The best baseball movie since "Field of Dreams"

[UeckerAddict]

It may be a bit presumptuous of me to make this a whole thread, but I could not help myself. I just saw what I believe is finally the movie that baseball deserves. Pretty much all baseball films made since 1980 fall into one of two categories: 1.) comedies (Major League, Bull Durham, Mr.3000, Rookie of the Year, Little Big League, Bad News Bears, etc.) and 2.) Fantasies (Field of Dreams, The Natural, The Rookie- yes, I know it was based on a true story, but it's still one of those warm and fuzzies- etc.) I would consider The Sandlot a mix between the two. I'm not mentioning documentaries like Ken Burns' Baseball and A Player to be Named Later (Which is really interesting because it is about the Brewers' AAA team in Indianapolis earlier this decade and features Marco Scutaro, Kyle Petersen, and Allen Levrault) because I'm talking about baseball stories bred from screenplay storylines.

 

I've always wondered, where is the great serious baseball film for my generation that takes a truly realistic approach to the game. My answer came the other day. It's called Sugar, and I feel the need to mention it to everyone because it has not been given enough press and I don't want real baseball fans to miss it. It is the story of a Dominican pitcher who has never left the D.R. until he gets invited to Kansas City's spring training (though KC is called the Knights instead of the Royals- A nod to The Natural?). He makes the single A ball club and ends up playing in a small Iowa town and living with a farmer and his family and he cannot speak a lick of English.

 

I don't want to give too much away, so I will stop here. This film is smart about baseball and gives and un-cliched story where the viewer becomes extremely sympathetic to what foreign players have to go through to try to make it. This film does not end with the "big game," like most baseball movies seem to do, but rather ends with a scene that won't soon leave my mind. Also, the Milwaukee Brewers get mentioned during that scene. I will never see the Carlos Corporans and Greg Aquinos of the world in the same way. It was written and directed by the same duo who did the excellent film, Half Nelson, a few years ago. It is a film that is hard to find and I don't believe it will be on DVD until September, but as a film nut and a baseball fan, I will say that this is the best film I've seen this year and the best baseball film in the last two decades. Here is a link to Ebert's review.

 

http://rogerebert.suntime...5/REVIEWS/904159997/1023

[SeriesFinale]

I thought Half Nelson was terrific (in a devastating kinda way!) and have heard good stuff about this one. Looking forward to it.

[brewers19]

It's been in my Netflix queue for a while, waiting patiently for the Sept. 1 release date. How'd you get to see it?

[UeckerAddict]

It's been in my Netflix queue for a while, waiting patiently for the Sept. 1 release date. How'd you get to see it?

Austin, Texas movie theaters are quite kind to indy films. It was shown at the Alamo about 2 weeks ago; the film has been marinating in my head since. It's one of the perks of this city.

[valpocrewsader]

The "At the Movies" guys were really high on Sugar, been looking forward to it. I take major issue with the title of this thread, though, as I think Field is a pretty terrible movie.

[UeckerAddict]

The "At the Movies" guys were really high on Sugar, been looking forward to it. I take major issue with the title of this thread, though, as I think Field is a pretty terrible movie.

I disagree with your final sentence, but I'll give you a pass in my own mind since I seem to recall from a past thread that you and I are are two of the only people in the world who don't like U2.

[Fatter than Joey]

Im not sure what I hate worse, U2 or Field of Dreams.

[RockCoCougars]

Make that four of us who hate U2.

[pogokat]

ialso hate both u2 and field of dreams...you probably should have said the best baseball movie since the sandlot

[Patrick425]

I love "Field of Dreams". One of my favorite movies of all time.

Why all the hate? FTJ, no need to answer. You have made your hate of Kevin Costner and the Eagles (band, not football team) well known. I guess there is no accounting for taste.

[Fatter than Joey]

Why all the hate? FTJ, no need to answer.

 

They both have Kevin Costner

[homer]

I hate FTJ.

[MJLiverock]

I don't like U2, Field or Dreams or Hoosiers so how about that trifecta? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

Sugar sounds interesting, now I have to run off and check out Half Nelson's summary. The mention of it triggered a memory that it was a movie I wanted to see after seeing a trailer somewhere.

[Houlie24x]

Anyone ever see Cobb? I thought that was a good movie that not too many people have seen. I couldn't really find it anywhere except Netflix and it's expensive on ebay.

 

P.S. I hate U2 but love Field of Dreams.

[pitchleague]

Is that the one with Tommy Lee Jones? If it is, I saw that a while a go and it was a good show. Probably about 3 1/2 stars from me.

[RockCoCougars]

Cobb was a good flick. Cool book series by Al Stump as well. The first one I read in high school, basically spewed the company line. The second one, was the truth and what the movie was based on regarding the author's experience with Cobb while writing his autobiography.

[Fatter than Joey]

I hate FTJ.

 

You hate that you love me so much

[GAME05]

Field of Dreams is awesome despite Costner.

 

and the Eagles are the worst band since the invention of music. CCR is a close second.

 

what's this thread about? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[ilovebeer]

I may be the only person, i liked fever pitch.

[sauveb]

I'm with MJLiverock, I hate Hoosiers. The movie and the college basketball team.

[MadisonBrewerBlue]

My sister works in the film industry and I was able to see the movie at Sundance . I highly recommend.

 

Sugar review

 

Sugar Trailer

[Never Outhustled]

Field of Dreams is pointless, but I like the Costner movie "For love of the Game". Realistic is more interesting.

I wish Mr. 3000 would have got its due considering its good, and its the Brewers.

[pitchleague]

If you've lost your father, especially if he was a big influence in your life (baseball or otherwise), then "Field of Dreams" is a great movie.

 

I dread that day coming as it'll be pretty rough for me. And watching that movie now hits me hard because I know it's coming. I probably won't be able to watch that movie again.

 

To each his own, of course.

[homer]

Field of Dreams is pointless, but I like the Costner movie "For love of the Game". Realistic is more interesting.

I wish Mr. 3000 would have got its due considering its good, and its the Brewers.

Field of Dreams is a modern day fairytale. Try suspending disbelief for a second and just roll with the underlying themes.

 

For The Love of The Game? Really???

[DSFastball55]

Just saw Sugar on DVD. Awesome movie. Definitely the best baseball movie in quite a while.