Dominican baseball star Miguel "Sugar" Santos is recruited to play in the U.S. minor-leagues.
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The star of NBC's "Council of Dads" makes some unexpected picks for her own "Council of Moms," pulled from her favorite TV shows.
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Title: Sugar (2008)
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2 wins & 7 nominations.
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
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Jose Rijo | ... | Alvarez |
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Walki Cuevas | ... | Alfonso |
| Algenis Perez Soto | ... | Miguel | |
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Santo Silvestre | ... | Umpire #1 |
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Emmanuel Nanita Carvajal | ... | Reyes |
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Cesar Emilio Minaya C. | ... | Pedro |
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Joendy Pena Brown | ... | Marcos |
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Kelvin Leonardo Garcia | ... | Salvador |
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Marcos Rosa | ... | Sanchez |
| Karl Bury | ... | Rudy | |
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Zaida Alexandra Hernandez | ... | Erica |
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Lilin Soto Gonzales | ... | Abuela |
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Dioni Feliciano | ... | Luis |
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Teodosia Sanchez Reyes | ... | Carmen |
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Walky Alvarez | ... | Sofia |
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
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Storyline
By 2008, more than 25 percent of major league baseball players were born in Latin America. At 19, Miguel "Sugar" Santos, a serious kid from the Dominican Republic, signs with Kansas City. He flies to Phoenix for tryouts and is sent to the Class A team "The Swing" in the fictional town of Bridgetown, Iowa, where he lives with a farm family. Thus begins his odyssey: leaving his mom and girlfriend; living in an alien culture; learning English; overcoming jitters; working hard; achieving early success; navigating friendships, occasional racism, and a woman's mixed signals; dealing with an injury; trying performance-enhancing drugs; and, searching for his place in the world. Will he make it to the Majors; will he play in New York? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
Plot Keywords:
character name as title | nickname as title | title directed by female | caribbean sea | baseball |Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated R for language, some sexuality and brief drug use | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Release Date:
24 April 2009 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Untitled Dominican Project See more »Edit
Box Office
Opening Weekend USA:
$60,140, 5 April 2009Gross USA:
$1,082,124Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$1,144,438Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Written by Romeo Santos (as Anthony "Romeo" Santos)
Performed by Aventura
Courtesy of Premium Latin Music, Inc.
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
After this film was shot, the name of the team in Iowa was changed from the Swing of the Quad Cities to its former team name of the Quad Cities River Bandits. See more »Goofs
When Miguel is pitching to the Loons in the top of the fifth, the scoreboard already shows 0 runs. The score for a half inning is not registered until the half inning is completed. See more »Connections
Referenced in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Monsters vs Aliens/The Haunting in Connecticut/12 Rounds (2009) See more »Soundtracks
ObsesionWritten by Romeo Santos (as Anthony "Romeo" Santos)
Performed by Aventura
Courtesy of Premium Latin Music, Inc.
See more »
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Greetings again from the darkness. Filmed in quasi-documentary style, the film appears on the surface to be about the Latino dream of making it to the major leagues. Upon closer review, the family and friends of Sugar only ask "Are you going to the states?". The crux of the film lies not so much in the long odds of making it to the show, but moreso, simply escaping the homeland ... it's just that baseball is viewed as the quickest ticket out.
The "Half Nelson" writer/director team of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck score again with "Sugar". What really hit home with me was how many people miss out on their real chance because they just have a simple shortage of passion for their talent. When Sugar bashes the water cooler, it's not because he pitched poorly, but rather because he fears he will be shipped back home.
There are many fine moments in this and the final act twist is not just terrific story telling, but fitting as well. It does what a final act should do ... connect the dots. Think back to the domino scene when one guy spouts that he once hit 98 in spring training. The recognition that he is back home playing dominoes is the real story. Good stuff.
First time actor Algenis Perez Soto perfectly captures the charm and innocence of Sugar and finally the harsh reality of the situation. This is one to see.