One of director Michael Ritchie's most universally recognized comedies, THE BAD NEWS BEARS is a film that continues to entertain audiences of all ages. The story concerns a hopeless Little League team that eventually scores big when it acquires a new coach, Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau), a grouchy, beer-guzzling pool cleaner who takes the position for some extra cash. When he realizes that his players are a bunch of talentless misfits, he signs up two secret weapons: Amanda Whurlitzer (Tatum O'Neal), the daughter of an ex-girlfriend who also happens to be an awesome pitcher, and Kelly Leak (Jackie Earle Haley), a motorcycle-riding punk who is inarguably the best player in the area. With their new lineup in place, the Bears breeze their way into the championship game, in which they must battle their rivals, the Yankees, in order to exact revenge and win the title.

Matthau's Buttermaker is a gem of a character, tossing off cynical one-liners with a vehemence that is truly hysterical. Ritchie strikes further gold with his youthful cast, who all embody their characters with a comic realism that is both heartwarming and humorous, making THE BAD NEWS BEARS one of the finest sports comedies ever made.

An incredibly entertaining comedy about a hopeless little league team that eventually scores big when it acquires a new coach.

The film's final game was shot in Houston's famous Astrodome.

The film went on to spawn two sequels--THE BAD NEWS BEARS IN BREAKING TRAINING (1977) and THE BAD NEWS BEARS GO TO JAPAN (1978)--in addition to a television series in 1979.

DVD Features:

Region 1
Keep Case
Widescreen - 1.78
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Dolby Digital Mono - English
Dolby Digital Mono - French
Interactive Features:
Interactive Menus
Scene Selection

Walter Matthau: American actor, THE ODD COUPLE/I'M NOT RAPPAPORT
Tatum O'Neal: Oscar Winning Actress, PAPER MOON
Jackie Earle Haley: American Actor
Vic Morrow: American TV/Film Actor
Chris Barnes: Star, Tanner of BAD NEWS BEARS
Joyce Van Patten: American TV/Film Actress

Michael Ritchie: American Director/Producer

Stanley R. Jaffe: American Producer

Jerry Fielding: 

Richard A. Harris: Editor

"...One of the best baseball movies ever made. It nails the overzealous-kids'-coach syndrome as well as any film ever has; ditto for its golden-sun look of a 4 o'clock diamond..."