Sorry to splash cold water on this cute movie, but . . .
-
Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — The Sandlot
jgroub — 11 years ago(June 28, 2014 09:02 PM)
Would a black kid be allowed to go into the community pool in 1962? In either Utah (where the movie was filmed) or in Southern California (where the movie was presumably set)? Not trying to be racist or stir the sh!t, just honestly wondering.
I want the doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well. -
sflowers539 — 11 years ago(July 18, 2014 02:03 PM)
Southern California has always been pretty liberal, so that is one area where they may have been allowed in a public pool. It's not like they could be segregated into their own public pool, no pool would have existed for them.
-
PopperTheKungFuDragn — 10 years ago(August 26, 2015 02:17 AM)
I was wondering the same thing. Of course, this is a kids movie, and racism is never even broached, but it was the 60s and the kid surely must have faced some form of racism, but even the "bad kids" who they face off against in the baseball match never stoop to being racist.
Very good. But brick not hit back! -
MsCurlsNCurves — 10 years ago(November 28, 2015 08:55 PM)
Hmmthis is a good question honestlybut based on the overall race of the team I'd say they were probably living in a non-segregated area. Since it's Cali it could be upper middle class with lots of whites but there's a strong minority populationof blacks and Hispanics so I would think it'd be okay for him to play in the poolmaybe not even experience racism except from the occasional outsider. Even in those times I'm sure minority families flocked to these types of neighborhoods where they can enjoy their wealth and raise their kids safelybut God help them if they ever moved outside of that bubble.
-
RoadSideAssistance — 10 years ago(February 16, 2016 02:13 PM)
It was one of the hottest summers ever so everyone just naturally assumed he was REALLY tan. So it's legit. In the sequel it's implied he was arrested and taken back to the south and forced to work the fields.
-
wolverineland — 9 years ago(May 03, 2016 09:10 PM)
I wondered the same thing. Even if it wasn't a segregated area, it was just something that wasn't done at that time. If it had been more inner city I would say yeah but other than James Earl Jones and Nunez that town looked about 99% white.