Fresh
Sugar, a baseball movie, an immigrant parable and a thoroughly entertaining drama that accomplishes the seemingly impossible task of putting a fresh face on the fractured American Dream.
John Anderson, Newsday
Sugar
For Miguel "Sugar" Santos, his curveball was his ticket out.
2008 · 1h 54m · R
Drama
Directed by
Anna Boden
,
Ryan Fleck
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Sugar
Overview
Like many young men in the Dominican Republic, 19-year-old Miguel "Sugar" Santos dreams of winning a slot on an American baseball team. Indeed, his talents as a pitcher eventually land him a slot on a single-A team in Iowa, but culture shock, racism and other curveballs threaten to turn Sugar's dream sour.
Director and cast
- Anna Boden Director
- Ryan Fleck Director
- Algenis Perez Soto as Miguel 'Sugar' Santos
- Rayniel Rufino as Jorge Ramirez
- Jose Rijo as Alvarez
- André Holland as Brad Johnson
- Walki Cuevas as Alfonso
- Santo Silvestre as Umpire #1
- Emmanuel Nanita Carvajal as Reyes
- Cesar Emilio Minaya C. as Pedro
- Joendy Pena Brown as Marcos
- Richard Bull Cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
92%
Tomatometer
Fresh
Not only have director-writers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck crafted a poignant immigrant tale, they've made a sports saga rife with rare truths.
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post
Rotten
The camera is on Sugar the whole time, but the faux-documentary approach keeps him out of reach in all the ways that really matter.
David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture
Fresh
To tell you what happens to him from here would be a tremendous disservice. We'll just say that, refreshingly, nothing about it is sickly sweet.
Christy Lemire, Associated Press
Fresh
A rich and moving reminder of the way professional sports aspirations can shape someone's destiny in the real world.
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
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