Themes: Coaches and Players, Fathers and Daughters, Underdogs
Main Cast: Walter Matthau, Tatum O'Neal, Vic Morrow, Joyce Van Patten, Ben Piazza, Jackie Earle Haley
Release Year: 1976
Country: US
Run Time: 102 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
The success this underdog comedy from director Michael Ritchie almost single-handedly spawned the kids' sports film boom of the 1980s and '90s. When beer-breathed ex-minor-league ball player and professional pool cleaner Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau) agrees to coach a little league team in the San Fernando Valley, he soon finds he's in over his head, having inherited an assortment of pint-sized peons and talentless losers. They play well-organized teams and lose by tremendous margins, and the parents threaten to disband the Bears to save the kids (and themselves) any further embarrassment. Buttermaker refuses, though, and brings in a pair of ringers: Amanda (Tatum O'Neal), his ex-girlfriend's tomboy daughter, and Kelly (Jackie Earle Haley), a cigarette-smoking delinquent who happens to be a gifted athlete. With their help, the Bears manage to change their losing ways and qualify for the championship, where they face their arch-rivals, the Yankees. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
Review
Bad News Bears is one of the most delightful blends of family and adult entertainment ever made. The underdog-made-good story may please and kids in the audience, but it's only one facet of the film's entertaining, realistic portrait of little league baseball. The real appeal comes from spot-on performances by Tatum O'Neal and Walter Matthau. Their relationship, as a grizzled divorcé and the pubescent girl trying to make him her father, is finely tuned and immensely enjoyable. Their natural stubbornness yet vulnerability comes through, helping to keep the story out of the realm of the sentimental. The entire script, by Bill Lancaster, is full of authenticity, capturing both the different personalities of the kids and the often embarrassing and bizarre world of Little League. Director Michael Ritchie achieves all of the story's drama without losing any of the innocence of the youngsters. Considering that his three previous films (Prime Cut, The Candidate, and Smile) were all distinctly adult fare, Bad News Bears was a surprising movie from Ritchie. But he brings his mature sensibility to his characters, never expecting them to be perfect but never judging them either. ~ Brendon Hanley, All Movie Guide
Alfred Lutter - Ogilvie; Brandon Cruz - Joey Turner; Shari Summers - Mrs. Turner; Joe Brooks - Umpire; Maurice Marks - Announcer; Quinn Smith - Lupus; Gary Lee Cavagnaro - Engelberg; Erin Blunt - Ahmad Abdul Rahim; Jaime Escobedo - Jose Agilar; George Gonzales - Miguel Agilar; David Pollock - Rudi Stein; Chris Barnes - Tanner Boyle; David Stambaugh - Toby Whitewood; Scott Firestone - Bear; Brett Marx - Jimmy Feldman; Timothy Blake - Mrs. Lupus; Howard Culver - Newscaster; George Wyner - White Sox Manager; Charles Matthau - Athletic; Bill Sorrells - Mr. Tower
Credit
Jack Roe - First Assistant Director, Michael Ritchie - Director, Richard A. Harris - Editor, Jerry Fielding - Composer (Music Score), Polly Platt - Production Designer, John A. Alonzo - Cinematographer, Stanley Jaffe - Producer, Polly Platt - Producer, Cheryal Kearney - Set Designer, Gene S. Cantamessa - Sound/Sound Designer, John K. Wilkinson - Sound/Sound Designer, Jesse Wayne - Stunts, Bill Lancaster - Screenwriter
Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau), an alcoholic and former minor-league baseball player, is recruited by a city councilman and attorney who filed a lawsuit against an ultra-competitive Southern California Little League which excluded the least skilled athletes (including his son) from playing. In order to settle the lawsuit, the league agrees to add an additional team - the Bears - which is composed of the worst players. Buttermaker becomes the coach of the unlikely team, which includes (among others) a nearsighted pitcher, an overweight catcher, a shortstop with a Napoleon complex, an outfielder who dreams of switch hitting like his idol Hank Aaron, and a motley collection of other "talent." Shunned by the more competitive teams (and competitive parents), the Bears are the outsiders. They play their opening game, and do not even make an out, giving up 26 runs before Buttermaker forfeits the game.
Realizing the team is nearly hopeless, he recruits a couple of unlikely prospects: First up, is sharp-tongued Amanda Wurlizer (Tatum O'Neal), a skilled pitcher (trained by Buttermaker when she was younger) who is the 11-year-old daughter of one of Buttermaker's ex-girlfriends. Rounding out the team, Buttermaker recruits the "best athlete in the area," who also happens to be the local cigarette-smoking, loan-sharking, Harley-Davidson-riding troublemaker, Kelly Leak (Jackie Earle Haley). With Wurlizer and Leak on board, the team starts gaining more confidence, and the Bears start winning games.
Eventually, the unlikely Bears make it to the championship game opposite the top-notch Yankees, who are coached by aggressive, competitive Roy Turner (Vic Morrow). As the game progresses, tensions are ratcheted up as Buttermaker and Turner engage in shouting matches, and the players become more ruthless and competitive against each other. After a heated exchange between Turner's son (and Yankees pitcher) Joey (Brandon Cruz) and the Bears at-bat catcher Engelberg (Gary Lee Cavagnaro), Joey intentionally throws a wild beanball nearly striking him in the head. Horrified, Turner hits his own son, causing Joey to hand over an inside the park home run to Engelberg before leaving the game. Buttermaker - realizing that he has become the ultra-competitive Roy Turner - puts the benchwarmers on the field, thus giving everyone a chance to play. After narrowly losing the game 7 to 6, Buttermaker gives the team full reign of his beer cooler, and they spray it all over each other. Although they did not win the championship, they have the satisfaction of trying, knowing that winning is not so important.
City councilman and lawyer who sued the league to allow the Bears (in particular, his son) to play. He convinces (and pays) Buttermaker to coach the team.
A Black Muslim who plays in the outfield and adores Hank Aaron; strips off his uniform in shame after committing errors, but is convinced to return to the team by Buttermaker. Wears number 44.
Short-tempered shortstop with a Napoleon complex; after suffering a horrible loss on their first game, he picks a fight with the entire seventh grade from his school (and loses). He tends to curse more than the others, and often insults and bullies Timmy. Wears number 12.
Mike Engelberg
Gary Lee Cavagnaro
An overweight boy who plays catcher; A great hitter, his jabs at rival pitcher Joey Turner ignite a rivalry. Wears number 5.
Local troublemaker who smokes and rides a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Also the best athlete in the neighborhood. He alternates between left and center field and has a crush on Amanda. Wears number 3.
A "booger-eating spaz;" plays right field and is considered to be the worst player on the team, but surprises everyone in the final game by making a key play to keep the Bears in the game. He is the most quiet and shy player, but showed the odd ability to properly prepare a martini for Coach Buttermaker while the team was assisting the coach with pool cleaning. Wears number 4.
Alfred Ogilvie
Alfred W. Lutter
A bookworm who memorizes baseball statistics. He's mostly a benchwarmer who assists the coach with defensive strategy. A backup outfielder/first baseman. Wears number 9.
Nervous relief pitcher with glasses who is a terrible hitter; often asked by Coach Buttermaker to purposely get hit by pitches so he won't try to swing. Also a backup outfielder. Wears number 10.
Regi Tower
Scott Firestone
Another lightly developed character; has red hair. Plays third, then first base. Wears number 1.
Toby Whitewood
David Stambaugh
An unassuming boy who plays first base. He knows about the other players' personalities and at times speaks for the team. Son of councilman Bob Whitewood. Wears number 2.
11-year-old pitcher who feels insecure about her tomboy image. She is proven to be a good pitcher. Her mother is Buttermaker's ex-girlfriend. Wears number 11.
The star pitcher for the Yankees (wears number 2 for that team). Coach Roy Turner's son. He has a rivalry with Engleberg and regularly bullies Tanner and Timmy. Allows Engleberg an inside-the-park home run, then quits the team after Roy slaps him in anger over a wild pitch.
