Blu-ray Review – The Bad News Bears (1976)

The world was a vastly different place 45 years ago, and 1976's "The Bad News Bears" is both a film of its time and timeless in many ways. It's the screenwriting debut for Bill Lancaster (son of Burt), who provides saltiness and silliness with this underdog comedy about a California little league team, but he also has something to say about the ways of guardianship and parental influence. Put into the hands of director Michael Ritchie (who was on a roll at the time, building career momentum with "Downhill Racer," "Prime Cut," "The Candidate," and "Smile"), and "The Bad News Bears" is transformed into a true sports cinema classic, with the helmer finding a way to celebrate the rougher edges of the writing while still making an approachable picture about baseball, offering a vivid understanding of the little league experience. Ritchie does a remarkable job keeping the endeavor invested in character and mindful of abrasiveness, never slipping into mean-spiritedness when dealing with loudmouthed kids and their learned behavior. It's a heroic directorial effort, with Richie finding just the right tone to make a crunchy movie lovable. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com