bits of sportsmanship thrown in you got off at the wrong stop. Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau) inherited this ragtag bunch of little league pre-teen ballplayers. Let's describe this roster of misfits. At catcher you have the irritable hefty Engelberg who can barely close his shirt around his massive belly and always has a supply of chocolate bars on hand and a bucket of fried chicken.. Then you have the very intelligent timid, storky, bespectacled Ogilvie. On the mound as number 2 through 5 starter the clumsy Rudi Stein who has a penchant under the orders of the Manager to lean into one and get struck by a pitched ball. At Shortstop you have the boisterous, foul mouthed Tanner who has the boldness and bravery to take on the entire seventh grade. Our token Black player on the squad is Ahmad who when things go bad, and they usually do, takes off his uniform and climbs up a tree. Timmy Lupus is every person's underdog. Meek like a doe with his eyes in the headlights of an on coming truck. Teased and harassed by opposing ballplayers as Tanner comes to Timmy's defense but is physically deposited into a garbage can by Joey Turner (Brandon Cruz). You remember the adorable Brandon from the days of the TV show The Courtship Of Eddie's Father. In this film Brandon is anything but adorable as the opposing pitcher on the first place Yankees managed by His Philistine Father, Roy Turner (Vic Morrow). Morrow puts winning ahead of everything else in our story including his own family. Vic Morrow was Well cast as the foil against the deadpan Matthau. Ironically the two worked together in the Movie King Creole with the Iconic Elvis Presley years earlier. I love the banter between two opposing Managers Buttermaker and Turner. Buttermaker refers to Turner as PUSSHEAD. The final piece to this puzzle is our two talents. Map selling 12 year old Amanda Whurlitzer (Tatum O'Neal)who knows Buttermaker because he dated her Mom two years hence and the bond developed between Amanda and Buttermaker was there but not with the Mom. Tatum throughout the picture would want Buttermaker to date her Mom because deep down Amanda needed a Father figure in her life. Finally Cigarette smoking muscle shirted Harley bike riding Kelly Leak(Jackie Earle Haley)the natural power slugging outfielder who practically carries the whole team on his back right up to the championship game. Director Michael Ritchie captures the real childhood experience of Little league with all the foul language and pecking order. A team of dreadful' s being scoffed by the opponents and on the verge of quitting but a philosophic Buttermaker tells his troupe's that quitting is a hard habit to break. So get out your athletic supporters and when the season is over get acquainted with the Wife and kids. Hunt, fish or do whatever you do in the off season but be ready to be entertained by the Bad News Bears. Oh by the way check the baseballs for chocolate stains.
Review of The Bad News Bears
