THE SANDLOT is quite possibly one of the best "family films" ever made. In it, a young, studious, unpopular boy named Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry) moves to a suburb just before school lets out for the summer, and concurrently has a hard time making friends. He frequently sees kids playing baseball in a sandlot in his neighborhood, and wants to make friends with them. He figures the best way to do this is to join in on their baseball games--but alas, Scotty has almost no baseball skills, while the other kids are very experienced and good at the game. One day, the neighborhood hero Benny (Mike Vitar) approaches Scotty and asks if he'd like some pointers and to join in on their game. Scotty agrees, and slowly improves, while making friends with the other boys in the neighborhood.
But one day, Scotty foolishly takes his stepfather's baseball autographed by Babe Ruth and knocks it into the adjacent backyard. This backyard, as Scotty is informed, is home to The Beast, a monstrous dog that, as legend has it, ate the only other boy who was daring enough to go after a baseball in that yard. The boys devise a plan to get the ball back, one way or another.
I watched THE SANDLOT several times growing up, and remember always loving it. When I watched it again recently, I realized exactly why--it's a great movie. Just the right balance of childhood innocence and experience is captured, and this movie is bound to make any adult remember his childhood and all the different aspects of it. The summertime atmosphere and almost all of the scenes are terrifically nostalgic. Some of the scenes involving The Beast are hilarious, and everything has a nice familiar feel to it. It's a wonderful feel-good film.
All of the actors put in at least average performances. Most of the child actors are just okay, with a few exceptions. Tom Guiry is good as the awkward and naive Scotty, as is Patrick Renna as the outspoken and witty Hamilton. I think the real standout of the actors, though, is Mike Vitar as Benny. He was excellent as the kindhearted, but still very cool hero of the neighborhood, the guy that everyone loved. He showed real promise, and it's a shame that he didn't continue with his acting career. The cameos from James Earl Jones and Denis Leary are also nice.
I always loved watching THE SANDLOT growing up, and now I remember why. It's a great family film that is very entertaining and enjoyable to watch. I'm sure I'll watch it again years from now and remember just why I loved it. 8/10.
But one day, Scotty foolishly takes his stepfather's baseball autographed by Babe Ruth and knocks it into the adjacent backyard. This backyard, as Scotty is informed, is home to The Beast, a monstrous dog that, as legend has it, ate the only other boy who was daring enough to go after a baseball in that yard. The boys devise a plan to get the ball back, one way or another.
I watched THE SANDLOT several times growing up, and remember always loving it. When I watched it again recently, I realized exactly why--it's a great movie. Just the right balance of childhood innocence and experience is captured, and this movie is bound to make any adult remember his childhood and all the different aspects of it. The summertime atmosphere and almost all of the scenes are terrifically nostalgic. Some of the scenes involving The Beast are hilarious, and everything has a nice familiar feel to it. It's a wonderful feel-good film.
All of the actors put in at least average performances. Most of the child actors are just okay, with a few exceptions. Tom Guiry is good as the awkward and naive Scotty, as is Patrick Renna as the outspoken and witty Hamilton. I think the real standout of the actors, though, is Mike Vitar as Benny. He was excellent as the kindhearted, but still very cool hero of the neighborhood, the guy that everyone loved. He showed real promise, and it's a shame that he didn't continue with his acting career. The cameos from James Earl Jones and Denis Leary are also nice.
I always loved watching THE SANDLOT growing up, and now I remember why. It's a great family film that is very entertaining and enjoyable to watch. I'm sure I'll watch it again years from now and remember just why I loved it. 8/10.