I’ve always loved a cinematic curmudgeon, and while Walter Mattheu in The Bad News Bears might not be the funniest or most entertaining I’ve seen, he’s definitely one of the most heartfelt. The film manages to avoid many of the cliches of the sports genres, partly because many of them weren’t as ingrained then as they were now, to the point that I had no idea which way it would go. Would the team win the grand final, giving Mattheu the redemption he’s been seeking, or would they lose on the field, but win the much-needed respect off of it. Even if you’re not a Baseball fan, which I’m certainly not, you can still understand and follow the story, since it doesn’t lean too heavily into any incomprehensible jargon or complicated plotting that necessitates an understanding of the game itself. It’s the child actors that help to give it heart and soul. They’re cheeky, impetuous, abrasive, profane and petty, but that’s what kids are often like, and the fights and conflicts they have are ones we can all relate to. Tatum O’Neal and Jackie Earle Haley are the standouts among them, with a tough façade that belies a deep-seated need for success and affirmation. It has the odd plotline that goes nowhere, most notably the one about the titular team getting cut from the league which just… gets forgotten about until the end, but the film knows what the audience has come to see and is keen to focus on that. By being simple, honest and down to earth, the story slowly works its way under your skin, and whether or not you like the Bad News Bears to begin with, when the last game rolls round, you’ll find it impossible not to root for them.

A classically templated sports movie with great performances. Its funny that even when Buttermaker realizes he needs to be a better coach for the players, he continues to drink and smoke in the dugout while doing so.

A comedy about the worst baseball team becoming the best bad influence. Director Michael Ritchie and the late Walter Matthau and Tatum O' Neal. Morris is an ex-baseball minor league player who spends his day drinking. His lawyer-councilman Bob recommends he coaches a boys team. It's all out of spite against the league who denies his son to play given how talented he is. These boys are inexperienced and stink on the field. Morris' last attempt is to have a girl Amanda join the team to up their winning streak. But the rest of them are against the idea. Plus they both have rough past with Morris briefly dating her mother then one day he took off. These kids are bad news indeed with the bad attitudes, bad language, and crummy play antics. True this movie is a product of the time; with all the racial and homophobic slurs. Not to mention the violence inflicted on several characters. But give credit it started some familiar tropes in this genre. Even a terrible team can come together. It blends heart, comedy, and wicked satire. Matthau's performance stands out even if his character is less than sympathetic. The kids manage to keep up too with all the cynicism involved and the precociousness to win or play by the book. Just make sure to skip the remake!

10% rating ... I did not care for this film. I didn't think it was very funny and the storyline felt dull.

One of the Best movies ever made !!! 70s and 80s Rule!!!

My favorite baseball movie ever.

I just want to say, this is how things really were in the 1970's. I know. I was there. And had a lifetime .333 little league batting average.

Terrific movie, crisp dialog, the kids are amazing and most importantly BELIEVABLE. Classic, cannot express how amazing this movie is

Fun family sports movie

Looking to get his son involved in a prestigious little league system that's already over capacity, a well-connected father greases a few palms, recruits his own team of misfits and hires a miserable ex-pitcher to show them the ropes. I'm not really sure what the dad's plan is here, as he quickly fades out of the picture while the team, predictably, plummets straight to the bottom of the standings. Did he expect them to fail and merge with an established club? Maybe he just needed to get that kid out of his hair? Either way, his methods are as strange as his paternal instincts are suspect. Morris Buttermaker, the down-and-out former ace who's tasked with supervising the kids, is a hopeless drunk who alternately neglects his players and torments them. He's barely present to start the season, passing out at practice and slamming brews during games, but something about the team's fighting spirit pierces the fog and draws him out of his private slump. When that switch flips, he shifts from a ghost to a tyrant. No longer apathetic to more than the source of his next drink, he overworks his best players and berates the others for small mistakes. This puts the kids in a weird place: they admire his experience and appreciate his advice, but hate the way he makes them feel. They want to win, but they want to have fun, too, and as their record improves, the pressure to triumph supersedes love of the game. Buttermaker isn't the only coach to fall into this trap; he's just the first to realize it. It takes him long enough, right up to the championship game, but he does come around and the moment he realizes that he's being a toxic old jerk is powerful. Mostly a screwball comedy that delights in the shocking vulgarity of its young cast, there's also something heartier, something meaningful, churning beneath the surface.

The Bad News Bears is a classic dramedy and an enjoyable watch for fans of sports-themed movies. It reminds me of the brief time I spent in Little League as a kid. I would recommend this version over the 2005 remake any old day of the week.

A classic by every stretch. Matthau gives an understated, but rich performance, that not only makes you recoil at his crass bluntness, but makes you feel the pain of a truly 3 dimensional character. It may be hard for some modern audiences to stomach, but this is a superb underdog story.

A much better movie than I recall from watching it decades ago. The writing is fairly sharp, and much of the cast, including the kids, are given problems and backstories of their own, although not so much that it doesn't hang together as a cohesive story and become a soap opera. You can feel Mathau and the kids' angst between the movie laughs. I like that this isn't just a screwball lowest-common denominator comedy, and that, THANKFULLY, there is very little actual baseball in this flick.

A comedy about the worst baseball team becoming the best bad influence. Director Michael Ritchie and the late Walter Matthau and Tatum O' Neal. Morris is an ex-baseball minor league player who spends his day drinking. His lawyer-councilman Bob recommends he coaches a boys team. It's all out of spite against the league who denies his son to play given how talented he is. These boys are inexperienced and stink on the field. Morris' last attempt is to have a girl Amanda join the team to up their winning streak. But the rest of them are against the idea. Plus they both have rough past with Morris briefly dating her mother then one day he took off. These kids are bad news indeed with the bad attitudes, bad language, and crummy play antics. True this movie is a product of the time; with all the racial and homophobic slurs. Not to mention the violence inflicted on several characters. But give credit it started some familiar tropes in this genre. Even a terrible team can come together. It blends heart, comedy, and wicked satire. Matthau's performance stands out even if his character is less than sympathetic. The kids manage to keep up too with all the cynicism involved and the precociousness to win or play by the book. Just make sure to skip the remake!

this was good! Walter Matthau plays a great grumpy old man & the kids are spunky. it's a nice story & who doesn't love baseball?

There really is no sequel, comparison, or spin off that tops this. Perfectly written and performed.

The greatest sports movie of all time. A movie about team work and never giving up.

Man, putting whiskey in his beer first thing in the morning. Now that's another level of alcoholism. Jeez, Engelbert is such a fat useless lard of kid. I love how Lupus made Buttermaker a martini like it was nothing. Wow, Tatum O'Neal, which is also Brian O'Neal's daughter, has a strong throwing arm on her. She must have practiced with her dad or something because she's even got good form. Tatum is a real strong independent type that doesn't take herself too seriously. Holy shit the Kelly Leak kid, the one who drives a motorcycle around, is the same actor who played Rorschach in The Watchmen. That's so crazy cuz I thought the kid was a girl for a hot second. There's a real sweet character study here with Buttermaker. Here's a guy who's an alcoholic, has no ambitions hopes or dreams, has no real purpose or reason to live. Just goes day by day drinking, smoking and being a grumpy old fart. Then these kids, including Amanda, come into his life and slowly he starts to come around. Sometimes what kids need in their life is a good male role model. And sometimes what washed up alcoholics that have nothing to live for need in their lives are kids that can lift their old spirits up. Wow, this movie is kind of like a no holds barred kind of ordeal. The kids using racial slurs and cursing like it's nothing lol. This movie's got a lot of heart. Feels strangely familiar. Filled with plenty of interesting and likable characters. It's got a lot of grit to it. Very honest. Something we don't really experience in movies nowadays. The 70's were all about that and we need that back. Fucking hilarious movie too and very cleverly written. Pretty sentimental without getting too mushy, it's honest. Very sweet and charming movie. I loved every minute of it and I'd watch it again in a heartbeat. I MUST own it.

This movie is driven by an excellent lead performance by Walter Matthau and the kids he is surrounded with. It has a strong blend of humor and drama and serves as a decent father-daughter movie with Tatum O'Neal after Paper Moon. I do find that racism and problematic dialogue to be a bit jarring but it gets overshadowed by the drunken antics, and youthful exuberance of the cast. Also I'll also appreciate any movie that showcases how awful sports parents can be.

Nice movie, I think it one of the best baseball movies in history