Those who found Stand by Me's epilogue to be an excruciatingly sentimental aberration in an otherwise-subdued coming-of-age tale would be best advised to avoid the cloying preteen fable The Sandlot. In addition to ripping off Rob Reiner's film, co-writer/director David Mickey Evans borrows liberally from A Christmas Story, American Graffiti, TV's The Wonder Years, and any number of Norman Rockwell paintings to fashion this exaggerated slice of Americana rife with "That's when I learned...." clichés. Although Evans has assembled a capable cast of youngsters, his over-emphatic direction and sub-Spielbergian flourishes -- replete with an ever-swelling, John Williams-esque score -- effectively neuter any semblance of realism in the performances. Top it all off with an ersatz-sage voice-over from Arye Gross and a wish-fulfillment, flash-forward ending that makes Stand by Me's seem restrained, and it becomes clear that Sandlot is every bit the successor to Evans' first script, the syrupy, over-simplified fantasia on abused children, Radio Flyer.
The Sandlot (1993)
Directed by David Mickey Evans
Genres - Action, Adventure, Children's/Family, Sports & Recreation, Comedy |
Sub-Genres - Americana, Coming-of-Age, Period Film, Sports Comedy |
Release Date - Apr 9, 1993 (USA) |
Run Time - 101 min. |
Countries - United States |
MPAA Rating - PG
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