Is James Earl Jones in all the best baseball movies?
You’d think so after watching “Field of Dreams,” which we’ve highlighted in this space before, and this week’s feature, “The Sandlot.” In both films, Jones’ sonorous voice and imposing presence give the proceedings a gravitas that makes the movies’ other great points stick with the viewer. As we get ready for the national baseball openers next week, gather the kids around the DVD player and enjoy “The Sandlot’s” many charms.
“The Sandlot” is, pure and simple, a happy nostalgia trip for adults and goofy fun for kids. Roger Ebert compared it to the feel of “A Christmas Story,” and he’s right.
It’s a new-kid-in-town plot, with young Scotty arriving in Los Angeles not knowing a soul. He follows local kids to a vacant lot, where they unravel the summer in long games on a makeshift diamond.
Past the outfield fence is a mean dog called the Beast and a possibly even meaner dog owner, played by Jones. When the boys hit balls beyond the fence, they have to venture into the terrifying world of Adults With Lectures.
Along the way, they get into other trouble. One of the most memorable scenes in any family film of recent decades is the pool kiss scene — ask anyone who has seen “Sandlot,” and they’ll know. Sometimes stealing a smooch from the prettiest lifeguard is worth almost drowning for.
