Summer is beginning to heat up, baseball season is already in full gear, and maybe you're thinking about watching a movie tonight. What should you choose? The Sandlot. O yeah, it's been over 15 years since this masterpiece hit theaters, but it's still a classic that maintains watchability to this day.
Let's start with your protagonist, Scottie Smalls. New kid in town, Dad recently passed away, can't play baseball worth a lick. When he first shows up to "The Sandlot" he is ridiculed by all the members of the team except for one kid...
Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez - Tremendous baseball player. Obsessed with the game, almost to a fault. All he wants to do is play baseball. He's also the consummate leader. He's fair to everyone on the team, and sticks up for the underdog, even when it's not the most popular decision. He also somehow is able to pickle "The Beast"
Timmy and Tommy Timmins - The brother duo who repeat everything each other say.
Kenny "The Heater" Denunez - Team's pitcher, second best player on the team. Doesn't really add much to the movie.
Bertram Weeks - Gives everyone chew at the amusement park. Leads to the disgusting but oh so hilarious vomiting scene on the spinning ride.
Alan "Yeah Yeah" McClennan - I think everyone knew someone like this kid when they were younger. Kind of obnoxious and thought he was better than everyone else. Didn't really make sense though since he had a nervous tick and always said "yeah yeah" at the end of every sentence.
Michael "Squints" Palledorous (pictured above) - One of my favorite characters in the movie. He rocks the thick black-framed glasses, his clothes are out of style (even for the sixties), and he has a huge crush on the lifeguard at the local pool. Best known for faking his drowning and making out with the lifeguard, Wendy Peffercorn, when she administers CPR to him. Absolutely classic scene. Of course, let's not forget about his brilliant telling of the story behind "The Beast."
Hamilton "Hambino" Porter - Without question, my favorite character in the movie. He's the fat red-headed kid who plays the catcher in the movie. He's a complete wise-ass and always has something to say to everyone. He single-handedly vaulted the movie from great to classic with his line, "You're killing me, Smalls," which many people still repeat on a regular-basis to this day...yours truly included.
In all seriousness, this movie has a little bit of everything; action, romance (sort of), drama, and of course, lots of laughs. You can watch it with your family, but it's still cool to watch even in your twenties. I've covered the movie from a character perspective, but missed so many classic moments in between. When it's all said and done, this movie is a fantastic nostalgic piece that will bring you back to your childhood, a simpler time, when the world didn't seem so crazy or messed up. Go watch it tonight.
- Kaps
Song of the Day: The Fray - Heartless (Kanye West cover)
2 comments:
Seriously one of the best movies of all time. Also, I watched Hook last night.
1.) I JUST USED THE PHRASE, "You're killing me, Smalls" today. No joke.
2.) Kanye's new album was a complete disappointment... but somehow The Fray's version of Heartless was awesome.
3.) OMG Scotty "Hook" was the movie of my childhood. Bangarang!
Post a Comment