Clients
My elderly clients enjoyed this movie

Brings Bach Memories of watching with my young boys who are now in their 60’s!
Nothing to dislike, just bringing back pleasant memories!

Love This Film
I will only say that this is the best movie about youth sports that has ever been made. Nothing else comes close, including the several sequels. I haven’t viewed any of the extras on this Blu-Ray, but the feature film looks and sounds fine. The inclusion of the digital license is a nice bonus.

A classic about a Little League Baseball team and about growing up
I first saw “The Bad News Bears” in the theater when it was first released in the spring of 1976,(the bi-centennial year.) I was 20 at the time. Well, I’m 64 now and I got it on DVD and I appreciate more than ever. It stars the late,great Walter Matthau as Morris Buttermaker a cranky former Minor League coach, down on his luck cleaning swimming pools for a living. He’s asked to coach The Bears in the very competitive California Little League. Tatum O’Neal in her first movie since she won the “Oscar” for Best Supporting Actress in 1973 at age nine,(the youngest ever to win and still is,) for “Paper Moon.” She’s 12 now and she play’s the new coach’s daughter Amanda who has a talent for pitching and a really good fast ball. The movie co-stars Jackie Earle Haley as the motorcycle riding rebel without a cause who’s also a really good ball player. And Alfred Lutter as a member of The Bears. He played Ellen Burstyn’s son in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” where Ms. Burstyn won the “Oscar” for Best Actress in 1974. And was one of Director Martin Scorsese’s earliest films and had a spin-off television series “Alice.” The young Mr. Lutter also played a younger “Boris” played by Woody Allen in “Love and Death” in 1975 which was a really good comedy also. All the other unknown young actors who play The Bears do a terrific job.And also co-stars Brandon Cruz,(Eddie in the television series “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father”,) as the star pitcher for the other team and Vic Morrow as his father and a very tough coach. Walter Matthau and Vic Morrow first worked together in “King Creole” with Elvis Presley back in 1958. They were unknown actors at the time. Elvis had said was his personal favorite film role. It was directed by Michael Ritchie who directed “The Candidate” with Robert Redford in 1972, “Smile” with Bruce Dern” in 1975, “Semi-Tough” with Burt Reynolds in 1977 and “Fletch” with Chevy Chase in 1985 which were pretty good flicks. And was written by Bill Lancaster,son of Burt and inspired by his own experiences with his cranky father as a Little League coach. It spawned two sequels in the late ’70’s.And a spin-off television series, and a remake in 2005. And I never saw any of these. The tagline for the poster illustrated by Jack Davis of MAD magazine read…..”The coach is waiting for his next beer.The pitcher is waiting for her first bra. The team is waiting for a miracle. Consider the possibilities.”

What a great movie, couldn’t release it nowadays as it would offend someone but for us older generation who aren’t so easily offended it’s funny and also heartwarming.

Walther Matthau glänzt als brummiger, alkoholsüchtiger Trainer eines Little League Baseball Teams – the Bears.Morris Buttermaker – Walter Matthau – wird von einem einflussreichen Stadtverordneten engagiert, das Litte League Baseballteam The Bears zu trainieren, das ursprünglich von Ligaorganisation nicht zugelassen wurde, weil die Kinder, darunter der Sohn des Stadtverordneten, als nicht wettbewerbstauglich angesehen wurden. Den daraufhin angestrengten Prozeß gegen die Liga hat der Verordnete gewonnen und nun braucht er einen Trainer, der sich mit dem voraussichtlichen Verliererteam befassen mag. Gegen entsprechendes Honorar ist Buttermaker dazu bereit.Der Film erzählt, wie Buttermaker allmählich aus der anfänglichen Verlierertruppe ein siegfähiges Team formt und ein Vertrauensverhältnis zu den Kindern aufbaut. Dazu holt er sich auch Hilfe von außen: Amanda Whurlitzer, die Tochter einer früheren Freundin, der er das pitchen beigebracht hat und Kelly Leak, den besten Athleten unter den Jungen, aber ein troublemaker und outcast , deshalb auch bisher in keinem Team. Mit ihren Fähigkeiten werden die Bears entscheidend verbessert, beginnen zu gewinnen und schaffen es schließlich ins Finale der Liga.Der Film hat den Charakter eines Komödiendramas, ist hervorragend inszeniert und erlaubt einen guten Einblick in die Wettbewerbsorientierung der Gesellschaft der USA.Eine deutsche Fassung scheint zur Zeit nicht am Markt zu sein. Daher ist der Film nur was für des Englischen mächtige (auch die Untertitel sind in Englisch) .Neben Walther Matthau und Tatum O’Neal spielen auch Alfred Lutter (Alice lebt hier nicht mehr) und Brandon Cruz (Eddies Vater, Serie) mit.Sehr gelungen!