The Sandlot: Difference between revisions

 

Scotty Smalls is fairly brainy but struggles with making new friends due to being uncoordinated (doesn't have any skill at sports) and general shyness. In addition to being [[The New Guy]], his mom recently remarried and he isn't quite adjusted to his new step-dad. Watching a group of kids play at the sandlot, he is invited to join by their best player and team leader Benny Rodriguez. An outcast among the group at first, Benny [[Big Brother Mentor|guides Scotty to become a decent ball player]] in his own right and is accepted by the others.

As the film progresses, they learn about s'mores, crushes, friendship and that growing up doesn't always mean disaster. They are also forced to match wits with "The Beast," a vicious [[Shrouded in Myth|genetically altered dog who was locked up for killing some 170 people trying to steal from the junk yard]], and now lives behind the left field fence.

 

 

Two direct-to video sequels were made thirteen years after the original had came and went:

* ''The Sandlot 2'' (2005): Set in the 70's and features a new cast of kids taking over the lot. Essentially a [[Generation Xerox]] of the first movie only with girls in the group and replacing the prized baseball with a model rocket.

 

 

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* [[An Aesop]]: Tobacco is bad for you. Chewing tobacco, in this case.

* [[Angry Guard Dog]]: The Beast, which has a reputation for eating trespassers. {{spoiler|He turns out to be a [[Big Friendly Dog]].}}

* [[Kiss of Life]]: Pretty much the [[Trope Codifier]]. Squints deliberately pretends to drown in order to get the kiss of life from a hot lifeguard (who is played by Marley Shelton so you can hardly blame him).

** And the [[Where Are They Now? Epilogue]] reveals that {{spoiler|Squints and the lifeguard eventually got married and had a ''lot'' of kids.}}

* [[Ms. Fanservice]]: Wendy Peffercorn.

* [[Nostalgic Narrator]]: The adult Scotty, voiced by the film's writer-director David M. Evans.

* [[Oh Crap]]: Or, rather: "[[Avoid the Dreaded G Rating|Oh SHIT!]]" when {{spoiler|The Beast leaps over the fence to get the ball back from Benny.}}

** [[Fridge Brilliance|Who said he meant playing in the Majors?]] There is at least one Negro Leagues player acknowledged to have more homers than Ruth.

*** If he was in the Negro Leagues, how likely is it that would translate into being on first-name terms with MLB superstars.

* [[Real Life Relative]]: The actor who played the elder Benny is the brother of the actor who played the young Benny.

* [[The Sixties]]

* [[Supporting Protagonist]]: Though Scott is the viewpoint character as well as the narrator, it's pretty obvious that Benny is the real [[The Hero|hero]].

* [[Verbal Tic]]: Three guesses as to what Yeah-Yeah's is.

* [[We Could Have Avoided All This]]: Toward the beginning, Smalls suggests they go talk to The Beast's owner to have him get the ball back for them. Squints just shoots this down. {{spoiler|The first thing Jones's character says when they tell them they were trying to get it back is to ask why they didn't just ask him. Cue everyone shouting at Squints and hitting him over the head with their baseball caps.}}

* [[What Do You Mean It's Not Heinous?]]: Type 4.

* [[Where Are They Now? Epilogue]]: As is typical for these types of films, the end has Scott narrating what ultimately became of his friends, their images fading out one by one. At the very end, we're treated to a [[Time Skip]] showing that {{spoiler|Scott is now a sports commentator, and Benny now plays baseball professionally...for their hometown Los Angeles Dodgers.}}

* [[Your Princess Is in Another Castle]]: Benny successfully pickles The Beast to get the ball back...which leads to the [[Oh Crap]] moment above.

[[Category:Sports Stories]]

[[Category:The Sandlot]]