SUGAR
US, 2009, 120 minutes, Colour.
Algenis Herezsoto, Andre Holland, Jaime Tirelli, Reyniel Rufino.
Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.
A few years ago, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck made an offbeat story with an Oscar-nominated Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson. Their follow-up film is also admirable.
In fact, this film is rather subversive (in a very positive way) of the cliché of the American dream, that anyone can become the president or fulfil their most ambitious dreams. It advocates the value of ordinariness, self-acceptance and happiness in doing what is right and what one is good at in one's circumstances.
This is a baseball film which is more than usually friendly to the baseball-ignorant. While there is plenty of baseball for enthusiasts and for those who like noting techniques for pitching, there is much more going on. The first part of the film is set in the Dominican Republic (filmed there) where we see the US training camps for the locals. Apparently, after Americans, the biggest number of players in the Majors come from the Dominican Republic. The hope is to be sent to the US, to be chosen for the main leagues, to send money back to support families.
The film follows the career of one of them, Miguel Santos (whose nickname is Sugar), a 19 year old who has learnt carpentry from his now-deceased father and lives with his mother, brother and sister and his grandmother. They are poor but live in hope that he is picked for the US. He is.
This means that the film is not only about life in the Dominican Republic but about those who migrate to the US, with their culture problems, difficulties in language, finding another world. Eventually, he boards with a midwest family, traditional and religious, but devoted to baseball, who show him kindness and hospitality. Miguel has to move towards his adulthood with all these pressures, plus his demands on himself and his expectations for his performance. Algenis Perez Soto seems completely at home in the role, quietly convincing.
The film does not develop as audiences might anticipate and is all the better, much, much better, in fact, with a great warmth, respect for people and human dignity.
1.A piece of Americana with different perspectives?
2.Santa Domingo, the practice fields, the village, homes? The contrast with the United States, the playing fields, the towns, homes? New York and its neighbourhoods?
3.Baseball – and a film for the fans, or not? The depictions of play, the focus on pitching? The atmosphere of the games, the fans, commentators, players, the dressing rooms, on tour, the coaches, managers? A realistic picture?
4.Miguel’s story? At nineteen, training from the age of sixteen, the nature of the training, the teammates, playing, hopes? At home, his family? Relationship with his mother, sister, brother? His girlfriend? His being a carpenter, his dead father, his ability for work? The family hoping he would go to the US, earning money to send home?
5.His mother, the phone calls, grandmother, girlfriend? His mother’s hopes and urging him to stay? Her worries?
6.Going to the US, the group of players, arriving in a different world, the film’s contrast with America and Santa Domingo, Spanish and English? The US, a land of dreams? The hotel, the discovery of the mini bar, the pay per view television, the player giving them advice not to spend money there?
7.The managers, play, testing out the players, Miguel and his having to prove himself? Knowing that there were players above, earnest young players below? Advice from Jorge? Friendship? Meeting Brad Johnson and their discussions? The favourite baseball players? His being chosen to go to Iowa?
8.Assigned to the Higgins family, the mother and father, their age, welcome? Anne and her place at home? Language difficulties? The meals – and adjusting to American-style meals? The rules of the house, his life with the family, adapting, phone calls home, the couple as parent figures? His helping with the dishwashing? Anne, very religious, prayer, the group, inviting Miguel to the meetings, his not knowing what was going on? The kiss, her reaction? His gifts to her?
9.The games, the advice that it was only a game, the same game, different place? His success after hesitation? The applause from the crowd? His self-image, the fans, signing autographs? Life in the town, going into the bar with the false ID card, the racist attack, the fight?
10.Miguel and his moods, a sense of failure, feeling down? Travelling, discussions with the other players? Brad Johnson being transferred? Discussions with him about his abilities, his life, jobs? Jorge and his injuries, being sent to New York? Miguel’s injuries, his decision to leave?
11.Going, New York, the Statue of Liberty, searching for Jorge, going to the diner, their friendliness, getting accommodation, three hundred dollars a week, the help in the diner? The carpentry shop, meeting Osvaldo, discussions with him? Making the table? Bonding, baseball discussions? The prospects of work?
12.Meeting Jorge, their discussions, the local team of baseball players, especially from the Dominican Republic?
13.The phone calls to the manager, their wanting him back? His mother urging him to go back?
14.Self-acceptance, that life was ordinary, that there were many possibilities, that there were many champions for baseball, that he was just one of them, doing his best, liking what he did?
15.The future, uncertainty? The issues of migrants, culture, work, language?
16.The film not offering the cliché of the American dream – but a positive alternative that people can be happy in doing what they do best, even if it is ordinary?
