Jake, I also got my copy of Field of Dreams from that Happy Meal promotion when I was little. I thought I was the only person that remembered that. I still have my McDonald's copy of The Land Before Time in the wrapping, maybe it'll be worth something eventually, that's what I tell myself anyhow.
The baseball scenes in For Love of the Game are good, if you can get past the fact that every Yankee players number is like 78
baseball films
Moderator: DBacks
Don't know how this hasn't been mentioned yet and can't believe I forgot it, but 61*. Thomas Jane and Barry Pepper pull of Mantle and Maris so well that you think they are them. Plus, Jane had some great one liners, like when Ford Frick was talking about the greatness of Ruth: "Bet I got more pussy than he did."
'Sugar' a hit at Sundance Film Festival
PARK CITY, Utah -- Major League Baseball fans know the Pedro Martinez or Sammy Sosa story well. A young Dominican ballplayer claws his way through the Minor League hierarchy, eventually finding his way to fame, fortune, and hero status. Baseball is so pervasive in the Dominican Republic, how could a young ballplayer not dream of finding his way to the hallowed grounds of Wrigley Field or Yankee Stadium?
But for every Big Papi, there are hundreds of thousands of young dreamers who never reach the top, either by lack of ability or shifting priorities. Scores of young Dominicans who come to cities across America with stars in their eyes struggle to fit in to new cultures. They are far more likely to end up living paycheck to paycheck in Washington Heights, Jamaica Plain or Hialeah than collecting a Major League pension.
Such is the story of Sugar, a fictional narrative feature film that premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah last week. The film was written and directed by Half Nelson helmers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, and features a sizable Spanish-speaking cast. Dominican national and 1990 World Series MVP Jose Rijo was a baseball advisor and appears in a cameo role.
Nominated for the dramatic category Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, Sugar sparked quite a buzz among festival-goers for its honest and unflinching portrayal of life as a Minor Leaguer. The prize was awarded to the drama Frozen River.
Miguel "Sugar" Santos is a 19-year old pitcher from Santo Domingo who is plenty confident about his abilities. "I'm sweet with the ladies, but mostly I've got the sweetest knuckle curve there is," he tells a friend.
Sugar is played masterfully by newcomer Algenis Perez Soto, plucked from obscurity to beat out 600 other candidates for the part. Soto brings an inspired mix of competitiveness, earnestness and athleticism to the role, and he avoids a single false note.
Despite his relative poverty in Santo Domingo, life is good for Sugar, who has a supportive family, great friends, a devoted girlfriend, and a bright future.
He competes with several other Major League hopefuls on the KC Knights at one of the many Dominican baseball academies, and when he finally gets the Spring Training call to Arizona's Cactus League, he jumps into the ocean in a screen moment that beautifully captures Sugar's innocence, youthful exuberance and optimism.
Sugar is a wide-eyed youth in Arizona as he familiarizes himself with the everyday differences from his life in a poor Santo Domingo neighborhood, including the wonders of hotel mini-bars, adult movies and hair dryers. With a sizable contingent of Latin players and sympathetic locals, however, he manages to get by.
Life changes when Sugar is abruptly shipped to the Class A Bridgeport (Iowa) Swing. Here he begins to face his biggest challenges with language barriers, cultural differences and an increasing sense of isolation. There are fewer Latin players in Iowa, and Sugar is placed with the Higginses, a religious and well-meaning family of baseball fanatics. Of one of the recent players they hosted, they reveal, "Junior Sanchez. He had a decent glove but couldn't bunt to save his life."
The bulk of Sugar's journey takes place here as he struggles with the homogeneous nature and provincial attitude of rural Iowa. The "fish-out-of-water" theme is exemplified through a long single-take tracking shot through the flashing lights and cacophony of a video arcade as Sugar seeks and finds his friends, only to feel more isolated than ever before. With the Swing, he struggles with the ups and downs of baseball, but maintains his fascination with a possible life in New York City. He tacks up a calendar of Brooklyn Bridge and a small card from Santo Domingo beside his window, which looks out on the rolling green cornfields of Iowa.
While in Iowa, Sugar makes a series of decisions that will permanently change the course of his life. His journey does eventually take him to New York City, where he reconsiders his path, and the film transitions to a classic "coming-of-age" story.
Andrij Parekh's pristine cinematography shines throughout, mixing and matching a gorgeous Latin-inspired palette in the Dominican Republic with lush green farmlands in Iowa, and then to the mishmash and abandon of New York City.
With Sugar, the filmmakers may have arguably captured the most authentic and socially realistic baseball feature film to date. College ballplayers attending a Sundance screening said the film's depiction of the behind-the-scenes world of potential Major Leaguers was the most realistic they had ever seen on the big screen. No wonder, as the filmmakers note that the actors were cast as much on athleticism as on acting ability.
Moviegoers seeking the fantasy of sparks raining from 600-foot homers or ghostly ballplayers appearing from cornfields may be disappointed. That being said, Sugar provides a realistic, refreshing and new take on the baseball film.
Though it could be argued that Sugar is about immigration and the American dream, the film also acknowledges that everyone's American dream may not be the same. As Sugar's friend Jorge, played by Rayniel Rufino explains, "Life gives you many opportunities. Baseball gives you one."
PARK CITY, Utah -- Major League Baseball fans know the Pedro Martinez or Sammy Sosa story well. A young Dominican ballplayer claws his way through the Minor League hierarchy, eventually finding his way to fame, fortune, and hero status. Baseball is so pervasive in the Dominican Republic, how could a young ballplayer not dream of finding his way to the hallowed grounds of Wrigley Field or Yankee Stadium?
But for every Big Papi, there are hundreds of thousands of young dreamers who never reach the top, either by lack of ability or shifting priorities. Scores of young Dominicans who come to cities across America with stars in their eyes struggle to fit in to new cultures. They are far more likely to end up living paycheck to paycheck in Washington Heights, Jamaica Plain or Hialeah than collecting a Major League pension.
Such is the story of Sugar, a fictional narrative feature film that premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah last week. The film was written and directed by Half Nelson helmers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, and features a sizable Spanish-speaking cast. Dominican national and 1990 World Series MVP Jose Rijo was a baseball advisor and appears in a cameo role.
Nominated for the dramatic category Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, Sugar sparked quite a buzz among festival-goers for its honest and unflinching portrayal of life as a Minor Leaguer. The prize was awarded to the drama Frozen River.
Miguel "Sugar" Santos is a 19-year old pitcher from Santo Domingo who is plenty confident about his abilities. "I'm sweet with the ladies, but mostly I've got the sweetest knuckle curve there is," he tells a friend.
Sugar is played masterfully by newcomer Algenis Perez Soto, plucked from obscurity to beat out 600 other candidates for the part. Soto brings an inspired mix of competitiveness, earnestness and athleticism to the role, and he avoids a single false note.
Despite his relative poverty in Santo Domingo, life is good for Sugar, who has a supportive family, great friends, a devoted girlfriend, and a bright future.
He competes with several other Major League hopefuls on the KC Knights at one of the many Dominican baseball academies, and when he finally gets the Spring Training call to Arizona's Cactus League, he jumps into the ocean in a screen moment that beautifully captures Sugar's innocence, youthful exuberance and optimism.
Sugar is a wide-eyed youth in Arizona as he familiarizes himself with the everyday differences from his life in a poor Santo Domingo neighborhood, including the wonders of hotel mini-bars, adult movies and hair dryers. With a sizable contingent of Latin players and sympathetic locals, however, he manages to get by.
Life changes when Sugar is abruptly shipped to the Class A Bridgeport (Iowa) Swing. Here he begins to face his biggest challenges with language barriers, cultural differences and an increasing sense of isolation. There are fewer Latin players in Iowa, and Sugar is placed with the Higginses, a religious and well-meaning family of baseball fanatics. Of one of the recent players they hosted, they reveal, "Junior Sanchez. He had a decent glove but couldn't bunt to save his life."
The bulk of Sugar's journey takes place here as he struggles with the homogeneous nature and provincial attitude of rural Iowa. The "fish-out-of-water" theme is exemplified through a long single-take tracking shot through the flashing lights and cacophony of a video arcade as Sugar seeks and finds his friends, only to feel more isolated than ever before. With the Swing, he struggles with the ups and downs of baseball, but maintains his fascination with a possible life in New York City. He tacks up a calendar of Brooklyn Bridge and a small card from Santo Domingo beside his window, which looks out on the rolling green cornfields of Iowa.
While in Iowa, Sugar makes a series of decisions that will permanently change the course of his life. His journey does eventually take him to New York City, where he reconsiders his path, and the film transitions to a classic "coming-of-age" story.
Andrij Parekh's pristine cinematography shines throughout, mixing and matching a gorgeous Latin-inspired palette in the Dominican Republic with lush green farmlands in Iowa, and then to the mishmash and abandon of New York City.
With Sugar, the filmmakers may have arguably captured the most authentic and socially realistic baseball feature film to date. College ballplayers attending a Sundance screening said the film's depiction of the behind-the-scenes world of potential Major Leaguers was the most realistic they had ever seen on the big screen. No wonder, as the filmmakers note that the actors were cast as much on athleticism as on acting ability.
Moviegoers seeking the fantasy of sparks raining from 600-foot homers or ghostly ballplayers appearing from cornfields may be disappointed. That being said, Sugar provides a realistic, refreshing and new take on the baseball film.
Though it could be argued that Sugar is about immigration and the American dream, the film also acknowledges that everyone's American dream may not be the same. As Sugar's friend Jorge, played by Rayniel Rufino explains, "Life gives you many opportunities. Baseball gives you one."
Jose Rijo! I love me some Rijo! Ah, takes me back to being 10.. watching the WS on the little 13" that sat on the butcher's block next to the dinner table - my Pop and I too excited to eat dinner - my little brother still too innocent to realize what was going on. The underdog Reds vs the Giant Oakland A's..
Eric Davis hits a 2 run HR in the 1st inning of Game 1. Rijo shuts out the heavily favored A's, Reds win 7-0. Billy Hatcher sets a WS records for most consecutive hits in a World Series.. what.. 9 was it? I know he hit .750 for the entire series. Incredible! Bip Roberts. B Lark. Sabo. The Nasty Boys. Paul O'Neil. Schottzie I or Schottzie II? I can't remember, but.. Wow. Davis makes an attempted diving catch and what did he do? lacerate a kidney or something? I remember Marge Schott wouldn't even pay for his hospital bills. Cheap bitch.
Hopefully that kinda shits gonna happen again for Reds fans, because its been a LONG time. Certainly not BOSTON or CUBS long. But, 15 years is long enough for my tastes. With the kids comin up coupled with the best and most exciting offseason for a Reds fan since 2000, I'm hoping its not going to be long before we turn the corner.
Eric Davis hits a 2 run HR in the 1st inning of Game 1. Rijo shuts out the heavily favored A's, Reds win 7-0. Billy Hatcher sets a WS records for most consecutive hits in a World Series.. what.. 9 was it? I know he hit .750 for the entire series. Incredible! Bip Roberts. B Lark. Sabo. The Nasty Boys. Paul O'Neil. Schottzie I or Schottzie II? I can't remember, but.. Wow. Davis makes an attempted diving catch and what did he do? lacerate a kidney or something? I remember Marge Schott wouldn't even pay for his hospital bills. Cheap bitch.
Hopefully that kinda shits gonna happen again for Reds fans, because its been a LONG time. Certainly not BOSTON or CUBS long. But, 15 years is long enough for my tastes. With the kids comin up coupled with the best and most exciting offseason for a Reds fan since 2000, I'm hoping its not going to be long before we turn the corner.
"Hating the Yankees is as American as pizza pie, unwed mothers, and cheating on your income tax."
