Just a few observations I feel are necessary to make. I noticed in the film that no one smokes during the entire picture, which may be a let down to some who feel with a title like that there has to be some puffing, especially when the film comments on the lack of smoking in modern Hollywood. The film was funny, only about two moments though were laugh out loud funny, but you can always get an audible chuckle out of me when you talk about shooting hippies. The film avoids numerous cliches, and I thought this would become some preachy piece of crap either about tolerance, or about Nick learning that cigarettes are bad, but thank god this isn't one of those. This film succeeds many times over from where Saved (2004) failed. That film played it far too safe, this one is willing to push things a little farther.

on a side note, I found that video directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Ferris (The Smashing Pumpkins "Tonight Tonight") are making their feature film directed debut, and Richard Linklater is making another animated film, this one based on a Philip K. Dick novel. I don't usually get excited about trailers, but these were new to me. Linklater has generally fluctuated between brilliant independent work and play it safe entertainment, so considering Bad News Bears was far from brilliant independent work, I'm excited about this new film.