| | | 20th Century Fox Family Feature.
Features: DVD, Sensormatic
It's the early 1960's and fifth-grader Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry) has just moved into town with his folks (Karen Allen and Denis Leary). Kids call him a dork--he can't even throw a baseball! But that changes when the leader of their neighborhood gang recruits him to play on the nearby sandlot field. It's the beginning of a magical summer of baseball, wild adventures, first kisses, and fearsome confrontations with the dreaded beast and its owner (James Earl Jones) who live behind the left field fence. Soon nine boys have become best friends, Scotty is part of a team, and their leader has become a local legend in this hilarious and warmhearted comedy.Bonus disc includes John Walsh of America's Most Wanted introducing over 40 minutes of live-action safety scenarios targeted at teaching kids and parents how to be safe. Plus, DVD-ROM feature contains interactive, animated lessons from AMW's The Lookout League safety team!
"A rush of memories and laughs with every crack of the bat, A+." Chuck Henry, KABC-TV
"...touching...heartwarming...sentimental and funny...I couldn't help but smile through most of it." John J. Puccio, DVD Town
"Two thumbs up! A charming and whimsical comedy..." Siskel & Ebert
Editor's Note
It's 1962, and young Scotty Smalls has just moved to town with his mom, his stepfather, and his desire to make friends in his new home. But when he heads to the local sandlot he's laughed off the field in his awkwardness until the leader of the gang, Benny Rodriguez, takes him under his wing. Soon the boys become the best of friends, and "Smalls," as he is dubbed, is introduced to a cast of funny and unique characters; their summer adventures include treehouse sleepovers, encounters with a beautiful lifeguard, and of course, baseball. But when Smalls hits his first home run it is a Pyrrhic victory, as his stepfather's ball, autographed by Babe Ruth, lands in the adjoining lot which is guarded by "The Beast," a dog rumored to have once eaten a kid. The kids have some hilarious adventures and unexpected results in their efforts to regain the ball before Smalls' stepfather finds out it's missing, making this a film the whole family will enjoy.
Plot Summary
An insecure young boy named Scotty moves into a new town with his recently remarried mother and stepdad. Feeling ostracized as the new kid on the block, Scotty tries to make friends with the other boys. But they spurn him when they realize that Scotty knows next to nothing about baseball -- not even who the "Great Bambino" (Babe Ruth) is. Dejected and lonely, Scotty begins to feel he will always be an outsider. Then Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez, the best ballplayer in school, befriends him and things change quickly: the boys are more willing to accept Scotty, despite their reservations, and they have fun playing ball together all summer.| But a mystery lurks in this small town, a tale told in hushed tones about a creature called "The Beast". According to legend, the furry monster lives just beyond the left field fence of the sandlot -- devouring baseballs in lieu of little boys. Scotty and Benny embark on an adventure into the lair of this mythic behemoth, and their heroic exploits finally make Scotty a fully-accepted member of the gang. The already popular Benny becomes a living legend to the other boys.
| Features | Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound | | Audio: English, French Dolby Digital Stereo | | Bonus Disc Includes John Walsh Of America's Most Wanted Introducing Over 40 Minutes Of Live-Action Safety Scenarios Targeted At Teaching Kids & Parents How To Be Safe. Plus, DVD-ROM Feature Contains Interactive, Animated Lessons From AMW's The Lookout League Safety Team! | | Dubbed: French | | Featurette | | Includes Both Widescreen & Full Screen Versions Of The Film! | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English, Spanish | | Theatrical Trailer & TV Spots |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Foxvideo |
| Release Date: 8/14/2007 |
| Running Time: 101 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1993 | | Catalog ID: 2245535 | | UPC: 00024543455356 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English, French Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Anamorphic Widescreen/Standard 2.35:1/1.33:1 [4:3] |
| Cast & Crew | Denis Leary | | James Earl Jones | | Karen Allen | | Tom Guiry | | Anthony B. Richmond - Cinematographer | | Chester Kaczenski - Production Designer | | David Mickey Evans - Director | | David Mickey Evans - Writer | | David Newman - Original Music By | | Marc Dabe - Art Director | | Mark Burg - Executive Producer | | Michael A. Stevenson - Editor | | Robert Gunter - Writer | | William S. Gilmore - Producer |
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| | Professional Reviews | New York Times
"...The biggest, fanciest film about kiddie baseball that you will ever see..." 04/07/1993 p.C17Sight and Sound
"...[The] kids are a delight, with unforced wit and natural charm..." 08/01/1994 p.52-3 Variety
"...Sweet and sincere....[The] performances are strong....The adult roles provide solid cameos for James Earl Jones and Karen Allen..." 03/29/1993 Chicago Sun-Times
"...Told in an original, quirky, off-center, deliberately exaggerated way....The movie isn't about winning and losing, it's about growing up and facing your fears..." 04/07/1993 p.43 ReelViews 7 of 10
Kids and adults will enjoy The Sandlot, but for different reasons. Children will find in it an adventure with a sense of humor that they can relate to. Writer/director David Mickey Evans hasn't forgotten what it's like to be a boy in the middle of summer with nothing to do but swim in pools, pal around, and play ball. Meanwhile, adults will uncover a sense of almost-poignant nostalgia. The story is told Wonder Years-style, with a modern day baseball announcer looking back on his childhood (the narrative is at times too reminiscent of Kevin Arnold's ramblings). As is frequently the case when we look back on our past, events are tinged with a pleasant glow that leaves behind only the better parts of the memories...There are those who will see this as a silly fantasy, but they have either missed or chosen not to feel the magic woven by The Sandlot. Predictable as the movie is, the Field of Dreams quality is not the only thing to like about The Sandlot. - James Berardinelli
Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
If you have ever been lucky enough to see "A Christmas Story," you will understand what I mean when I say "The Sandlot" is a summertime version of the same vision. Both movies are about gawky young adolescents trapped in a world they never made and doing their best to fit in while beset with the most amazing vicissitudes...These days too many children's movies are infected by the virus of Winning, as if kids are nothing more than underage pro athletes, and the values of Vince Lombardi prevail: It's not how you play the game, but whether you win or lose. This is a movie that breaks with that tradition, that allows its kids to be kids, that shows them in the insular world of imagination and dreaming that children create entirely apart from adult domains and values. - Roger Ebert
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