THE BAD NEWS BEARS (1976)

Being the "grey sheep" of a hockey (and to a lesser extent, golf and baseball) family, in a hockey-obsessed town, in a hockey-obsessed country, sports movies (and parodies) have always been low on the totem pole of genres for me. But director Michael Ritchie and writer Bill Lancaster capture the emotion, dynamics, and culture that are also all-too-common in minor hockey (save for the more expensive equipment), while delivering an unexpectedly warm-hearted film that's become, for this un-athletic reviewer, a new favorite of mine.

Walter Matthau as Morris Buttermaker

Tatum O'Neal as Amanda Whurlitzer

Vic Morrow as Roy Turner

Joyce Van Patten as Cleveland Ohio (Yes, really.)

As Caddyshack and Happy Gilmore were the big sports movies of our household (Slap Shot was on TV a lot less, if at all), Bears was not on my radar, possibly for the same reason Slap Shot wasn't.

To the film's credit, Tanner (Chris Barnes)'s teammates call him out on this, 

and it's totally stopped by the end of the film.

Yes, The Bad News Bears is one of those films that could only be made in the 1970s, not only due to the language, but also due to other cultural and era-related details. 

One viewer online said that even in 1976, Buttermaker would have been 

pulled over for having that many kids in the car without seatbelts.

For the sake of kids in such seating arrangements, I sure hope so.

Few reviews I've read of this film have praised Bill Lancaster's script the amount it deserves. The first few scenes not only tell us everything we need to know through the characters, but the dialogue shows their personalities in sometimes all of one line.

The league manager (and sole woman) saying this 

only a few years after Title IX passing?

...

I see you, Bill Lancaster.

Indeed, Bears is a prime example of how an excellent script can turn a good film into a great one. Deftly balancing comedy, drama, emotion, and heart without dwelling too long in one spot, Lancaster and Ritchie's talents give this story a heart under all its raw grit and rough edges.

Michael Ritchie's direction never outstays its welcome, 

all while adding shading to the characters.

Some might be disconcerted by how Buttermaker's alcoholism is 

played for (dark) laughs, though it personally doesn't ruin the film for me.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect going in, and much as I was enjoying the film up till then, then came...

...

"I love this movie."

It's this "lightning in a bottle" that has helped Bears endure, long after many of its contemporaries have faded away and its elements of "the underdog" and "losing the big game" have since become cliches in and of themselves.

 With all the personalities he has to deal with, it's no wonder 

we empathize with Buttermaker.

Pushing forward initially out of pride before warming to the job and showing his heart by the final game, Matthau's Buttermaker is no one's idea of an ideal coach (especially today), but dammit, does Matthau and the script make us love him. Also, being Matthau, the facial expressions here are by no means lacking.

To give Buttermaker an inner life off of the field, Lancaster's script smartly gives him plenty to deal with in his faded surrogate father relationship with Amanda.

Some scenes I've chosen not to include here, as you really should 

watch them for yourself. They're that wonderfully done.

O'Neal's performance is largely seen as a step down from her Oscar-winning turn 

in Paper Moon, but she has great chemistry with Matthau and gives Amanda 

a sweetness that the originally-cast Jodie Foster would have lacked.

"What do you think you are, Catfish Hunter?"

Catfish Hunter would also later be used as the name of 

the prized elusive fish in Grumpier Old Men (1995).

On first viewing, I got confused as to who was who, as one-third 

of the team was the same exact shade of white-blond.

In time, the players find themselves warming to each other, in keeping with the film's themes, as they're all in the same boat against the rival Yankees and others who want them to fail.

Jackie Earle Haley as Kelly Leak

Even the rebellious loner finds himself hurt when his 

ball-hogging causes his teammates to ice him out.

Vic Morrow previously starred with Walter Matthau in 

the Elvis movie King Creole (1958).

Thanks to Ritchie's direction, there's not a single false note in the film, and all the characters feel real, believable, and likely remind you of at least one person you know in real life.

Going back to Matthau, The Bad News Bears deserves to be a jewel in his crown of best performances, alongside films such as The Odd Couple, The Fortune Cookie, Charley Varrick, and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

"What's the matter, Coach Sandurz? Chicken?"

Charlie Matthau as the Athletics player.

What makes this part even funnier is that Tanner 

goes after a player who's nearly twice his height.

LOGO (MOUNTAIN) GEMS

The Bad News Bears features the 1976 "Receded Circle" version of the 1975 - 1986 Paramount Pictures logo. Also, would you believe that this is the improved version of the "Receded Circle"? That's right, the 1975 version (seen on films such as Lifeguard and Hustle) is even worse!

As a bonus, the second sequel The Bad News Bears Go to Japan (1978) has a variant where the mountain turns into Mount Fuji, which many people find to be the only memorable aspect of that film.

TIDBITS AND SUCH 

RedBubble has a selection of Bears designs for T-shirts, phone cases, and more.

David Stambaugh (Toby Whitewood) is now a minister in Green's Farms, Connecticut.

In 2017, the New York Daily News caught up with Stambaugh, O'Neal, Erin Blunt (above, who played Ahmad Abdul-Rahim), and other Bears for a great 40th anniversary article.

The Bad News Bears is a film that hasn't lost its rawness or its heart over four decades later. I don't think I've ever seen a film that has a foot in both streams and makes it all work so organically.

Copyright © Chynna Moore