MovieChat Forums > The Bad News Bears (1976) Discussion > Established a subgenre?

Established a subgenre?

posted 9 years ago by mathew5000
4 replies | jump to latest

I saw an Estonian movie tonight, The Fencer (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2534634/combined), which reminded me of The Bad News Bears. Thinking about it a little more, there are lots of movies that involve a ragtag group of kids training at some sport or game, usually under an adult coach who himself is working through various issues, and then competing on a national level. Another example that comes to mind is The Dark Horse (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2192016/combined), an excellent movie from New Zealand about a former chess champion, who has a mental illness, coaching a group of at-risk kids to compete in the national chess championships.

Arguably Stand and Deliver (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094027/combined) also fits in this pattern.

My question is this: can The Bad News Bears be said to have established and characterized this movie subgenre? Or else what similar movies are there that predate 1976?

[–] JohnnyCastle 9 years ago

Yea but I'd say you're missing the way more obvious ones. Little Giants, Mighty Ducks, The Big Green, Hardball, etc.

[–] mathew5000 9 years ago

I've never seen any of those. Are any of them from before 1976?

[–] JohnnyCastle 9 years ago

Nope, mostly the 90s. When the 90s were pumping out those "kid"/family movies.

They are much more kid appropriate than Bad News Bears but clearly Bad News Bears paved the way for those movies. I'd recommend checking them out. I grew up on them so they were always favorites of mine.

[–] JohnnyCastle 9 years ago

Major League is another movie about a misfit sports team similar to Bad News Bears.