Sugar (2008/I)

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:

5 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
Richard Anderson	...	Baseball Fan (uncredited)
Byron Browne	...	Kansas City Major League ball Player (uncredited)
Rhett Ashley Crosby	...	Kansas City Baseball Player (uncredited)
Adam Denomme	...	Baseball Fan (uncredited)
Christopher Denomme	...	Baseball Fan (uncredited)
James Fuertes	...	Bouncer (uncredited)
Marcus Jordan	...	Kansas City Pitcher (uncredited)
Jason H. Karniol	...	Kansas city Baseball fan (uncredited)
Dave Mahr	...	Kansas City Major league baseball player (uncredited)
Daren Palacio	...	Baseball Fan (uncredited)
Joseph Rao	...	Baseball Fan (uncredited)
Jeremy Ray	...	Baseball Player (uncredited)

Directed by
Anna Boden
Ryan Fleck

Writing credits (WGA)
Anna Boden		(written by) &
Ryan Fleck		(written by)

Produced by
Anna Boden	....	executive producer
Tracey Cuesta	....	supervising producer: Dominican Republic
Denton Hanna	....	field producer: Arizona
Paul S. Mezey	....	producer
John Douglas Miller	....	field producer: Iowa
Jamie Patricof	....	producer
Jeremy Kipp Walker	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Brook

Cinematography by
Andrij Parekh

Film Editing by
Anna Boden

Casting by
Cindy Tolan

Production Design by
Beth Mickle

Art Direction by
Michael Ahern

Set Decoration by
Richard Bailey

Costume Design by
Erin Benach

Makeup Department
Lisa DelleChiaie	....	key hair stylist
Johnny Mooi	....	hair stylist
Leo Won	....	makeup department head

Production Management
Sarah Connors	....	post-production supervisor
Ronny Merdinger	....	unit production manager
Dave Saltzman	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mariela Comitini	....	first assistant director
Nicole Real	....	second second assistant director: Dominican Republic
Jamie Ellen Rush	....	second assistant director: New York
Jamie Ellen Rush	....	second second assistant director: Arizona
Jamie Ellen Rush	....	second second assistant director: Iowa
Nadia Tabbara	....	second second assistant director: New York
Juan M. Zuniga	....	second assistant director: Arizona
Juan M. Zuniga	....	second assistant director: Dominican Republic
Juan M. Zuniga	....	second assistant director: Iowa

Art Department
Matthew Amenta	....	assistant property master
Jeremy L. Balon	....	property master
Corbin Booth	....	leadman
Jared Bumgarner	....	leadman
Tyler Drayton	....	set dresser
Gina Freedman	....	on-set dresser
Rachel Jones	....	art coordinator
Daniel R. Kersting	....	assistant set decorator
Dan-ah Kim	....	art production assistant
Darryl Parsons	....	on-set dresser

Sound Department
Bryan Dembinski	....	additional production sound recordist: New York
Tom Efinger	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tom Efinger	....	supervising sound editor
David Ellinwood	....	dialogue editor
Eric Gitelson	....	foley engineer
John Moros	....	foley editor
Abigail Savage	....	sound designer
Jeff Seelye	....	assistant sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Josh M. Allen	....	electrician: New York
Joe Anderson	....	additional assistant camera: New York
Nathan Beaman	....	best boy grip: Arizona
Justin Bennett	....	grip: New York
Katie Dainson	....	loader
Shannon DeWolfe	....	assistant camera: Iowa
Denton Hanna	....	still photographer: Arizona
Rob Harlow	....	best boy grip: New York
Tim Hawn	....	assistant camera: Iowa
Andy Kromphardt	....	camera intern: Iowa
Andy Kromphardt	....	camera production assistant: Arizona
Andy Kromphardt	....	camera production assistant: New York
Adam Lukens	....	best boy grip: Dominican Republic
Adam Lukens	....	key grip: Arizona
Lee Lusby	....	grip
Ian McAlpin	....	film loader: New York
Mike 'Electric' Mervilde Jr.	....	gaffer
Smokey Nelson	....	additional photographer
Smokey Nelson	....	gaffer: Dominican Republic
Aaron Randall	....	electrician: New York
Samantha Sa	....	grip: New York
Jay Sgroi	....	additional electrician: New York
Jay Todd	....	grip
Matthew Walker	....	key grip: Dominican Republic (as Matt Walker)
Hunter Whalen	....	additional second assistant camera
Dave Wightman	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera, Iowa

Casting Department
Patrice Farner	....	extras casting: Arizona
Shaun Gerardo	....	casting associate
Rita Powers	....	extras casting: New York
Sean Powers	....	extras casting: New York

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Caroline Flach	....	seamstress
Stephani Lewis	....	assistant costume designer
Emma Potter	....	costume supervisor
Elisa Santiago	....	wardrobe supervisor
Karla Strum	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Jessica Allen	....	digital intermediate editor
Andrew Blackwell	....	associate editor
Dana Bloder	....	digital intermediate producer
Andrew Goldman	....	post-production coordinator
Tim Stipan	....	digital intermediate colorist
Patricia Sztaba	....	negative matcher
Stan Sztaba	....	negative matcher
Michael P. Whipple	....	digital intermediate engineer

Music Department
Lynn Fainchtein	....	music supervisor
Annette Kudrak	....	music editor
Nicholas Schenck	....	assistant music editor (as Nicholas J. Schenck)

Transportation Department
Gill Manuel Pena	....	transportation captain: Dominican Republic

Other crew
Vince Brown	....	key set production assistant: New York
Vince Brown	....	set production assistant: Arizona
Vince Brown	....	set production assistant: Iowa
Melinda Burns	....	location assistant
Andrea F. Cannistraci	....	production legal
Leonardo Cuesta	....	location manager: Dominican Republic
Yinna De La Cruz	....	set production assistant: Dominican Republic
Shannon Dennard	....	location scout: New York
Kristyn DiPane	....	project manager: Technicolor New York
Patrick Eaton	....	production assistant: New York
Andrew Goldman	....	assistant production coordinator
Trish Gray	....	location scout: New York
Sandi Greenberg	....	production assistant: New York
Timothy P. Haskins	....	assistant production coordinator: Arizona
John Henry	....	location manager: New York
Albert Krause	....	production accountant
Jon Kussmaul	....	production assistant: New York
Austin Lapierre	....	production assistant: Arizona
Melvin Nadal	....	location assistant: Dominican Republic
Emily Pendas	....	script supervisor
Julie Platner	....	production coordinator
Rob Plonskier	....	production assistant
Francisco Gomez Polanco	....	security chief: Dominican Republic
Jose Rijo	....	baseball consultant: Dominican Republic
Javier Rojas	....	craft service
Rolando Sanchez	....	assistant location manager: Dominican Republic
Mike Tank	....	production assistant: Arizona
Willie Toubman	....	assistant location manager: New York
Neal Welty	....	production assistant
Kenneth Yanga	....	production assistant: Arizona

Thanks
Tze Chun	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Journeyman Pictures
• Hunting Lane Films
• Gowanus Projections
• HBO Films (financed by)
• Single A Films

Distributors

• HBO Films (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Axiom Films (2008) (UK) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2009) (Argentina) (all media)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Gotham Sound  walkies provided by
• Santo Domingo Film & Music Video  grip and lighting equipment (Dominican Republic)
• Serie 23 Casting  casting: Dominican Republic
• Serie 23 Productions  production services (Dominican Republic)

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

Color:

Color

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 | Argentina:13

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:

Featured in "The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Fast & Furious/Adventureland/Sugar (#1.6)" (2009)

The "Friday Night Lights" of baseball

"Sugar" is simply one of the best sports movies ever and it does so avoiding every sports movies cliché ever made. The story of the main character is simply a composite of the story of the majority of people who go to play the game professionally. Not only that, but also reflects the story of the immigrant who comes to America pursuing a dream.

Spoken mostly in Spanish, the movie almost qualifies as a foreign language film. The filmmakers do an excellent job capturing the contrast in atmosphere of the Dominican Republic -a poor country, rich in happiness- to the heartland of America, and back to the Bronx -a Dominican stronghold outside of the island, also stricken by poverty.

As in "Friday Night Lights" you can feel the constant stress these young players endure to make it big. It's every bit as tense and if you like baseball, and are interested a little bit about these foreign superstars now playing the game, this movie is going to be a treat.

One of the best films of 2009.