The Sandlot

Those in the mood to return to the age of innocence might want to try The Sandlot.

A scruffy underdog yarn that will appeal not only to kids but also to their thirty- or fortysomething parents.

In The Sandlot's nostalgia for simpler times, a single-sex world seems to be a key component.

The kids even have their own treehouse, which means that the production designer is the only person connected with this project who actually went out on a limb.

A solid double rather than a grand slam, The Sandlot remains a refreshing antidote to the daily round of contract squabbles on the sports page.

There's a snappy change-of-pace gag involving a little guy and a nubile lifeguard, but the screams and barks and fraudulent emotions grow wearying.

It’s a charming picture, capturing the world from a kid perspective.

Everything comes together in The Sandlot with perfection to deliver one of the best baseball movies in cinematic history.

...an amiable, irresistibly nostalgic drama...

This is a fraudulent baseball film that's more cartoonish than real.