Sugar

SUGAR, the second film from acclaimed writer-directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden (“Half Nelson,” 2006), features the story of Dominican teenager Miguel “Sugar” Santos. Like many other Dominicans his age, Miguel hopes that his exceptional talent as a baseball player will save him and his family from their poverty-stricken existence. After years of grueling training, Miguel finally earns a chance at his dreams: a scout recruits him to pitch for a minor league team in Bridgetown, Iowa. Despite a cheerful farewell from his expectant community, Miguel faces many challenges both on and off the field in his new home. While Miguel's host family is warm and welcoming, he certainly feels out of place in rural America. And, as his feelings of isolation increase, Miguel soon begins to question the validity of his once certain dreams. Fleck and Boden resist the conventions of the generic sports movie or fish-out-of-water tale in this realist drama, which combines naturalist acting and beautifully constructed cinematography to dissect one of America's oldest pastimes. (In English and Spanish with English subtitles) – E.J.B.