I can't believe I'm writing this, as it's only a matter of time until I'll be flamed. First off, I'm not going to write
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teenangel1226 — 15 years ago(December 23, 2010 05:17 PM)
Someone said Secondhand Lions showed too much for kids? Really? Poor kids these days..
You're comparing this with Stand By Me? Seriously? Two different movies. And I loved both when I was little and I love both now.
"Live Today Like You'll Die Tomorrow" -
grim107 — 15 years ago(December 25, 2010 11:01 PM)
"You're comparing this with Stand By Me?"
I made this comparison because hundreds of others have too. I've read countless forum posts and articles about how the movies are similar. This is why I watched it in the first place. Being fair, I also compared the two movies. Unfortunately, I had much worse things to say.
Also, teenangel1226, I didn't understand the part of your post about Secondhand Lions. If you wouldn't mind clarifying -
teenangel1226 — 15 years ago(February 01, 2011 06:52 PM)
Woah I'm a little late.
Really? They are different movies. And Stand By Me is a way different vibe. Aw, why didn't you like The Sandlot?
Oh and I was talking about what somebody else said.
"Live Today Like You'll Die Tomorrow" -
chcruz-1 — 10 years ago(February 17, 2016 06:30 PM)
I can't answer the question of why I like this movie without first answering some of your objections.
- You claim that there are no signs of maturity in the characters. Well, if you noticed, for much of the film, Benny was the only one to befriend Smalls right away, whereas the others thought of him as a geek. It wasn't until he developed his baseball playing that they considered him as one of the gang by the end of the film. That's not a sign of maturity to you?
- What in the blazes is "supernatural" about the Beast? Was it the fact that he jumped over that fence? Or that he hurled the Erectors' Set into the air?
- You ask why the Beast chased after Benny alone. The answer is because, out of all seven of the boys, only Benny went where angels fear to tread. As the adult Smalls narrates: "Only one kid in history attempted what Benny was about to-and he got eaten".
- You claim that there's nothing to indicate that the story takes place in 1962. I would think that the boys' veneration of Babe Ruth would have been a clue. Even though he was long dead by this time, the Sixties generation still idolized him, even though they had their own baseball legend (Hank Aaron). Name me one kid today, even remotely interested in baseball, who even knows who Babe Ruth was.
I like the film, because, like another poster, I was 12 when it came out, close in age to the kids in the film. I was doing a lot of what they were doing, and it was one of the best times of my life.
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grim107 — 15 years ago(February 22, 2011 07:02 PM)
@Grilloz, I don't consider myself a loser for not liking a crappy movie, even if it was generally well-received. Also, I am not sure what I should be choking on, nor am I sure that I would like to be choking on "it." Judging from your response, you didn't bother to read my entire post. Also, I get the feeling that you never passed a third-grade reading/writing level. I strongly suggest that you spend less time on the IMDB forums, and more time improving these skills. I specifically requested that you not flame and that you take the time to write a well-thought-out response. Please do so next time you post.
@MetFanMac, Offdwallnotdrack, I take the "verbose" comment as a compliment. The truth is that I, myself, am only 16. I can tell that my stylistic choices convinced you that I am older. Unfortunately, there appears to be a trend among youth (and immature people, such as grilloz) that they misspell words, ignore grammar, and often have nothing valuable to say. I've not fallen into that trend.
I have not had nearly enough time to forget what it was like to be a child. My childhood was nothing like the ones on display in this movie, granted, but it was also nothing like those displayed in Stand by Me. I still fail to see what made The Sandlot such a good movie. -
MetFanMac — 15 years ago(February 24, 2011 02:11 PM)
Actually, my remark was directed at Grilloz
Personally, I don't consider
The Sandlot
to be "great", but it's ceratinly a fun little movie and I can easily see how it would strike a chord with a lot of peoplejust not me. But that's just how I
Supermodelsspoiled stupid little stick figures mit poofy lips who sink only about zemselves. -
kilnmesmalls — 15 years ago(February 27, 2011 10:34 PM)
Really? I think you may have been sheltered as a child, as in, you were not allowed outside to play with the other boys and girls in the neighborhood. Because obviously you don't recall the exaggeration and memories of your childhood. There was nothing supernatural about this movie involving the dog "Hercules", it was all about childhood perception and the stories that followed,"not based in any reality whatsoever".in case you were confused. which made "Hercules" a larger than life foe for the kids in 'The Sandlot'. Take the movie for what it is, not a coming of age film but a memory of childhood.well, not yours anyway.
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grim107 — 15 years ago(March 09, 2011 02:18 PM)
So are you going to claim that Hercules never chased them at the end? Your explanation would make sense if not for the last 10 or so minutes.
I was not sheltered as a kid, though I do admit that I didn't play outside so often. However, I believe that this is an invalid argument to make. Stand by Me depicted childhood in a very different manner than my own. I still loved it. -
NaughtyPenguin — 12 years ago(August 12, 2013 04:37 PM)
Awesome answer, couldn't agree more!
http://www.thenaughtypenguin.net/must-see-movies/the-sandlot/ -
cleverfox — 15 years ago(March 14, 2011 04:39 PM)
I'm an over 50 guy and will take a stab at your comments.
Like many others have already written, I enjoyed this movie and not for the acting but for the subject matter. Like the sandlot kids, I had a group of guys I hung out with and played nearly every sport available to kids of our age with them. Why was the dog portrayed as the antagonist? I remember being afraid of even small dogs when I was a kid; I was a skinny, short runt and nearly every animal on the face of the earth seemed huge to me. Only after hitting puberty and growing a little did things begin to seem a little smaller. Why did the dog chase only Benny? Because he was the only one who ran - he also had the ball but not sure if this is why old Herc chased him. Dogs tend to run after those who run from them; the same dogs who used to chase me (and sometimes make me delay walking the last 50 yards home b/c the route took me right past a house with two barky and chasy dogs - I would actually sit by the side of the road until my dad came home and grab a ride with him but always made it seem like I had just stepped off the bus) actually stopped short and looked up at me after a barking charge when I finally found the courage to stand my ground.
Oh, and I was the first of my group of buddies to move away. I didn't do a very good job of keeping in touch (no internet available in 1973 and I wasn't much of a letter writer at age 13) and have regretted it. You meet a lot of people as you move through life but friendships cultivated as adults are never quite the same as those which come from a schoolyard playground, or a sandlot . . .
Ah, reminiscing . . .
Whatever doesn't kill me only makes me stronger. How strong are you? -
buster_hyman — 15 years ago(March 29, 2011 07:24 PM)
It seems your main gripe is with the "supernatural dog." That storyline was only one part of the movie but I think you completely missed the point. It was not a "supernatural" dog. LOL. Hercules was just a big dog that lived in the fenced yard behind the sandlot. From the perspective of a kid, he was a beast. Up until Benny confronts the dog, they exaggerated the dog to allow the viewer to see it from the kid's point of view. It wasn't supernatural, the film simply showed the kids exaggerated perception of him. When Benny confronts him, we finally see the dog for what it really is, just a big dog that collects baseballs. The reason the dog only chases Benny is because he has his ball. Have you ever played fetch with a dog that loves to fetch balls? When you have the ball, he only chases you. Dog's have a one track mind, and Hercules wanted to get that ball from Benny. After the dog was injured and then rescued by the kids, they all became friends, and Hercules becomes part of the team. It may be silly and dumb, but there was nothing supernatural about it at all.
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alkaline4200 — 14 years ago(April 06, 2011 02:27 PM)
i'm going to have to second the opinions, that:
A) you should not be comparing this to stand by me, regardless of how people compare them on these forums. My best guess would be that they are comparing them on a nostalgic level as opposed to technical/critical level.
B) You probably didn't grown up playing like these kids. Not many will anymore with internet and video games being what they are, but I think I can speak for a majority who grew up like the kids in the Sandlot(not necessarily in the 60's) when I say it accurately depicts the way we played.
As far as the supernatural dog goes-it's pretty clear at the end of the movie that is wasn't supernatural at all, just a buildup of their imagination. The baseballs were the equivalent of a dogs bone-so when Benny took the dog's bone it gave chase. Nothing magical or senseless about it.
It's too bad you didn't like it. It really is a great movie that captured what it was like to be young and outdoors all the time. Sadly, I fear new younger viewers will regard this movie much like you, as they will not have had the experiences to relate to the way these kids hung out.
Is there anything you liked about it? I mean, a 2-3 out of 10 is a pretty terrible score -
grim107 — 14 years ago(April 11, 2011 05:41 PM)
@alkaline4200
The only thing I liked about the movie was that it DID depict childhood before video games. I am well aware that childhood is not what it once was. Remember, I've repeated numerous times that I very much liked Stand by Me. Both movies shared that one key ingredient. I am regretful that my childhood was not more like those depicted in The Sandlot. Still, even with this key ingredient, The Sandlot falls very short.
As I've already said, I am only 16. Still, when I watch movies like Stand by Me, I am swept with a great sense of nostalgia. I am well aware of 60's culture, and in many ways, prefer it to today's. I often times feel like I was born 35+ years too late. -
theycallmebrandon — 14 years ago(January 20, 2012 07:01 AM)
I think, that because you are 16, and clearly foreign, you are an idiot. You are not even trying to enjoy the movie, only trying to judge it by your experience, which do not match up with the fanbase of this movie. All your complaints have been explained so far, such as the supernatural dog being told from the perspective of a grown man trying to retale the tall legends of his youth. But, you either fail to grasp such a simple context or are incapable. Either way, you are just too damn stupid to enjoy this movie.