Sugar (2008/I)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Directors:

Anna Boden
Ryan Fleck

Writers (WGA):

Anna Boden (written by) &
Ryan Fleck (written by)

Release Date:

5 June 2009 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Plot:

Dominican baseball star Miguel "Sugar" Santos is recruited to play in the U.S. minor-leagues.

Plot Keywords:

Baseball | Minor League | Coming Of Age | American Dream | Rags To Riches

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Algenis Perez Soto	...	Miguel 'Sugar' Santos
Rayniel Rufino	...	Jorge Ramirez
Andre Holland	...	Johnson
Ann Whitney	...	Helen Higgins
Ellary Porterfield	...	Anne Higgins
Jaime Tirelli	...	Osvaldo
Jose Rijo	...	Alvarez
Michael Gaston	...	Stu Sutton
Alina Vargas	...	Reyna
Richard Bull	...	Earl Higgins
Kelvin Leonardo Garcia	...	Salvador
Joendy Pena Brown	...	Marcos
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Karl Bury	...	Rudy Hubbard
Greg D'Agostino	...	Gregory the Delivery Man
Larry E. Donaldson	...	Michael Higgins
Barbara P. Engstrom	...	Hilary Higgins
Brandon Gorrell	...	Randy
Chris Harkins	...	Batter - Fight Scene
Taylor Hogue	...	Baseball Fan
Rita Kurtz	...	Dominican Baseball Fan
Eddie Martinez	...	Rafael
Cesar Minaya	...	Pedro
Sabien Minteer	...	Hardy / Team Mascot
Alyssa Simmons	...	Baseball fan
Issac Thomas Richer Smith	...	Clubby
Tom Sponberg	...	Baseball Fan
Randolph Wehofer	...	Jack Jeffries
Michael Robert Yeager	...	Fan at spring training game
Chelsea Zeleny	...	Baseball Fan

Also Known As:

Untitled Dominican Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some sexuality and brief drug use.; Rated PG-13 for sexual content, language and brief drug use. (dvd edition)

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #45356) (dvd edition) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #45356) (DVD edition) | Ireland:12A

Filming Locations:

Burlington, Iowa, USA

Company:

Journeyman Pictures

Trivia:

Some of the last names of the Quad City Swing players in the film were those of actual players on the team. However, they were not portrayed by the real Swing players. During filming, the real players were still in their regular season and then post-season.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the "thank you" list during the end credits Iowa Governor Chet Culber is mentioned. The governor's name is Culver, not Culber.

Movie Connections:

References "American Idol: The Search for a Superstar" (2002)

If you have the opportunity to help someone and you don't, you're wasting your life.

If you are looking for another "sports" film, this isn't it. Sure, it's about Dominican baseball players trying to make it in the United States, and get some money for their families, just as African-Americans use the NBA to get out of the ghetto, but it is so much more.

Baseball isn't the story here. It is just a backdrop. The story is immigration.

It was funny watching Miguel 'Sugar' Santos (Algenis Perez Soto) put up with an Iowa farm family when he went to play "A" ball. They didn't speak Spanish, and he didn't speak English. The daughter (Ellary Porterfield) seemed interested, but couldn't take the big step.

He left for New York when he felt his game go. He managed to find a new life. Not completely without baseball, but without making it to the majors. Life is like that. It's what happens when you make other plans.