and, for the life of me, I cant figure out
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — The Sandlot
OldFriendOfTheChristys — 11 years ago(June 05, 2014 08:20 AM)
and, for the life of me, I cant figure out
why
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Had it centered on, say, hockeyor any other sport, honestlywould it still have the same lasting appeal? It seems its story of baseballAmericas pastimeplays a primary role in peoples love for it. -
OldFriendOfTheChristys — 11 years ago(June 09, 2014 01:28 PM)
Move along, oldfriend. With all due respect, if you can't figure out why this is a classic and beloved movie, you should pick up a book or go get a latte. There's nothing for you here.
I thought I had posed a fair question, jeffand had done so respectfully. Im genuinely interested in understanding peoples love for the movie, but if people are unwilling to do share their opinions, thats certainly ok. -
OldFriendOfTheChristys — 11 years ago(June 10, 2014 06:25 AM)
Old, it may have been a fair question but frankly, it sounded like you were trolling.
I didnt think I came off that way, but obviously I cant control peoples perceptions.
I'm genuinely interested in knowing whether you've actually seen the movie. Have you?
Yes, I have.
I love the movie because I am one of the characters, which is to say I grew up playing baseball and talking and acting just like the kids in the movie did.
Thank you for answering my question. -
fairyqueen — 11 years ago(June 06, 2014 08:34 PM)
"Had it centered on, say, hockeyor any other sport, honestlywould it still have the same lasting appeal?"
If it were centered on hockey, it would probably be popular in Canada. Hockey is Canada's pastime and there's a lot of nostalgia and sentimentality regarding the sport here.
By the way, I love this movie and I'm not a big baseball fan. -
Ditto-head — 11 years ago(June 09, 2014 06:15 PM)
I love it because so much about it seems so real and relatable when viewed through the semi-accurate lens of childhood memory. If that makes any sense, that is. Maybe if I had seen it when I was the same age as those boys, I wouldn't have enjoyed it the same or even thought that the movie was accurate in its portrayal of kids and how they think and react. But seen as an adult, it seems like it was an accurate portrayal. I can even remember believing that a new pair of shoes would mean I could run faster.
And while we didn't have a sandlot, my friends and brother and I spent countless hours playing our own version of baseball- in the street. We even had a community pool, though no little boys ever put the moves on a lifeguard.
It also portrays adults as they can seem to kids- sympathetic, scary, distant, and above all on a different plane of existence. The boys themselves were great- the timid kid, the cool kid, the fat kid, the nerdy kid, the annoying one, the semi normal ones, all willing to make fun of each other, but pull together against the mutual enemy.
The conflict with the other kids was perfect. The sneering, the petty name calling, the moment when it's gone past the point of return and someone is going to get his *** handed to him. The sheer joy of victory.
And the Beast. While we didn't have a killer dog or reportedly crazy recluse in the neighborhood, there were plenty of trumped up fears that suddenly dissolve once the imagination backs off and you see things as they really are.
Above all, it was just funny, too. I loved the over the top ideas the boys came up with trying to get Scotty's dad's ball back, and then that line- "why didn't you just knock on my door? I'd have gotten it for you." -
DegrassiWizKid — 11 years ago(June 29, 2014 05:10 PM)
The movie was made in the 90s, a time when kids movies weren't dumbed downit shows kids hanging out together without adults hovering (probably the last decade where that was considered normal) so they were free to act like kidsreal kids, how they were when adults weren't around
I saw this movie in the theatre when I was 7 and I loved it because it was very relatable (even though I was a girl), we all had that neighborhood gang and at some time or another we had gotten into situations (maybe not to that extent but that doesn't matter) but we would rally together to figure things out
My dad loved that movie because it was nostalgic for himit took place in a time when he was also young
As an adult now, it's also reached a point to where this movie is nostalgic for me and the rest of my generationI mean, there are probably very few people my age that don't know the phrase "You're killing me, Smalls", who Wendy Peffercorn is, or can't hear the song "This Magic Moment" and NOT think of that scene with Squints kissing Wendy at the poolI'm also sure we've all said "For-ev-er" just like the way they do in the movieit's a film my generation holds dear
Also, when I wanted to watch a movie about hockey, I would just put in Mighty Ducks
"This scar is a fleck on my porcelain skin, tried to reach deep but you couldn't get in" -
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BertramWilberforceWooster — 11 years ago(August 25, 2014 01:07 AM)
It could just as easily have been American Football, and it would still hold the same appeal because it's about the friendships that evolved over that one summer.
You trying to say Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball? -
MrScary — 11 years ago(October 25, 2014 10:00 PM)
As others have said, yes it is about friendship, which everybody can relate to.
But to those who grew up playing baseball on side/sand lots, it strikes an additional cord with them. I spend everyday in the summer from ages 7-13 doing pretty much the same thing.
Plus, what 10 yr old boy hasn't fantasized about an older lifeguard? Or tried chewing tobacco? Or camped out in a tree house or a friend's back yard?
And like Smalls, I moved around a lot (army brat), so I can totally identify with him having to make new friends.
The more you can identify with this film, the more you will enjoy it. -
ConsumeConformSubmitObey — 11 years ago(January 21, 2015 10:03 PM)
Childhood, friends, summer vacation, nostalgia. It's more about that stuff to me, rather than just being a baseball movie. Plus I was the perfect age for this movie when it came out. I remember seein it in theaters for my friends birthday.
Why would you question anyone for liking The Sandlot? Youre obviously a huge Friday the 13th fan based on your username. A movie that people would bash for being lame, old, cheesy, boring and generally having no redeeming qualities. That doesn't stop you from enjoying it, right? You don't need to validate why you like something that corny and ridiculous.
And I'm not bashing you for liking Friday the 13th. I love those movies. -
sghoran78 — 10 years ago(May 01, 2015 03:09 PM)
It's not really about baseball. It's about childhood friendships.
The movie perfectly captures a child's overblown imagination too. In the end, the "Beast" turns out to be a loveable, normal-sized dog. I remember there was a run-down house in my old neighborhood, and my friends spent hours spinning tales about how it was probably occupied by vampires, witches who ate children, etc. Those are the kinds of things you forget about until you watch a movie like The Sandlot. -
PopperTheKungFuDragn — 10 years ago(August 26, 2015 02:13 AM)
I wasn't a big fan of the movie the first time I saw it, but I just rewatched it and enjoyed it a lot more this time around.
Sadly, I was a lot like Smalls at that age, but no one pushed me out to make friends and I spent a lot of time alone. This movie and others like this make me nostalgic, I guess you could say, for what I never had, but wish I did.
Very good. But brick not hit back! -
JohnnyCastle — 10 years ago(March 13, 2016 04:22 PM)
Well, I think The Mighty Ducks is a direct comparison and I love it close to the same. But yea I think being about baseball adds to it, America's greatest past-time. It's a beautiful game and many of us can relate to playing in the sandlots or playing with friends on the field. Playing catch with Dad or whatever else.
I don't think as many people relate to playing hockey or anything.
But you really can't figure out why people adore the movie? It definitely isn't because the movie is about baseball you simpleton. If you don't like the movie then keep it moving. It's a fantastic story and movie.