The Sandlot is an effortlessly charming family film. I can’t wait to show this film to my son, Owen, when he’s old enough to grasp it. It’s so wonderful on so many levels, and what’s so pleasurable about it, is that it’s one of those nostalgic items that you don’t feel guilty about still loving, because it holds up as solid, completely unpretentious cinema that has a heart and soul and passion. Written and directed and narrated by family movie specialist David Mickey Evans, the film is a loving period piece and a gentle friendship story, with just the right touch of mystery and childlike suspense to keep it always interesting. It’s also a beautiful coming of age story, told without forced nonsense on a narrative level, and never looking down on the child protagonists, all of whom are treated with respect and like adults. Which is why I think this film is so resonant and successful; it feels like a kid’s movie made by a person who completely understands the mindset of his characters, with zero pretense or judgement. Evans’ legendary original screenplay for Radio Flyer, along with his recent book The King of Pacoima, clearly present a man who is in touch with what it means to be young, and how various life experiences shape who we grow up to become. And when it comes to showing love for America’s greatest pastime, The Sandlot hits a grand slam, with some terrific baseball footage that was clearly pulled off by the versatile cast, and a clear sense of what makes the sport so fascinating and important for so many people.
The story concerns young Scottie Smalls (Thomas Guiry), an insecure kid who moves to a new neighborhood. He’s able to make some friends within a clearly bonded group of kids who practice baseball at the local sandlot field. Baseball – it’s all these kids do – morning, noon, and night, eat it, drink it, and sleep it. Evans’s script charts one particular summer as Smalls ingratiates himself into the group, with mixed results, while all of the kids end up going on a series of adventures, both big and small, on and off the field. The big drama of the piece rests on the sketchy neighbor who lives on the other side of the fence near the field, and the reportedly monstrous beast that lives there, waiting to devour any baseball that lands in its yard. Evans got so much from his amazingly talented cast, and when revisiting the film just recently after a few years of not having seen it, I appreciated all of the performances that much more. Along with lead actor Guiry, Mike Vitar, Patrick Renna, Chauncey Leopardi, Marty York, Brandon Adams, Shane Obedzinski, Victor DiMattia, and Grant Gelt all provided memorable and in some instances incredible touching pieces of acting. Denis Leary and Karen Allen were smartly cast as Smalls’ parents, while James Earl Jones figures into the plot late in the game. Look out for an extremely young and cute Marley Shelton as an object of affection for the boys, and for Arliss Howard in an uncredited cameo during the final moments.
This is a film that I’ve seen countless times, and it’s one that will surely make the rounds for years to come on family movie night. The Sandlot feels like the type of movie that would be nearly impossible to get made in today’s moviemaking climate, as it’s a story that feels honest and real and never manufactured in order to hit focus-tested moments of expected action or plot developments. There’s a quaint feeling to the entire thing, with its leisurely yet never slack pacing, and a terrific emphasis on family dynamics and the importance of conversation and friendship. I love the unforced nature of Evans’ direction, and how he used snappy scene transitions with fun sound effects; this movie feels like it belongs playing on a double bill for all eternity with Joe Dante’s similarly underrated and heartfelt Matinee. A great baseball movie and a great family film all together, The Sandlot continues to be an audience pleaser after all of these years, and my guess is that it will continue to do so for years to come.
Podcasting Them Softly 