The Bad News Bears

Synopsis: First of a trilogy of films takes an unflinching look at the underbelly of little league baseball in Southern California. Former minor leaguer Morris Buttermaker is a lazy, beer swilling swimming pool cleaner who takes money to coach the Bears, a bunch of disheveled misfits who have virtually no baseball talent. Realizing his dilemma, Coach Buttermaker brings aboard girl pitching ace Amanda Whurlizer, the daughter of a former girlfriend, and Kelly Leak, a motorcycle punk who happens to be the best player around. Brimming with confidence, the Bears look to sweep into the championship game and avenge an earlier loss to their nemesis, the Yankees.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family
Director(s): Michael Ritchie
Production: Paramount Pictures
  Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win.
 
IMDB:
7.3
Metacritic:
83
Rotten Tomatoes:
97%
PG
Year:
1976
102 min
817 Views


Pull that in there.

Right back to home.

Let's move it.

- Yeah, not bad.

- Okay, let's go for two now.

Okay, go for the bunt.

Everybody stay alive.

Go!

On your back.

Twenty sit-ups.

Temperature today is

expected to hit 78.

And in downtown L.A.,

they're expecting...

Go!

Way to go, Chris!

Thanks, mister.

Get it in there.

Come on, fellas!

Talk it up!

I'm going to go around the infield,

then around the outfield.

You got it?

Move! Charge the ball!

Fire it in there!

Around the infield now!

We'll do it around the infield,

then around the outfield.

Hey, Buttermaker.

- What the hell took you so long?

- I had three pools to clean.

- You know my son Toby, right?

- Hi, Buttermaker.

This little guy is going to be

a great ballplayer, aren't you, son?

I really appreciate this.

It's a shame that none of the

fathers have the time for it.

- If I wasn't so busy at City Hall...

- You got my check, Whitewood?

Check?

Son, why don't you

get your bike off the car?

I thought we were going

to be quiet about the money.

- Oh, yeah. Sorry.

- It's gonna be rough.

You just got one week

till the first game.

I wanted to introduce you to

the administrators, but you're late.

You forgot to sign the check.

Check is not signed.

Oh. Helps, right?

You ask around for a woman

they call Cleveland.

She'll get things

set for you. Here.

Here's a list

of the boys on the team.

Don't let any of these bastards

give you a hard time.

Put that away.

Hang in there.

You know, I think we're doing

a really fine thing.

- Dad said you played pro ball.

- Yeah.

I thought you just

cleaned swimming pools.

- Says you were really great once.

- That's nice of him.

Get that bike off the field!

Get it off!

You're marking it up!

- And stay off the field!

- Excuse me.

- Sorry he yelled at your boy.

- That's not my boy.

My husband's uptight about

the infield, and he sometimes yells.

Jill.

- Jill, honey.

- My name is Buttermaker.

I'm coach of the new team,

and I'm looking for Miss Cleveland.

She's in the equipment room.

It's straight ahead.

Goddamn class-action suits are

gonna be the ruin of this country.

It wasn't so bad when

the courts made us take girls.

At least the ones that came

could play, but now this.

- This equipment's kind of had it.

- Damn right, Mr. Buttermaker.

That's because this is normally

a six-team league, not seven.

You're gonna have to

be happy with what's left.

Look, Buttermaker, the problem

is your friend Whitewood.

He could have got those boys

in any of the other leagues.

Why the hell

did he sue this one?

Why? We're different than the

other leagues, and he knows it.

We run a highly

competitive program here.

It's highly competitive.

Want to know something?

It's not us.

It's the boys.

It's the boys themselves

that want it that way.

Buttermaker, new rule book.

See that you memorize it.

You got not even an hour

to practice on that field.

Good luck, huh?

When I say your name, step forward

and tell me what position you play.

- Rudi Stein.

- Pitcher. Can I play pitch...

- Sure. Regi Tower.

- I got a pretty good arm.

My father said

for me to play infield.

Mr. Buttermaker,

I'm on your team.

- Last year I was playing baseball...

- Did you really pitch a no-hitter?

I'm Tower...

My dad's a Yankee fan, and he

never heard of no Buttermaker...

who ever played for the Yankees,

let alone pitched a no-hitter!

I don't know who you are,

but sit down and shut up.

- Can I play second or third base?

- The situation with the glasses...

Forget about the glasses.

All right, guys,

let's get one thing straight.

I was a heck of a ballplayer,

but I never pitched for the Yankees.

- As a matter of fact...

- You never played major league.

But you did pitch

for Phoenix in the minors.

In 1951, you won nine games...

Iost six, had 170 strikeouts...

and had an E.R.A. Of 2.86.

Good work, kid.

Ahmad Abdul Raheem.

- Ahmad Abdul Raheem. Here.

- What position do you want to play?

I want to switch hit

like my big brothers.

- I wanna play where Hank Aaron did.

- Right field.

- Aaron played right field.

- Then right field.

He also played quite

a few games on second base.

- Then second base.

- Mike Engelberg.

My dad thinks I should

try out for catcher.

He's invaluable. He can play third

and short at the same time.

- You wanna get "kung-fued"?

- Shut up, Tubs!

Timmy Luppus?

All right, all right.

- Timmy Luppus.

- Lupus.

Crud. Does that booger-eatin' spaz

make me want to puke.

- What do you want to play, Luppus?

- Lupus.

He's shy, Coach.

Shy, my butt.

He's an idiot.

Shut up, Tanner.

He's just quiet.

Timmy and I could do

a fine job sharing right field.

Let's not talk anymore about it.

Everybody out on the field

and take any position you want.

We'll figure out

where you play later.

- Could Timmy and I play right field?

- Anyplace at all.

- Just get out there.

- Do you want us to split it?

Shut up and get out there.

Let's go, boys.

Mister Buttermaker...

I think my dad said something about

these two boys were Mexican.

They don't speak any English.

All right, let's get one.

Hey, can't you hold off of that

until after practice?

There's energy in chocolate.

I need energy.

All right, let's get one.

Damn it, Regi!

Attack that ball!

- Pay attention out there.

- It was right at me.

Attack it!

All right, get one.

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Bill Lancaster

William Henry "Bill" Lancaster (November 17, 1947 – January 4, 1997) was an American screenwriter and actor. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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