Sugar follows the promising career of Dominican pitcher Miguel “Sugar” Santos (played by Algenis Perez Soto). The movie starts off on a humorous and upbeat note. The opening scene occurs in the Dominican baseball training camp at San Pedro de Macoris where the players are learning English expressions and baseball terms. The training camp provides an entertaining, yet tragic, backdrop where players are trained to have a successful Major League Baseball career in America. They are coached on baseball skills and taught only enough English to enable them to get by in a foreign country.
The audience knows immediately that Sugar has great potential and is shown that he is taking on the responsibility for his family’s financial future. He receives admiration from everyone in his hometown, and “family and friends” come out of the woodwork when he is recruited for training and tryouts for the minor league affiliate of the Kansas City Knights in the United States.
The movie’s inspirational tone continues as Sugar arrives in America. We see that although America may be the land of opportunity, it takes hard work and dedication to succeed. The movie takes a dramatic turn as Sugar struggles to maintain his momentum when he’s surrounded by fierce competition and an injury. Although Sugar advances, the obstacles he faces to reach his end goal increase as he tries to overcome racism, language barriers and the distance from his family and friends. The last third of the movie veers into darker territory, and audience members may be surprised by the turn of events.
Writers/Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck took a risk by not making Sugar a one-note movie. They showed how difficult it is for Sugar at the U.S. training camp where he is struggling to attain a pitcher position. There are 75 players auditioning for less than 50 positions. In a phone call to his family, he states, “All the players here are really good.” I admire Boden and Fleck for their gritty and honest portrayals of the hardships players face. The last section of the film felt a bit long-winded and the directors could have shortened a few of the scenes and still successfully achieve the dramatic climax.
Sugar is a film is worth seeing, but does show the winner-take-all side of sports and competition. If you are expecting a feel-good, crowd pleaser, Sugar’s overall journey may leave a sour taste for in your mouth.
Grade: B
