Outstanding in Their Field: The 45th Anniversary of “The Bad News Bears”

 

By Michael Lyons

The movie that taught a generation about baseball, sportsmanship...and profanity is turning 45!  The original 1976 comedy classic The Bad News Bears was, and still is, a movie unlike any other.

The film centered on a group of misfits on the world's worst little league baseball team, who find themselves coached by a washed-up, alcoholic ex-major league player named Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau in a performance that’s become iconic).  To save the team, Buttermaker enlists the help of stellar tomboy pitcher Amanda Whurlitzer (Tatum O’Neal, a great child actress and mature beyond her years), as well as a tough loner named Kelly Leak (Jackie Earle Haley).  They soon find themselves one of the best teams in an overly competitive minor league.

The Bad News Bears was groundbreaking in that, unlike past “family comedies,” this one had a real edge to it.  The kids on the Bears spoke their mind, which included politically incorrect references and a flurry of four-letter words, particularly from one of the players, Tanner (Chris Barnes).  He's one of the many young actors in the film who deliver distinct, solid performances.  

Additionally, as the Bears team was made up of kids who were all different shapes, sizes, and different ethnicities, the film reflected a diversity not often seen in movies at this time.

Director Michael Ritchie, an underrated comedy director who had helmed such films as The Candidate (1972) and Smile (1975), brings a level of realism here (anyone who has ever played in or attended a little league game will no doubt be in awe of how well it is captured).

Ritchie also allows the film to stop for moments of drama, such as a scene involving the competing team's hard-driving coach (played excellently by Vic Morrow) and his son, who is the pitcher (played by Brandon Cruz).

The sequence is heartbreaking and is one of many scenes in which The Bad News Bears makes a statement about sports competition and its impact on children. 

Released on April 7, 1976, the film was a box office hit.  The title itself entered our pop culture sports lexicon as shorthand for any team that is struggling.

The Bad News Bears also spawned two sequels, a TV series, and a re-make in 2005.

But for the generation who grew up with the film and passed it on to future generations, 1976's The Bad News Bears remains in a league all of its own.