Movie Review: The Sandlot (1993)
Every now and then, you come across a movie that makes you wish you could go back to the carefree attitude of your childhood, David M. Evans’ The Sandlot is one of those film. There is a certain glow and aura about it that evokes nostalgia and the movie is as much for children as it is for adults. Although the rallying theme of the movie is baseball, it is not about winning or losing like most other sports movie but about friendship and the simple joys of childhood.
Set in the early 1960′s, The Sandlot revolves around Scotty Smalls (David Guiry), the nerdy, uncoordinated new kid in town. Under the wings of neighbor Benjamin Rodriquez (Mike Vitar), Scotty learns to play baseball and makes new friends in the process. Scott is having the greatest summer of his life until one day, he hits his stepfather’s baseball (autographed by Babe Ruth no less) out of the park and into a yard patrolled by The Beast, a fearsome and legendary half-dog, half-mutant monster (or so they think). The boys are now in the biggest pickle of their lives!
The story is retold from the point of view of present-day Scotty (Arliss Howard) and like memories, everything is slightly exaggerated, surreal and over-the-top. Even the occasional narration by Howard is intentionally overacted. The film does a great job of mystifying The Beast by not showing him until the last fourth of the film. The Sandlot is not perfect — it’s childishly goofy and most of the child actors are merely average for examples– or all that memorable but it never pretends to be. All it does is help us reminisce about our own childhood innocence: hanging out with pals all day in the sun, playing sport just for the excitement of it, as well as the little childhood phobias and local urban legends that we all had as kids. The cinematography by Anthony Richmond has a glow to it that evokes childish wonder and exaltation and it is fitting since the movie is about cherished childhood memories.
Enveloped in childhood nostalgia, The Sandlot is an old-fashioned coming-of-age movie that will continue to entertain kids and adults alike for the years to come.
B+
(7.5/10)
Lesson of the Day: “Remember kid, there’s heroes and there’s legends. Heroes get remembered but legends never die, follow your heart kid, and you’ll never go wrong.”
Notes: Rated PG for some language and kids chewing tobacco, 101 mn. Produced by Mark Burg, Dale De La Torre, William S. Gilmore, Robert Gunter, Cathleen Summers, and Chris Zarpas, directed by David M. Evans, cinematography by Anthony B. Richmond, a Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation release.
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31 Comments
good fun. this movie is called The Sandlot Kids on this side of the atlantic
obviously cos we’re too stupid to know what a sandlot is
I hate sandlots…
It’s coarse and it gets everywhere….
Just ask Anakin.
God I loved this movie as a kid. At the Boys & Girls Club they only had like 3 movies so this one was on infinite loop there during the Summer. So nostalgic, and fun. It just nails that pre-teen angst and ideology.
I re-watched it on basic cable recently, still holds up.
Such an awesome movie back in the day, still an awesome movie now. S’mores? Oh yeah, awesome.
I need to watch this NOW.
I remember seeing this in the theater with a bunch of friends on the Saturday it opened (I was 12). Afterwards my mom took me to Kmart and I bought my first mountain bike with my own money. It was a pretty awesome childhood day.
Sounds like it was great fun indeed
I think this might’ve been the first live-action movie I ever saw. Great review, then.
I also saw the sequel, which was no good, but I couldn’t tell when I was a kid. I just liked the guy with the afro who was abducted by aliens or something.
Gosh I haven’t seen this in forever! What a blast from the past! Hell yeah Arliss Howard and Denis Leary!
Dennis Leary’s in this?
Yeah, if my memory serves me right he was smalls step-dad. The Sandlot is such a great film! I still quote the film on a weekly basis.
Yeah DB, he plays the step dad that has that all important baseball they have to retrieve at the end!
Hey Castor,
I’m hosting the My Best Post blog-a-thon.
It goes from May 21st-23rd. Want to be a part of it?
It’s pretty easy. You’ve already written your entry.
Just send me a link to your best/favorite/underrated blog post! Thanks!
http://he-shot-cyrus.blogspot.com/2010/04/big-announcement-revealed.html
Sounds good, I’ll let you know within a week.
The film that inspired me to do the lifeguard trick, sadly it didn’t work. Nice Review!
Nope. Never heard of this, but how you wax on about the nostalgia it inspires it reminds me of The Big Green (is that even the correct name). I think I need to check that up, but I remember liking that movie very much even though at the time I had no idea what baseball was.
By and by, one of my favorite films of my youth and adolescence and so entirely timeless. Twenty years from now it will be just as good.
And Heather Graham as the lifeguard? Yes please.
That was Heather Graham?!?!? Damn, I never recognized her (and still don’t)
I would say she lost some weight, but might have had some work done too, but yes I believe it’s her.
B+… BLASPHEMY!!!
This was just like my childhood… only in the 50′s… with less hookers and blow.
Oh, and “You’re killin’ me, Smalls!” One of the best and most quotable lines in cinema history! Up there with Rosebud… actually… no one says that!
Kai, my brother and I STILL constantly use that line, and people never know what the frig were talking about!
One of the greatest movies ever. (when you read this make sure and say the punctuation out loud…PERIOD)
Oh. My. Gosh.
Staple of my childhood much? This was an all-time fave growing up – fuhEVVAAAAA.
You eat weenies with your mama’s toe jam!
You play baseball LIKE A GIRL!!!!
Haven’t heard of this one but then again this was released the year I came to the US. That’s a good lesson of the day, Castor, appropriate for a coming-of-age story.
I still use the phrase “You’re killin’ me, Smalls!” all the time. People rarely get it, which I find sad.
Now this is a movie that can really take me back. Well, not back tot he 60′s but I used to watch this “All The Time” as a kid. You sit down to watch this and Goonies one weekend and you have one fun ride down memory lane! Three of the best characters starting with a B in one movie: Benny the Jet Rodriguez, The Beast, and Baby Ruthe the autographed Ball:) Great write-up Castor!!
Also, so glad to hear that I’m not the only one still using that great “You’re killin’ me, Smalls!” line…
Okay, might as well ask here: Has anyone reviewed the second/third Sandlot movies? IMDb won’t give me a straight answer.
I bought all three movies at walmart…but I haven’t gotten up the courage to watch 2 & 3.
Would you take one for the team? I have to know!
Ha! What a random review to do, but well appreciated! I’m actually rather surprised at the small amount of adoration this film has amongst large audiences. I’m rather shocked that there are even people out there who haven’t heard of it. It’s right up there with TMNT in what summarized my childhood… and will stay that way for-ev-er for-ev-er for-ev-er for-ev-er for-ev-er.
I love this movie. It was my favorite movie growing up. It was like Goonies for me. Eek! I want to see it again.
Was it the Fandango Groovers who recently had a top baseball movie vote? I should remember it was only a couple of weeks I voted on it. Anyway, The Sandlot was one of the movies I voted for – great little film with some nice performances from the kids. It’s a sort of Bad News Bears for the younger generation (ie. without the down beat characters, boozing, and Walter Mathau!). I didn’t see it as a child – I caught it later as an adult during my – watch every baseball movie phase – and really liked it. Great sense of optimism. Like you Castor, I loved the childhood innocence of the recollections and the way a child’s imagination runs wild – wonderful stuff.
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