Beer League (2006)

27% of critics liked it
(15 reviews)
56% of users liked it
(23,475 ratings)

An unemployed, alcoholic thirtysomething who still lives with his mother and can't seem to muster the motivation to turn his life around finds that all's fair in love and softball when his team is threatened with ejection from the league in a raunchy sports comedy starring Howard Stern Show regular… More An unemployed, alcoholic thirtysomething who still lives with his mother and can't seem to muster the motivation to turn his life around finds that all's fair in love and softball when his team is threatened with ejection from the league in a raunchy sports comedy starring Howard Stern Show regular Artie Lange. For the sluggers from Ed's Bar and Swill, the weekly trip to the local diamond is more about drinking and roughhousing than it is about such technicalities as hitting home runs and striking out the opposing team. When their favorite pastime is threatened by the ultra-competitive athleticism of the league's villainous perennial champions -- led by local gym owner and current mayoral candidate Manganelli (Anthony de Sando) -- this motley group of hard-drinking sportsmen must make one final push for the pennant and end their unprecedented losing streak if they hold out any hope of making it to another season. Ralph Macchio, Seymour Cassel, and Laurie Metcalf co-star, and longtime Saturday Night Live contributor Frank Sebastiano makes his directorial debut. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 26 min.
Directed By: Frank Sebastiano
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Sep 15, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Jan 2, 2007
Studio: Echo Bridge Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
Beer League is raunchy and tacky, but it's a hell of a lot funnier than something like Failure To Launch.
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times
Artie Lange, Howard Stern's radio sidekick, somehow manages to make beer-league softball seem no fun at all in this extremely lowbrow comedy.
David Hiltbrand, Philadelphia Inquirer
Sitting through this film is like spending the night in that sleazy bar you swore you'd never go in, not even to use the bathroom.
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
Does the movie hit a home run? Hardly. But it's at least a single.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
The sort of lowbrow sports comedy best enjoyed on a 50-inch screen with a six-pack, a bucket of wings and a fast-forward button.
Stephen Williams, Newsday
The inanity is harmless, thoroughly predictable and ultimately disposable.
Tony Macklin, Las Vegas Weekly
This is a foul ball of a comedy -- a raunchy, raucous frat party.
Brian Orndorf, eFilmCritic.com
Beer League is not for tender ears, but more for the beer-bellied, rascally rule breaker in all of us, and most importantly, there's a great chance something in here will make you laugh.
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
a whole lot of lewd potty humor that doesn't really add up to anything substantial, a guilty pleasure of sorts when taken in small bursts, but which grows somewhat tiresome in the long run
Scott Weinberg, DVDTalk.com
When a small delivery of casual swearing from Seymour Cassell earns your movie's biggest laugh, there's definitely a problem.
Mark Bell, Film Threat
Now softball has its own seminal classic.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
A cavalcade of colorful profanity, bachelor-party hooker gags ... and shopworn bodily function jokes, this vehicle for Howard Stern sidekick Artie Lange is slob comedy at its slobbiest.
Erik Childress, eFilmCritic.com
Doesn't contain the average laugh quotient of half of Lange's daily Stern appearances, but its also far less obnoxious than non-fans would expect it to be.

Read all 13 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Featured Audience Ratings

Coxxie M

... and Mr. Lange's body was found on his bed with a magnum in hand and a copy of his film Beer League in the other hand, he apparently took his own life for reasons that are so far unknown.
Michael G

This movie's a lot like it's star, Artie Lange--it's slovenly, crude and an overall waste, but can somehow pull it together by the end while being somehow likable. It has a few fun cameos. I liked Beer League because it wasn't wishy washy and safe instead of… More
This movie's a lot like it's star, Artie Lange--it's slovenly, crude and an overall waste, but can somehow pull it together by the end while being somehow likable. It has a few fun cameos. I liked Beer League because it wasn't wishy washy and safe instead of wonderfully politically incorrect with its humor. Picture New Jersey douchebags cast in a remake of The Bad News Bears.
William G

What you'd call a stinkin' piece of shit. No offense.
Doctor S

A lowbrau comedy.
Jason R

I was almost shocked at how funny this movie was caught it on late night basic cable,luckily it was uncensored, and I'll be damned I really like this movie. Artie Lange as Artie Lange essentially except I'm not sure he lives with his mother, who was played by Laurie Metcalf… More
I was almost shocked at how funny this movie was caught it on late night basic cable,luckily it was uncensored, and I'll be damned I really like this movie. Artie Lange as Artie Lange essentially except I'm not sure he lives with his mother, who was played by Laurie Metcalf (Roseanne) in the movie. Good fun, great if you are bored or drunk late at night.

Cast

            Artie Lange as Artie DiVanzo

            Ralph Macchio as Maz

            Anthony De Sando as Dennis Manganelli

            Cara Buono as Linda

            Jimmy Palumbo as Johnny

            Joe Lo Truglio as Dave

            Jerry Minor as Tim

            Seymour Cassel as Dirt

            Michael Deeg as Alfonse

            Laurie Metcalf as Artie's Mom

            Maddie Corman as Marilyn

            Keisha as Pitching Machine

            Michael Lisenco as Ump #1

            Frank Pellegrino as Gina's Dad

            George Seminara as Shoot the Greek Barker

            Kamal Ahmed as Ump #3

            Elizabeth Regen as Gina

            Dana Lorge as Gina's Mother

            Louis Lombardi as Police Chief

            Jim Breuer as Football Guy

            Mary Birdsong as Rhonda

            Joseph R. Gannascoli as Giuseppe Primavera

            Todd Barry as Creepy Guy Down the Shore

            Alex Corrado as Ed

            Tina Fey as Front Desk Girl

            Jim Florentine as Barlucci Catcher (Crispino)

            Richard Duva as Ed's Bar & Swill Player

            George Palermo as Manganelli First Baseman

            Daniel Tay as Max

            Gino Cafarelli as Dakis

            Albert deGrasse as Ed's Bar & Swill Player

            Karen Gilbert as Very Attractive Girl

            Matthew Gumley as Tommy

            Jodi Lennon as Melissa

            Nick Di Paulo as Police Officer (Cousin Mickey)

            Erik Martin as Manganelli Catcher

            Armin Amero as Steakhouse Watier

            Christian Sebastiano as Manganelli Second Baseman

            Rosalinda Sebastiano as Marie

            Francisco Sebastiano as Dave's Baby

            David Carney as Ump #2

            Jared Burke as Ed's Bar & Swill Player

            Lauren Hugnou as Hooker #1

            Maria Javier as Hooker #2

            Natalie Twaddle as Hooker #3

            Kristi Redford as Slap in the Face Hooker

            Bill Scheft as Championship Game Ump

            Joanne Joseph as Dirt's Wife

            Hollie Harper as Tim's Wife

            Anthony DeSando
            
See full cast