Watch Bad News Bears

Bad News Bears is a sports comedy film from 2005 directed by Richard Linklater. It stars Billy Bob Thornton as Morris Buttermaker, a washed-up, alcoholic former minor league baseball player who now works as a pest exterminator. After being hired to coach a Little League baseball team, he quickly realizes the team is terrible and sets out to turn them into winners.

The team is made up of a group of misfits, including Tanner Boyle (Timmy Deters), a tough-talking troublemaker, Amanda Whurlitzer (Sammi Kane Kraft), a talented pitcher and Buttermaker's love interest, and Engelberg (Brandon Craggs), an overweight boy with a heart of gold. Despite Buttermaker's lack of interest in coaching, he eventually becomes invested in the team's success and develops a bond with the players.

Throughout the film, Buttermaker deals with challenges like a rival coach played by Greg Kinnear, who is more interested in winning than having fun, and the parents of the players who pressure their children to win. However, Buttermaker's unconventional coaching methods, which include giving the team beer, paying them to show up to practice, and teaching them to cheat, ultimately pay off as the team begins to improve.

The movie is a remake of the 1976 film of the same name and features a similar plotline but with updated references and jokes. The film also takes a more modern approach to themes such as diversity and tolerance. The team includes players from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, and Buttermaker encourages them to embrace their differences and work together as a team.

The acting in Bad News Bears is solid, with Billy Bob Thornton delivering a performance as an unlikable character who gradually becomes more sympathetic. Marcia Gay Harden plays Liz Whitewood, a local lawyer and the mother of one of the players, who is the voice of reason and often clashes with Buttermaker. Greg Kinnear is also impressive as Roy Bullock, the rival coach who will stop at nothing to win.

The film's soundtrack features classic songs from the 70s, including "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and "Taking Care of Business," which helps enhance the film's comedic tone. The cinematography is also well-done, capturing the excitement of the baseball games and the small-town atmosphere.

Overall, Bad News Bears is an enjoyable film that will make audiences laugh and root for the underdogs. While it may not be groundbreaking, it is a solid comedy that is worth watching for fans of the genre.

Bad News Bears is a 2005 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 51 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.8 and a MetaScore of 65.