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Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

Did Rocky Balboa quit when Ivan Drago was crushing him in the ring? No. Did Roy Hobbs quit his baseball team when an old bullet wound started bleeding? No. The word quit wasn't in their vocabulary. However, in the case of aspiring baseball pitcher Miguel "Sugar" Santos, quitting is the best thing to do in the face of adversity.

Sugar begins promising enough in the Dominican Republic where baseball is often the only way out for scores of young boys who want a better life in the United States. With a terrific pitching arm and plenty of confidence, Santos seems to be on his way when he's invited to spring training in Arizona for a minor league spot with the fictional Kansas City Knights. Santos's dedication pays off when he's rewarded with a spot on the Class A Knights affiliate in Iowa.

It's a lot to handle for Santos as he's faced with the difficulties of being far from home; the struggles of trying to communicate; and the challenges of adapting to a different culture. However, Santos flourishes initially but he sulks when the coach pulls him out of games, when a local girl turns down his advances, and when his close friends are either cut or are called up. Filled with anger, he quits and runs away with his tail between his legs, disappointing his friends, family and baseball mentors in the process.

The first half of Sugar is a great look into the world of minor league baseball from the perspective of a Latin American player. I would argue that it is on the same level of greatness as say Bull Durham minus the humor. The acting isn't stellar but it's solid enough to strengthen an already absorbing storyline. It's after the first 45 minutes or so that Sugar becomes one of the greatest disappointments in sports film history. Of course I could be completely wrong if your definition of a great sports film involves watching someone throw in the towel.

Now I may take some flack for my harsh criticism and I fully realize that in real life athletes do sometimes quit. Yet, going to the movies is more often than not about escaping from reality and to be entertained, enlightened, or uplifted. The latter is what great sports films do. However, there is nothing uplifting about quitting. I can't help but wish Tom Hanks's character from A League of Their Own would have shown up to scream in the face of Santos that there is no crying and there is no quitting in baseball.

On a letter grade scale from A being excellent to F for failing, Sugar receives a C.
    
Sugar is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 120 minutes.

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By Michael D. Smith

Indie Film Editor

Michael D. Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri followed by a Master of Arts in history at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Inspired by such critics as Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, Michael started reviewing films in 1992 for College of the Ozarks's student-run newspaper. After returning to the Kansas City area in 1994, he continued film reviewing by writing for the Cass County Democrat Missourian in Harrisonville.

In 2000 Michael joined Sun Publications in Overland Park, Kansas where he served as its film critic and Arts and Entertainment Editor. During his tenure there, he was also the film critic for the "Fine Arts Radio Hour" and "Celebrity Scoop" radio shows on KXTR. After leaving the Sun in late 2002, he became the A&E writer for the Olathe News in Olathe, Kansas. He also worked as a freelance writer for The Squire in Leawood, Showcase Publishing in Lake Ozark, Missouri and the Kansas City Star.

Michael is currently a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, a professional film critic organization established in 1966 by the late Dr. James Loutzenhiser.