The Sandlot

First off, I should mention something about this entire blog: the title can be misleading. "How Were These Made?" implies that it was a mistake that these movies were in fact, made. But in reality, these movies are imperative to the betterment of society. Having said that, today's entry is the biggest example of a movie directed toward an audience of children that is actually a really solid movie.
The Sandlot may have a plot like most other kid's movies, but it's different than the rest. It has characters that any audience can relate to, a dilemma that most people have found themselves in at one time or another (hiding something from your parents) and it has a step-by-step lesson on the proper way to make smores.
The main character/narrator is a fella by the name of Smalls. He's the new kid in town, and doesn't have much experience in making friends. Well I've got news for you Smalls, Benny 'The Jet' Rodriguez is going to change all that. I'm not really sure who I was talking to in that last sentence, but I'd like to think the fictional character of Smalls will invent the Internet in the 1950s, locate this post and then feel better about seeing it. He's a bright kid.
When Benny asks Smalls to play some baseball at the Sandlot, the rest of Benny's crew is not too pleased with their new left fielder. Early on in the summer, Smalls cannot exactly catch, but once again Benny is there to save the day. He has the ability to hit a baseball directly into Smalls' glove without him having to move an inch, which makes Smalls look good. From early on in the movie you just know that Benny is destined for great things because hitting that ball into the glove of Smalls is nearly impossible, but in the world of kid's movies anything is possible.
The group slowly starts to accept Smalls, and the summer is going great. They play baseball every day, and when it's too hot for baseball they take a trip a the pool. And everyone knows what awaits them at the pool: Wendy Peffercorn!!!!!!!! Sorry for screaming, but I get worked up sometimes. One member of the crew, Squints, has the hots for Wendy, so he takes matters into his own hands to make a move on her. She is older than the boys, and is a lifeguard at the pool. All of the oiling and lotioning can really do a number on a guy.
Then the crew gets challenged to a game by their longtime cross-town rivals who are only in the movie for two scenes. Some of the greatest disses and comebacks this world has ever seen were captured on camera during this scene. Hamilton Porter really brought his A-game.
All of these fun and games are great, but the actual plot of the movie really gets going when Smalls steals his step-dads autographed Babe Ruth baseball to play with. Naturally, Smalls hits a homerun on his first swing and the ball goes into Mr. Mertle's yard. Well that's a quick fix you say, just go knock on his door and he'll get the ball. NOPE. Mr. Mertle is mean, and so is his dog, The Beast. That dog eats people for a living, so the boys can't simply hop the fence and get the ball. After a series of complicated attempts to get the ball fails, Benny decides to hop the fence and outrun The Beast. A crazy chase ensues, that concludes back in the Sandlot, and Benny ends up pickling The Beast. It also turns out that Mr. Mertle is played by Darth Vader, and is a nice blind man who helps Smalls out by giving him a new ball to replace his father's ball.
All ends well in this film. Benny ends up playing for the LA Dodgers and Smalls is the team's radio announcer. What a great summer.