Kid Faves – The Bad News Bears by Jessica Bendinger

Books, Guest Post, Kid Faves, Movies | Jessica Bendinger | February 22, 2010 at 11:59 am

Jessica Bendinger My favorite film from childhood was definitely The Bad News Bears. Tatum O’Neal and all the scruffy outsider kids on that little league team made me feel like anything was possible, even if I didn’t have a life that fit the mold or looked “normal” to other people. It was so life-changing for me to see a story where the girl could do something better than the boys (pitch baseball).

The dialogue was incredible – if you see the movie today, Walter Matthau and Tatum’s performances completely hold up. The director, Michael Ritchie, was an innovator. There is a very organic, unaffected quality to the comedy that influenced me creatively, as well. Hard to find a film that inspires you personally and professionally, but the original Bad News Bears certainly fits the bill.

Tags: Jessica Bendinger, The Bad News Bears

About Jessica Bendinger

Jessica Bendinger is an acclaimed Hollywood screenwriter who launched onto the scene with her original script for the hit hip hop cheerleading comedy, Bring it On. She released her first and highly-anticipated novel, The Seven Rays on November 24, 2009 with Simon & Schuster. The story follows 17 year-old, Beth Michaels, who uncovers elements of the supernatural on her journey of self discovery. The words: “You are more than you think you are” mysteriously present themselves to Beth and ultimately drive her quest. The novel reaches well beyond the interest of young adults, appealing to all as it explores the universal question—“Are we making the most of our lives?” She currently resides in Los Angeles with her two dogs, where she is writing her next feature film and working on the sequel to The Seven Rays.

1 Comment

Spacekase says:

February 23, 2010 at 8:30 am

Bad News Bears is definitely a ’70′s classic. Jessica is showing her age. I haven’t watched it as an adult, but I definitely remember Walter’s character having some problems that confused me as a child. My little league team wanted to change the name of our team to the Bears after this movie came out. This is probably a result from getting hit in the head with a baseball many times that summer. We were “Bad News.”

Reply