Kevin Smith on The Bad News Bears

The writer-director discusses his appreciation of the 1976 film starring Walter Matthau and Tatum O'Neal.

[KarlPfister]

I love this film. Something I didn’t notice when I first saw it is that when Amanda is walking away from the dugout, Buttermaker is swigging his beer, but he’s got tears in his eyes too. That scene hit me even harder when I realized that

[mindykloster]

This movie is real! That was my childhood. Tatum and I are the same age. I played softball. I lived in Phoenix Arizona and this movie looks just like where I lived. This and Fast Times at Ridgemont High sums up my childhood and adolescence! I feel so blessed to grow up in the 70’s!

[drewrosecrans]

I saw this movie back in the day I was 9 year's old good times hand's down saw it the whole summer $1.50 good times I miss it!! The 70s ruled!

[atlasking]

Tatum O'Neill just tears your heart out in the dugout scene where Buttermaker rejects being a father figure to her. Absolutely masterful film-making.

[WillLlamas]

Many have loved this movie for decades. Only now does it dawn on us how much it meant and how truly great it was.

[-Quisp-]

57 here and yes, that scene in the dugout is still as powerful today as it was when I first saw it

[jasonloyd]

This is my favorite film of all time. I have a framed Kelly Leak Bad News Bears jersey in my screening room and I coach youth baseball for a living. I’ve seen it at least 30 times. I’d say this picture had a major impact on my life.

[davidlarsen-tjtn]

Kids my age back then all had crushes on Amanda and as we got older it switched to Joey Turners mom. What a sweet seat in those jeans!!!!

[scottwhitehead]

I love that Kevin Smith loves this movie. I was 10 when it came out in 1976, and I really liked it a lot. Probably saw it several times in the theater. Watching it now as an adult, I love the movie so much more and for very different reasons. For my money, The Bad News Bears has the single greatest ending line ever in a movie: "And you can take this 2nd place trophy and shove it straight up your ass!" And Tanner hurls the trophy at the patronizing Yankee team. It's a rough and messy movie, to be sure, but it's heart is absolutely in the right place.

[nicholastube]

I want to watch it that way. Timmy Lupus makes one hell of a martini. I lived that era of little league. Plenty of Vic Morrows I played for.

[OhanaFilms]

No movie captures the feeling of being a kid in the 70s better.

[LosAngelesLonghorn]

Kevin's analysis is exactly spot on. The classical music cue that accompanies the Buttermaker/Amanda dugout scene really enhances the emotion. Bravo!!

[RyneMurray]

That scene in the dugout is so powerful and it makes me cry every time. You see her so heartbroken walking away and you see a broken man who knows he's broken.. it feels like he ran her off because he maybe doesn't't feel good enough for her mom.

[jerrymolnar]

Absolutely agree with Kevin Smith. The dugout scene is one of my favorite movie scenes ever. The emotional impact, the acting, the directing, the cinematography. Perfect in every way.

[internetumpire]

This movie came out when I was 12 and was in little league. It was filmed at Mason park in the valley. Just down the street from the little league fields on Devonshire where we played. So it really hit home with me as a child and still to this day. There are so many defining moments in this film. In addition to the dugout scene... When Buttermaker went to city hall and was told by Whitewood to shut the team down. Buttermaker sat in his car and decided that he would keep going for the kids. Another defining scene was when Lupus was being bullied at the snack bar and Tanner stuck up for him and the bullies put him in a trash can. Tanner then realized what Lupus had to go through every day. When Vic Morrow slapped his son during the championship game and Engelbert was in shock because he understood that he did not deserve that.

[jerseyforhawks]

Excellent film. Thank goodness I was 12 that year and adored playing outside and Little League. Magic and boatloads of FUN!!!

[Josh_from_Jersey]

Amen. A total and complete masterpiece.

[atlasking]

The power of The Dugout Scene is this: on first glance, Buttermaker comes off like a real a-hole and borderline child abuser. But, on reflection, he's engaging in the toughest of tough love. Amanda *is* a great kid and she *shouldn't* be hanging around with an alcoholic bum, and he's the *last* person she should be looking to as a father figure. And Buttermaker knows that, and he stands up and does the right thing no matter how hard it is and how heartless it makes him look, even though it absolutely breaks his, Amanda's (and our) hearts. At least there's a kind of redemption at the end where we see that Buttermaker will continue to be in Amanda's life, if only through baseball. Walter Matthau and Tatum O'Neal just killed it in this scene. Perfectly acted by both.

[mirasolbalaga]

I agree on everything that Smith said about this movie. One of my favorite movies of all time. That dugout scene is the most memorable part and I still gets me emotional ❤

[nintendianajones]

Not a fan of Kevin Smith but credit to recognizing this masterpiece that nobody talks about anymore. Micheal Richie was a superb filmmaker. The Candidate, Bad News Bears, Fletch and Wild Cats are all classics.