The Sandlot (David Evans, 1993)

Questions

1. What was you first reaction to this film? Why do you think you responded the way you did? 2. What symbols and themes appear in this film? When do they occur? Which themes and symbols run throughout the entire film? What do they represent? 3. Did the filmmakers do a good job in casting this film? What did you like or dislike about the casting? 4. This film uses some unrealistic techniques—like a whistling sound as a ball falls to the ground or the badly splintered, dog-slobber covered stick the boys retrieve from the “Beast’s” yard. Why do you think the filmmakers used these exaggerated techniques? Did they enhance or hinder the film? 5. Do you think the makers of this film were successful in taking you where they wanted to take you? Why or why not? Where do you think they wanted to take you? 6. Were there any particular scenes that stood out to you most? 7. While this film mostly deals with youth and youthful things, it also shows the sometimes tense yet budding relationship Smalls has with his step-dad. How well do you think the film handled their relationship? 8. What symbols and themes appear in this film? When do they occur? Which themes and symbols run throughout the entire film? What do they represent? Chuck Taylor’s, tree houses, cars with fins, autographed baseballs, bee-bop tunes, the ultimate put-down: “You play ball like a girl!” This film majors on nostalgia. Roger Ebert said, “There was a moment in the film when Rodriguez hit a line drive directly at the pitcher’s mound, and I ducked and held up my mitt, and then I realized I didn’t have a mitt, and it was then I also realized how completely this movie had seduced me with its memories of what really matters when you are twelve.” 9. Ebert says this film doesn’t have “any connection with the humdrum reality of the boring real world; but taps directly into a vein of nostalgia and memory that makes reality seem puny by comparison.” Similarly, the narrator describes the sandlot team as having “their own little baseball kingdom.” What comprised your “own little kingdom” when you were a kid? What were some of the objects, people and places that were part of it? 10. Scotty hits his first home run over the fence—only it turns out to be his step-dad’s autographed Babe Ruth ball. Did you ever do anything similarly catastrophic as a kid? Explain. 11. When Squints steals a kiss from the beautiful lifeguard, Wendy Peppercorn, someone says, “So you planned that?” He says, “You bet. I’ve been planning that for years!” Do you remember your first crush? Did you ever hatch a plan to meet them? Explain. 12. The boys make the mistake of mixing chewing tobacco with carnival rides, and the results don’t completely wear off for a day or two. Name a time when your youthful wisdom failed you. 13. Do you think remembering and nostalgia bring glory to God? Explain. Do you think nostalgia is a tool He uses to teach us? If so, what sorts of things can we learn from remembering our youth or days gone by? 14. How might this film be used as a point of contact for discussions with non-believers? 15. How is this film a window of insight into how a Christian should live, think and act? 16. What are the risks involved in being nostalgic and retracing the steps of your youth? Is remembering worth the pain it may drum up? Why or why not? Discussion Questions for a Christian and non-Christian Audience This movie definitely falls into the “feel-good” genre. It doesn’t deal with many major issues of mortality, the need for love or redemption... or then again, does it? You decide. This film works through nostalgia and subtlety. It is one of those films where if you look too hard for the deep meaning, you’re likely to miss it. As Benny said, “That’s your problem. Man, this is baseball... You gotta stop thinking so much.” 1. What was you first reaction to this film? Why do you think you responded the way you did? 2. What symbols and themes appear in this film? When do they occur? Which themes and symbols run throughout the entire film? What do they represent? 3. Did the filmmakers do a good job in casting this film? What did you like or dislike about the casting? 4. This film uses some unrealistic techniques—like a whistling sound as a ball falls to the ground or the badly splintered, dog-slobber covered stick the boys retrieve from the “Beast’s” yard. Why do you think the filmmakers used these exaggerated techniques? Did they enhance or hinder the film? Explain. 5. Do you think the makers of this film were successful in taking you where they wanted to take you? Why or why not? Where do you think they wanted to take you? Were there any particular scenes that stood out to you most? 6. While this film mostly deals with youth and youthful things, it also shows the sometimes-tense yet budding relationship Smalls has with his step-dad. How well do you think the film handled their relationship? 7. What symbols and themes appear in this film? When do they occur? Which themes and symbols run throughout the entire film? What do they represent? Chuck Taylor’s, tree houses, cars with fins, autographed baseballs, bee-bop tunes, the ultimate put-down: “You play ball like a girl!” This film majors on nostalgia. Roger Ebert said, “There was a moment in the film when Rodriguez hit a line drive directly at the pitcher’s mound, and I ducked and held up my mitt, and then I realized I didn’t have a mitt, and it was then I also realized how completely this movie had seduced me with its memories of what really matters when you are twelve.” 8. Ebert says this film doesn’t have “any connection with the humdrum reality of the boring real world, but taps directly into a vein of nostalgia and memory that makes reality seem puny by comparison.” Similarly, the narrator describes the sandlot team as having “their own little baseball kingdom.” What comprised your “own little kingdom” when you were a kid? What were some of the objects, people and places that were part of it? 9. Scotty hits his first homerun over the fence—only it turns out to be his step-dad’s autographed Babe Ruth ball. Did you ever do anything similarly catastrophic as a kid? Explain. 10. When Squints steals a kiss from the beautiful lifeguard, Wendy Peppercorn, someone says, “So you planned that?” He says, “You bet. I’ve been planning that for years!” Do you remember your first crush? Did you ever hatch a plan to meet them? Explain. 11. The boys make the mistake of mixing chewing tobacco with carnival rides, and the results don’t completely wear off for a day or two. Name a time when your youthful wisdom failed you. 12. Do you think nostalgia is a tool we can learn by? If so, what sorts of things can we learn from remembering our youth or days gone by? 13. What are the risks involved in being nostalgic and retracing the steps of your youth? Is remembering worth the pain it may tend to drum up? Why or why not? Has this film made any impact on the way you think or the kind of person you want to be? If so, explain?