Sugar

Sugar
"After he catches the eye of a scout while playing in his native Dominican Republic, baseball prospect Miguel "Sugar" Santos is recruited to play in the minor leagues in the Midwest, where he has difficultly adapting both on and off the field. As much a story about the promise of the American dream as it is about America's national pastime, this film dramatizes the hard lessons learned when hope and reality clash."

4 stars

I love baseball movies, but this isn't a movie only about baseball. It's the story of going from a big fish in a small pond to a very small fish in a very big pond. It's heartbreaking to watch Sugar more or less alone in a country where he doesn't understand the language (except for "fly ball," "home run, " and "I got it! I got it!"). The movie kind of derailed from my expectations in the end, but I like it when movies don't follow the canon. Because of this movie, I'll look at the guys in my local minor league games with a lot of respect. And even the major league guys - they work hard to get where they are.

Minus one point for using a cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah (even if it was in Spanish). That song has become a crutch for directors wanting to convey something emotional and weepy. It's a good song but over used.