Movies We Like: ‘The Bad News Bears’ (1976)
by Cam CannonMorris Buttermaker was a fair to middling minor league pitcher in his day, whose claim to fame was once striking out Ted Williams in a Spring Training game. Now, he’s a whiskey and beer swilling, filtered cigar chomping pool cleaner who’s at once soft-spoken and gruff. You love him already, don’t you?
“The Bad News Bears” is subversive from the start, its characters realistic and flawed. Of course, the engine driving this train is the late Walter Matthau, whose Buttermaker was hired to coach a team of misfits who are so bad at baseball they’re only in the elite league because one the parents sued the league. Most of the Bears’ parents are conspicuously absent at practices and are rarely heard or seen at games. Leaving them out of the movie is a stroke of genius – we’re constantly wondering why one of them didn’t step up to coach the team.
The subversive nature of the movie is exemplified in a performance from the late Vic Morrow. As Roy Turner, the coach of the Yankees, he is openly hostile toward Buttermaker and the Bears in general. While his hostility is certainly not commendable, it comes from an honest source: the Bears have no business in this top-notch league, and there are plenty of leagues where the Bears could have played. “Why did Whitewood [the lawyer who sued to get the Bears (read: his son) into the league] choose my league?” Turner seems to be asking throughout the movie. Cementing the Bears’ outcast status is the fact that every other team in the league is named for a Major League one. I love the moment in the first game when one of the Yankee players hits a home run off of the perpetually wild Rudy Stein. Coach Turner applauds, takes off his cap, wipes his brow, and most tellingly, breathes a sigh of relief. Without a single word, we realize how important the league is to him. Over the course of the movie, we learn of course that it’s too important.
After a humiliating season-opening 26 to zip loss at the hands of the Yankees, most of the team wants to quit. And so does Whitewood. But Buttermaker, for some reason, sees this gig as a potentially redemptive moment for him, and unlike a million times in the past, he decides to stick it out.
As for the other characters, the movie is a demonstration in how to craft three-dimensional personalities regardless of screen time. Director Michael Ritchie, working from a dynamite script by Bill Lancaster (Burt’s son), crafts an economical, fast-moving story where each character has a big moment. There’s the Muslim Ahmad, desperate to equal his brothers’ athletic feats; there’s the fat kid Engelberg (this movie INVENTED that cliché), who turns out to be a pretty good hitter; there’s the little hot-head, Tanner, unafraid of anything; there’s Jackie Earle Haley’s Kelly Leak, the smoking, cussing, motorcycle riding bad boy ringer who really just needs a hug – which is not cheesy at all because not once does another warm and fuzzy character say he only needs a hug.
A clever subplot is that Amanda Whurlitzer (dude, the characters’ names are even awesome) is actually the daughter of Buttermaker’s ex-girlfriend and the all-around symbol of his failures as a human being. Besides the Ted Williams strikeout, Buttermaker’s other claim to fame is teaching Amanda how to throw a wicked curveball, of which he says, “It’s like a scoop of ice cream, it comes up to the plate and just disappears.”
Of course, the movie comes down to the big game, and Buttermaker’s been bitten by the win-at-any-cost bug. He finds out that he’s no better than Roy Turner, who commits a shocking and inexcusable act in the finale (though, as it turns out, Turner really ain’t that bad of a guy). This moment aside, Roy Turner is right, at least at the beginning of the movie – why should the league lower their standards to satisfy a do-gooder City Councilman? He never meddles or cheats, he just coaches his boys. And in Coach Buttermaker, the Bears learn that their standards should be raised, that they shouldn’t accept losing, and that winning only comes when you do your best.
Email this to a friend | Print |
Share on Facebook
| Tweet this
| 
Follow Us on Twitter
Subscribe via RSS
Got a Tip?
48 Comments
I loved this movie! It came out before video, so I saw it about thirty times in theaters. "I ain't got much up here, but what I got sure hurts!" and when Tanner stands up for Timmy. and when Buttermaker weeps into his beer.
And Turner's (Vic Morrow's) son is played by Brandon Cruz, grown up from TV's Courtship of Eddie's Father; kind of a shit, until you watch his dad in action.
Funny how the interfering parents in this film aren't anything like they are nowadays.
Good call, wonderful film. Don't forget director Michael Ritchie, a master at the quietly subversive and heartfelt. Mathau is in perfect form and the story offhandedly yet perfectly captures a Souhern California zeitgeist. The remake was all edge and vulgarity without any of the sweetness or slyness of the original.
Also the sound track was classic!……..If u hear any of the songs from that movie anywhere you always think of that movie!!……Excellent- a timeless classic
In the decade before the remake, I remember saying fifty times: If they remade the movie, two things are absolutely the first thing to go. First, Tanner's stream of ethnic obscenities, culminating with, "And a booger-pciking spaz," to describe his new teammates. Second, Buttermaker's treating the kids to a beer after the game, of about which two ounces gets consumed (either Whitewood or Tanner shouts, "I'll drink to that!" and clinks bottles with a teammate). Well, kids talk like that, out of fear and and need to sound tough. And if you give a ten year-old a beer, he'll take one sip, grimace, and pour the rest on the kid next to him.
Not in the remake. When I'm told the culture is becoming more "puritanical" I say, "Yes. But not in the ways you think."
Haha I remember watching this movie with my dad back when I was a kid. I didn't get if fully at the time but I loved the quirkiness and non-PCness of it all. Big stuff to a kid.
I love how back then they didn't water the characters down as much as they do now just to make things safe. A lot of the characters, even if they were a little ridiculous, said a lot of real stuff.
Ahhh yes back in the days before everything, and I mean everything is seen through the politically correct lens. I didn't see the remake, as the original in almost all instances is vastly superior, as is in this case for precisely the reasons you posted.
I love rewatching this film, and it is as Raven stated above, a great snapshot of the early/mid seventies CA, or for that matter anywhere else at that time.
I was the same age as these kids when the movie came out. The Little League they played in fit my Little League to a Tee. I think we had someone like just about all the characters in our league. It brings back great memories of my childhood and baseball every time I see it.
Quite simply, the remake doesn't exist in my book, wheelchair-bound kid lamely subbing for the by-today's-standards political incorrectness of the original. Really thought the Dazed and Confused, 70s-savvy Richard Linklater would have gotten it right, too. Que sera sera.
1976 version, however, movie we like very much in our family. Gets at least one view a summer.
Tied with "Bang the Drum Slowly" for best baseball movie of all time.
Bad News Bears is without a doubt one of the most underrated sports films ever. Anyone who has played Little League Baseball can relate to this film. The meddlesome parents, the misfit teammates, the behind the scenes BS, it's all in this film.
Cano drives in Swisher! 1-0.
The first was amazing but for some reason The Bad News Bears In Breaking Training was my favorite film of my childhood. I still get in a sugar rush stupor when I watch it, especially when the "fireworks" go off in the Astrodome.
DEREK JETER!
1976. 9 year old boy at the drive-In with my parents. Bad News Bears and Rocky. There will never better night at the movies. Funny characters with guts, who get the glory despite the fact they both lose at the end. If I saw the remake I would just be reminded that movie characters have become bunch of insincere, booger eating bunch of faggots
Not to nitpick but…Ahmed was actually a black American kid whose parents were likely black American Muslims of the Louis Farrakhan variety.
can't remember if this is the one with Rorschach, is that this one? or part two?
Glad to see he's rebirthing his career.
Jackie Earle Haley appeared all three Bad News Bears films, but he had the lead in the second one.
speaking of Jackie Earle Haley, Breaking Away is another movie that really captured the late 1970's zeitgeist.
Hollywood made better films in the 70's than they do now.
I'm with you. The remake does not exist.
Bull Durham is a good one too Bennett.
Agree on "Bull Durham" — and there's a real good one (still) going on right now.
A-Rod saved the day again (at least for the time being).
I'd also put the made-for-HBO 61* in there with the best baseball movies
[...] original here: Movies We Like: ‘The Bad News Bears’ (1976) This entry is filed under America – Blogs, Big Hollywood. You can follow any responses to this [...]
Great baseball movie though there are a few rank higher in my pantheon. "It Happens Every Spring" is overlooked and I must be wrong about this but I absolutely love the film version of "Damn Yankees". Oh, and another great sports movie (though not baseball) from the '70s (1979) which also had Jackie Earle Hailey: "Breaking Away".
Dang, I posted about "Breaking Away" just after Red State Gun Owner. Should be seen as often as "Bad News Bear". Oh, and I think "Pride of the Yankees" is also a better baseball movie. This means "Bad News Bears" comes in fourth on my baseball movie list and all of them better than "The Natural", "Field of Dreams" and "Bull Durham".
I always enjoyed Walter Matthau, he was always cool.
I enjoyed Walter Matthau, he was always cool.
Agree with 61* I was afraid that it would be a little corny, but was pleasantly surprised. A-Rod did save the day w/HR when we needed it. Great game all around, though. I have no finger nails left and need more sunflower seeds, two of my favorite nervous habits while watching the Yanks. Up 2-0 baby, keep the presure on!!!
Yeah, Michael Ritchie (RIP) made two of my favorite movies, "The Bad News Bears" and "Fletch", but I think his best work might have been the TV movie 'The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom" with Holly Hunter.
The remake of "The Bad News Bears" was just awful.
Thank God for Breitbart and the rest of the new media.
I'll add "Eight Men Out" to round out my top-5 baseball movies.
What a game last night!
I'm actually grateful for the off-day today. I need a break before going through that again.
ANYTHING with Tatum O'Neil has MY vote!
You can never go wrong with Walter " Carbon on the Valves" Matthau in a movie. I don't think he ever made a bad movie. Some would as a New Leaf, but that one will grow on you, Very funny. Then there is my favorite of Favorites The Fortune Cookie.
My spot in the movie was when the ball "went into" the Lupas kids mitt at the fence. Another great character name btw.
Too bad they had to ruin the memory with the remake.
I can see why you right wing extremists draw inspiration from this classic tale about a crew rag tag misfits. LOL
Geez I forgot about that one, and "Bang The Drum Slowly," which you mentioned, both are great movies.
I hear ya on the day off!! Whew!! NFL today. Mariano was magnificent, Hairston, what a game, what a game. The cold weather hurt both teams, I think the Angels a little more.
The person who gave a "thumbs down" to the mention of the Yankee Captain (peace be upon him) is either a communist or an Angels fan.
What I remember about Bad News Bears is that a middle-school kid could afford tickets to a Rolling Stones concert, just from money made hustling air hockey.
What made this film great was that the Bears ultimately lose the Big Game. I was astonished that the remake did not change that to a "heartwarming" victory.
Inspiration? Extremists? Don't you wish Mr Cognitive Dissident?
As a kid not only was this hilarious but Tatum…well the baseball was second to what was inspiring the hormones. And unlike Polanski since I was younger than her it was natural instead of – never mind. Guess we non-extremists aren't ready to stop Knock Knock Polanski uncomfortable humor.
Vic Marrow left this planet a little to soon.
Nice presidential vote, losers!
Well, here's the Minority Report: I was in high school when this flick came out in theaters. I hated it! It was the first film I had ever seen in which little children used profanity, and I feel it contributed to the now widely recognized coarsening of the culture.
I do concede, though, that Walter Mathau was always worth the price of admission all by himself.
I loved this movie and I sudder to think about what they will do to another great movie SLAP SHOT.
What a douchebag….
please the only thing you can see is your god Obama. In the movie the rag tag misfits told the other team who to go stick it and wait till next year, excpet for us it will be go "Stick your god Obama and wait till 2010"
To spend the entire summer of 1975 watching them film the Bad News Bears at the local park was an amazing experience. Watching the Bad News Bears today, and Mason Park is a slide show of my early childhood.
now now. that name calling isn't becoming.
Ahhh, my childhood. Yes, the coach could crack open a beer during the game. And my father used to light up a cigarette at the breakfast table while his kids were eating cheerios. And my car seat was the way-back of a Volkswagon beetle – you know that tiny little space behind the backseat?
It's a movie that pulls me back in time in an instant.
You must be logged in to post a comment.