The Comrades of Summer (TV 1992)

To teach a team of Russian wanna-be baseball players the finer points of the all-American game is no easy task, but for a grudgingly resentful, recently fired baseball manager from the ... See full summary »

Director:

Tommy Lee Wallace

Writer:

Robert Rodat

Stars:

Joe Mantegna, Natalya Negoda, Michael Lerner

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joe Mantegna	...	Sparky Smith
Natalya Negoda	...	Tanya
Michael Lerner	...	George
Mark Rolston	...	Voronov
John Fleck	...	Milov
Eric Allan Kramer	...	Boris
Ian Tracey	...	Andy
Jay Brazeau	...	Tom
David Berner	...	Director
Dwight Koss	...	Jack
Garry Chalk	...	Ump
Roark Critchlow	...	Petra
Mitchell Davies	...	Igor
Todd Duckworth	...	Leonid
Grant Forster	...	Vasily

Storyline

To teach a team of Russian wanna-be baseball players the finer points of the all-American game is no easy task, but for a grudgingly resentful, recently fired baseball manager from the States, the task is formidable. In fact, there are many times when he considers chucking the whole thing and going back home and forgetting baseball entirely. But he perseveres... to the point where he finally believes that his players may be good enough to represent the Soviet Union in the upcoming Olympics in America. However, performing in this Country under such pressures not only shows these Russian players something about themselves, it also makes their American manager aware of something rather special about himself, as well.

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Plot Keywords:

baseball

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Genres:

Comedy | Sport

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 July 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Camaradas de Verão

Filming Locations:

Nat Bailey Stadium, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

At around the time this movie was released, two Russians were signed to Major League contracts by the California Angels (now the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim).

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Quotes

Tanya: It is not my job to be your girlfriend.

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Connections

References Doctor Zhivago (1965)

User Reviews

'Sparky' Sputters In This So-So Baseball Flick

This was an average film, nothing special. As a baseball fan, I was hoping for something a little better. The main problem, to me, was the lead character being unlikable. Joe Mantegna played manager "Sparky Smith," and I was surprised on the mouth on him for a made-for-TV movie, so it must have been for HBO or similar.

"Sparky" is a fish-out-of-water culturally, trying to make it with baseball in Russia after losing his managerial job with the Seattle Mariners. With the story about making a bunch of players out of a diverse group of athletes and then coming back to the States to play, you know it's going to have a predictable ending. The question is, how much fun can the viewer have along the way watching how the team develops. Frankly, I didn't have that much fun because of Mantegna's character.

It reminded me too much of Tom Selleck's role as the obnoxious American ballplayer trying to cope in Japan. I didn't him, either. I guess I am sentimental guy, preferring the nice guys like "Roy Hobbs" of "The Natural."