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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kramtsporp — 14 years ago(April 22, 2011 03:29 AM)
The Sandlot is supposed to be seen through the eyes of a kid. All of the exaggerations in the movie are how a kid would see them. When you're a kid, certain things come off as more incredible (such as a pretty large dog) or more amazing (such as a ball being hit out of it's seams). It's trying to get across how you would see what was happening if you were in their shoes. Things just seem altogether more epic as a kid, so the fantasy parts of the movie are just trying to get this point across.
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Kriller1 — 14 years ago(May 01, 2011 11:54 AM)
Maybe the problem is that you have to see it first when you're a kid. I saw this in the theaters when I was 8 and it instantly became a favorite. To this day I still love this movie. I think it really captures the greatness of being a child. Doing nothing all summer long but playing baseball (or any other game you were into) with the exaggerated story of the big scary dog (who didn't have something like that in their neighborhood when they were a kid?). It takes place in the 1960s where kids were a lot more innocent than they are today and they actually PLAYED OUTSIDE in the summer instead of today where technology is ruining our youths imagination. Maybe that's why people compare it to Stand By Me or even Now and Then?
If you don't like it that's your deal but there's a reason why this movie is rated so high It is a GREAT kids movie for a lot of different reasons. -
islandgirl2318 — 14 years ago(May 10, 2011 10:27 PM)
Wow, I didn't even have to read your entire response to know that you've probably lost every bit of childishness in you. (I'm not sure that's a word but that's besides the point.) The reason the dog outsmarted the kids was BECAUSE THEY WERE KIDS!! Kids have wild imaginations and are amazingly impressionable. If all your friends tell you that there is a beast in a grumpy old man's back yard, you believe them. You may act skeptical, but you secretly believe them. Comparing this movie to Stand By Me is completely irrational. As a kid, I would never want to watch that movie because it deals with some difficult topics while The Sandlot is pure fun. It's like comparing True Grit with Avatar. You can't compare a drama movie starring kids marketed to adults to a comedy-drama movie starring kids marketed towards kids and teenagers. It just doesn't make sense. The two movies are in completely different genres and have different messages. Stand By Me is a more mature movie for adults who want a good story with some nostalgia. The Sandlot is so great because the movie is really just about childhood friendships and the "pickles" you get into as a child with your friends.
Your pessimistic attitude towards this movie makes me question what your childhood was like. If you can't understand this movie, it's because your over analyzing it and subsequently, taking all the magic out of it. I've seen this movie dozens of times and it's been one of my favorite movies since I first saw it as an elementary school student.
Maybe you're too old to appreciate this film for it's beauty. That's perfectly fine. There are plenty of other people in this world who find this movie brilliant and amazing. -
morskajak-2 — 14 years ago(May 26, 2011 07:27 AM)
I am 67 and loved the movie. It is told from the point of view of a 12 year old's imagination, and it is magical. Field of Dreams was wonderful, even though Shoeless Joe and his father didn't really come back. It's make believe, but recalls an innocent time when the world was limited to the neighborhood, friends, and in this case the sandlot. Sorry you didn't like it, but it may be something you lack, rather than something the movie lacks. I bet you have problems with The Princess Bride movie also. Some parts of that are not really believeable. Although your post tries to rain on the parade of those who enjoy the film, the rain quickly turns to a drizzle, and then barely a mist for those of us with the heart and memory to savor those days of youth. I'm sorry you had such an unhappy childhood. Maybe you should stick to Bergman films.
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mfren08 — 14 years ago(June 13, 2011 09:15 PM)
Here is the thing about 'The Sandlot,'
As others have stated it is not meant to adhere to real-world physics and probability. It is a story told by an adult recalling a story from his past and often when this happens stories begin to take on a life of their own and fabrications work themselves into its telling to make it more interesting. The fact that it is set in what is it 1962(?) is unimportant although, it is important to realize that this story is told in the past-tense, the narration provides this context, things like the wardrobe and the price of the baseball at the drugstore give a general reference of time but again, it's not that important.
You seem to be a bit distracted by the plausibility of 'The Beast' having some unexplained super abilities. As I stated above stories like these told to children are exaggerated and the chase scene when the dog rips through a movie theatre screen or jumps through a window unscathed are all simply explained by this. The expectation of the dogs extraordinary ability is set up well early in the movie during the tree house camp out, this dog was legend to this group of friends as kids prior to their encounter with it, an epic and exaggerated chase could only provide credence to this legend. A more realistic chase where Benny hops the fence and everyone runs to their houses and locks the doors would be anti-climactic and certainly would have been much less fun.
As for the pop up sound effects this I chalk up to simply being a reality of the time, when television and movie studios thought that they livened things up and were a brand of comedy on their own. This trend didn't go away and transformed itself through the years (see the painful first episodes of Aaron Sorkin's Sports Night, laugh-track) it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I cringe as well when well-written script are tarnished with such obliviousness.
As far as the acting goes. Sometimes you take what you can get, not every kids movie gets brilliant combination casts like 'The Outsiders' particularly with writer who is a first time director. I think David Evans got a bit lucky however as the fairly green cast provided unrefined skill in acting and made it a bit more likable, these kids weren't going out to blow your doors away, they had fun making it and its final presentation presented itself that way striking chords of nostalgia in adults back when they were having fun on the baseball diamond or setting out on Little Rascal-esque adventures.
I don't know maybe I have just repeated a lot of what everyone else has said but I think when it comes down to is that this movie wasn't made to be an Academy Award winner and true to life in every aspect, just a fun "Remember When" story.
P.S. The Sandlot 2 (I wasn't even aware there was a 3rd) are abominations that never should have been made but the studio mindset is for profit and product recognition is a major draw (see The Hangover 2.) There are plenty of films that don't require and should not have sequels (e.g. Slap Shot) but if they can squeeze some more money off of a successful franchise and test new young actors mettle in the process for future films there is no harm, I see them as paid auditions for future roles and I refuse to watch them. -
armoreska — 14 years ago(July 07, 2011 01:03 PM)
It's a fun kid adventure with a happy-end that's better off without overanalyzing
I dislike baseball and not a big fan of the rest, but it still scored a decent 6/10 from me
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mfiskey55 — 14 years ago(July 12, 2011 09:05 AM)
I think I've might have found one of the primary issues that you have with this movie. It's not necessarily that you didn't do the things that these kids do in the movie, it's that when you posted your message you were 16 years old. At this age, you don't relate to 11-13 year old kids. You think of them as children, which they are. You haven't had enough time elapse to reminisce fondly on your childhood.
You are growing up in a different era where kids don't play outside as much as they used to, but that's not the point. You will have memories of your childhood when you're in your 20's and 30's and those memories will be more grandios that they really were. That is the beautiful thing about nostalgic memories in general and this movie in particular.
You may not have played baseball with a tight group of friend as in the film, but I'm sure you have a group of friends that have similar interests. You've probably been in a situation in which one of your friends got themselves into a bit of trouble with their parents. They may not have "borrowed" an autographed Babe Ruth baseball, they may have "borrowed" a credit card autographed by their parents. We all knew an older girl that we all had/have a crush on, like Wendy the lifeguard in the movie. Most towns or neighborhoods also have exaggerated stories about mean old men/women, dogs, monsters, bullies, etc. that are all based on rumorbut everyone KNOWS they're true.
Finally, this film is not necessarily a coming of age movie. It's much more of a nostalgic, character driven movie to which we can all relate. We all knew an awkward new kid that's trying to fit in. We all knew the athletic kid that thinks only about sports. We've all known the "story teller" who tells tales so convincing they just HAVE to be true (and the stories get better every time he tells them). We all know a "ham", we all know someone that will become successful in business, and sadly someone that just doesn't adjust well to the world.
This movie is a nostalgic time capsule. I agree with you that the acting in this film wasn't the greatest, and that's OK. But I encourage you to view it again in a few years, I guarantee that you will have a different perspective. -
Kurt1960 — 14 years ago(September 18, 2011 07:46 PM)
I'm not going to flame you for not liking this movie. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and you obviously dislike it for reasons that you deem valid. That said, this is one of my favorite 'coming of age' movies. Stand By Me is another of my favorites. The two are similar only in that they involve an ensemble cast of talented middle school age boys portraying characters from the early 60s. The Sandlot is more of a tongue-in-cheek look at early 60s nostalgia while Stand By Me deals with more serious issues while still injecting some comic relief. The fact is, this movie isn't one to be taken seriously. It is told, both by the visuals and the narration, from the point of view of a 12 year old. I don't agree with the comparison between this movie and Stand By Me.
Well, can't he just beam up?
This is reality Greg.