blast from the pst

Stuck in a painfully boring lecture hall or lethargically plowing through piles of homework, I constantly find myself drifting back into youthful reminiscence. Sure, it might take a minor toll on my study habits, but isn't it a more joyous occasion, getting tangled up in the vivid memory of a jubilant yesteryear?

Along with other 90's classics like Rookie of the Year, Camp Nowhere, and Blank Check, The Sandlot, was one of my favorite movies growing up. With its timeless tale, unbelievable soundtrack, and animated cast, The Sandlot's as enchanting today as it was fifteen years ago.

The Sandlot follows a tenacious and colorful little league baseball team on an an uplifting journey set in a quaint pre-Donkey Kong 1950's era. The modestly majestic movie centers on the rascally quest to baseball glory while tinkering with the concepts of everlasting friendship, acceptance, and moral dilemna. Set upon America's most sacred landmark--the baseball diamond--a legion of rascally pre-pubescent boys show they'll do almost anything for the sake of the team, in collectively going so far as to "risk their lives" for the sake of the team's athletically inept rookie, and movie protagonist, Smalls.



Paying homage to America's golden era, where it reigned as a respected world power and still believed in the great American Dream, The Sandlot's speckled with pop-culture staples galore while orchestrated along a serene soundtrack that seems to embody the generation's zest and pride. Reminded of outdated relics from past American tradition, by recalling on s'more devouring campfire outings, rascally practical jokes, and centered around America's beloved pasttime, the audience is left with a melancholy aftertaste for a bygone generation. Mechanically typing away on our Blackberrys, wasting empty-hours in an online daze, and receiving only so much exercise as the twiddling of our thumbs can manufacture through video-game extravaganza. expending video-game extravaganza.

With its ligjt-hearted profundity, The Sandlot's timeless tale speaks to all ages and every generation, invoking a nostalgic sentiment for an easy-breezy era when technology had not yet sunk its venomous fangs into society. At its soulful heart is the quirky array of characters who embrace the baseball team's scrawny newcomer, as good teammates do, and go to audacious extremes for friendship and a love of the game, things we might not find today with electronics sitting in as the new cultural sultan of our generation, and honest friendships much harder to find in the dog-eat-dog world.

And for its unconscious critique on today's generation sitting with a pretty portrait of a brighter past, the movie's especially powerful as reminiscent glory-maker and eye-opening contrast. The sheer essence of its enrapturing entertainment value, however, is enough to make the movie a hit classic.