Lighthearted tween baseball comedy has language, sexism.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Language
a lot
Kids say "s--t" a few times. Also lots of name-calling and other language, including "hell," "damn," "a--hole," "son of a bitch," "crap," "butt," "jerk," idiot," etc.
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Shows integrity and teamwork are essential as we see the children overcome preconceptions they had about sports and about other people. The children learn to be courageous and face some of their fears up front in order to overcome them.
Positive Role Models
a little
The kids are typical preteens ("shut up, buttface" qualifies as a witty rejoinder), but they clearly care about one another when it counts. Girls are portrayed as stereotypical love interests who have no desire to play sports.
Educational Value
very little
Kids are bound to pick up a few baseball-related tips and rules.
Diverse Representations
very little
Girls are portrayed as stereotypical love interests who have no desire to play sports. Mr. Mertle, the former baseball player who owns The Beast, is Black and blind. Though he's initially portrayed as a villain, he becomes one of the most complex characters in the film. Latino characters appear in supporting roles such as team members.
Parents need to know that The Sandlot is a lighthearted baseball comedy written and directed by David Mickey Evans. Set during the early 1960s, it follows a new kid in town (Tom Guiry) who makes friends by joining a local pick-up team. The main threat to the gang's happiness is The Beast: a giant, slobbering dog on the other side of the sandlot fence (he might briefly scare younger viewers). Slapstick humor includes pratfalls, but no one gets hurt. Strong language includes "s--t," "a--hole," and lots of colorful insults, and there are some scuffles between the boys. Adults may also raise an eyebrow at the way the movie treats a much sought after, slightly older lifeguard "babe." Boys ogle her (and one tricks her into kissing him), but it's the camera that unnecessarily lingers on her various body parts. Girls are portrayed as stereotypical love interests who have no desire to play sports. Family relationships are also somewhat strained (particularly between one of the boys and his indifferent stepdad), but friendship plays a strong role and comes off in a very positive light. There are some characters of color, including Mr. Mertle (James Earl Jones), who is Black and blind. He is initially portrayed as a villain but becomes one of the most complex characters in the film. Overall, the movie has a sun-kissed tone that both kids and adults will appreciate. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
There are a lot of things to enjoy about this film, but also much to question and have open and honest discussions with your children. The characters and story are cute and engaging. However, one of the boys deliberately causes a lifeguard to give him CPR so he can take advantage and kiss her with some force. The lifeguard is depicted very sexually and objectified by the filmmaker including shots of her slowly rubbing her skin with sunscreen, wearing a very revealing low cut swimsuit and lots of red lipstick. There are also some very close ups of her that made my daughters and I very uncomfortable. There are practically no consequences for this kid in his inappropriate behavior with the young woman - in fact though he is thrown out of the community pool, he is given approving pats on back and even a wink by the lifeguard. There are also several instances of cursing that seem superfluous.
As far as racial diversity, there is very little representation. Of nine boys in the ensemble, there is only one actor of color and one Latino boy. The remaining seven are white.
The story though is charming, funny and engaging. It depicts realities of the 1960s American white working class suburb and examines themes of friendship, bravery, parent/family issues and coming of age/puberty as well as perception/neglect of a dog. The child actors do a terrific job with their characters and the music, set decoration is very well detailed and eye-catching.
To expect kids under 13 to navigate the complexity of this dehumanization/objectification of the never-existed-character Wendy, and of the ignored, actual-real-boy, Chauncey is beyond the pale. [][][][][][][][]... The scene where Squints schemes to steal a kiss from Wendy is problematic. Many have stated that it is a depiction of sexual assault, but they miss the BIG issues. [][][][][][][][]... If this is a depiction of sexual assault (ie, if kissing = a sexual act, and if imposed without consent = criminal assault), then for 31 years there has been ZERO accountability for all the world repeatedly witnessing this sexual assault on a minor (no, Wendy was not the minor). [][][][][][][][]... Wendy was played by Marley Shelton who was 18 or 19 years old at the time of taping - a grown and accountable adult. [][][][][][][][]... Squints was played by Chauncey Leopardi who was a pre-teen, pre-adolescent, pre-pubescent, PRE-CONSENSUAL little boy actor at the time. [][][][][][][][]... Chauncey couldn't consent to this depicted sex act with an 18 year old woman. [][][][][][][][]... A parent cannot consent to a sex act committed upon their child. An employer cannot consent to a sex act committed upon a child employee. If kissing is a sex act, Chauncey (and every agent or guardian of his) lacked the legal ability to consent to engage in that sex act - even if merely acted out for the purpose of videotaping and disseminating a story. [][][][][][][][]... If the scene is seriously concerning regarding the depicted (pretend) teen characters, then the actuality of the engaged in physical activity is so much more concerning. This is all the more concerning considering the cultural phenomenon of dehumanizing this boy actor's real life experience as inconsequential, yet trumpeting a deeply distraught alarm about a fictional depiction of "Wendy's" never-existed life. [][][][][][][][]... Sexual Assault is no joke. It's serious violence. Reread 1st sentence, above.
What's the Story?
After getting onto the local sandlot team purely by luck, new kid in town Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry) spends a blissful summer developing his baseball skills with help from his teammates Benny (Mike Vitar), Yeah-Yeah (Marty York), Ham (Patrick Renna), Squints (Chauncey Leopardi), and the rest of the boys. But things take a serious turn at THE SANDLOT when the gang experiences what they believe is an omen that will give them bad luck. To infuse the team with good luck, Scotty runs home and grabs his stepfather's (Denis Leary) baseball. When Scotty hits the ball into the junkyard, the boys discover just how valuable it is and devise an elaborate scheme to retrieve it, a mission that requires getting past "The Beast," a terrifying guard dog owned by Mr. Mertle (James Earl Jones).
This charming film is like Field of Dreams for the tween set. Like Dreams, The Sandlot features the winning presence of James Earl Jones and a look at times gone by. Both also attempt to leave viewers with a life-affirming message. At the same time, The Sandlot doesn't take itself too seriously. The kids are charming and can really play the game; there's also a refreshing lack of precocious, cynical types. While it trades in some of the stock clichés of baseball films, it does so with utter conviction and earnestness. And, for once, here's a sports film for kids that isn't about winning.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the appeal of sports movies like The Sandlot. What other similar films do you like?
Do you have to have been a kid in the 1960s to appreciate this movie? Why, or why not? What about it might appeal to kids of different generations?
MPAA explanation:
some language and kids chewing tobacco
Last updated:
August 26, 2024
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