By refusing to "win one for the Gipper" or any of the other boring sporty standards, the directors have a lot to be proud of. By being a little bit bolder, however, they really could have hit it out of the park. Full Review

A hopeful story, a heartwarming story, an entertaining story... Full Review

Sugar is worth seeing not because it invalidates baseball's meritocracy, or because it makes us feel guilty for enjoying the national pastime, but because it shows us with empathy and insight how baseball players are more than what they do on the field. Full Review

Rating: 3.5/5 -- Writer-directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck could have created a cliché-ridden film...But the pair (who also made the teacher drama Half Nelson), are more concerned with humanism than proving that dreams do come true. Full Review

The camera is on Sugar the whole time, but the faux-documentary approach keeps him out of reach in all the ways that really matter. Full Review

This is a tragic sports movie that shies away from every element of tragedy.

Rating: 4/4 -- A rich and moving reminder of the way professional sports aspirations can shape someone's destiny in the real world. Full Review