The Bad News Bears

            This is daring for the time it came out. A baseball team of misfits that swear up a storm and fight like banshees, but in the end they pull it together. Oh, their coach is a drunk as well. Buttermaker (Walter Mathau, The Odd Couple) is a pool cleaner in the Southern California-San Diego area, and takes charge as coach of the Bears, the most rag-tag group of misfit kids that the director does not want allowed in the league.

            With the help of a few recruits, and some fundamentals, Buttermaker can get any team turned around. The Baseball action and cinematography is a bit unconventional and amateur, and the script leaves something to be desired, but the end is priceless.

            The kids are hilarious, and little Tanner, the four-foot-nothing shortstop that doesn’t take guff from anybody stands tall. New recruits include Tatum O’Neal (Paper Moon) who pitches a mean spitball, with the Vaseline on her hat brow, and Kelly Leak, the baddest kid around, who is also a well-respected loan shark and drives a Harley Davidson.

            Really just a classic story told in a campy 70's era So-Cal low budget way. It's raw and has an edge that just makes it endearing if you had any experience of being bad at something as a child but having someone believe in you none-the-less. So really, this foul-mouthed comedy speaks to the heart of anyone. A 2.