Pool cleaner Morris Buttermaker (Jack Warden) gets into a fight with a dead-beat client. Instead of jail, he is ordered by the court to coach the troubled local school's baseball team, the Bears. He recruits his former girlfriend's daughter Amanda Wurlitzer to be his star pitcher. Dr. Emily Rappant (Catherine Hicks) is the principal. Corey Feldman plays one of the kids named Regi Tower.
The movie is a classic but most people forget its foul-mouthed and violent nature. It wouldn't be a kiddie movie today. The TV show is a different story. The swear words have been squashed into non-sense. It fits much more into the network TV mode. As long as one doesn't expect the child abuse to transfer onto the TV show, this is fine. Jack Warden is a great Buttermaker and he's no longer a drunk. He's a simple grumpy old man. The kids are all cute and fun. Amanda is great. Corey Feldman has a smaller role. Other than Kelly and Josh, the kids have good functional charisma. The problem with Josh is that he's supposed to be smart and edgy. He's not a meathead who doesn't see Amanda's flailing attempts at romance. He has to acknowledge it sooner. It could have been a fun back and forth but he's not written as a good partner. This is a fun (modern day PG) version of the movie.
