Written by Greg Fertel | 30 July 2009

Last night, I had the chance to see a movie I have wanted to see for quite a while, Sugar. This film is made by the same Writer/Director team that did Half Nelson. The two films are very different, but the one thing that is similar is how real the film feels. While this isn't really Yankee related, it is definitely minor league related.

Sugar centers around a Dominican pitching prospect named Miguel 'Sugar' Santos and his journey from the Dominican to the United States and the difficulty in adjusting to life without his family as a young 20 year old kid who hasn't been to school since he was 16 years old.

This is not your typical sports movie, so don't go in expecting that. There were no cliches and no walk-off home runs. The movie just feels real and will change the way you look at international free agent signees. The starring actor won some tryouts among players in the Dominican baseball camps, and he does a great job in his acting debut. 

The movie is full of twists and doesn't head in the direction you might expect, yet it still brings a wide range of emotions. At times I had a huge smile, at times I laughed, and at times I was depressed. A unique part of Sugar was the detail it went into with baseball. For example, different types of curveballs are discussed in different scenes. That is something that appeals to me, but I'm not sure how much it would to an average moviegoer.

The movie has a slow pace, but it is full of emotion and drama, and I was not able to take my eyes off the screen. I think you will become very emotionally invested in Miguel 'Sugar' Santos when you see the pressure his family and Dominican village has placed on him.

I think that this movie would be enjoyable for anyone, but for a die-hard baseball fan and minor league follower, it is a must-see. I will always have Sugar in mind when I hear about a 16 year old, hyped, international free agent signee. I highly recommend it to all my readers: 8/10.

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