Analysis Of The Sandlot

Felisha Ell

Psychology 30

Ms. Macpherson

Dec. 1, 2017

The Sandlot

Every single person on earth has gone through the stage of middle childhood in their lives; it is inevitable. This stage is an important time in an individual’s life as it provides them the opportunity to experience new challenges and to make new friends and relationships. Middle childhood is a time of slow yet steady growth of a person in the aspects of physical, mental, and emotional development. In the movie The Sandlot, the young boys show visible signs of school-age development which include the concept of self-esteem, showing interests in the opposite sex, and overcoming challenges. While there are many other things that imply development in school-age children, these three topics are the most prominent in the film. The main protagonist of the film, Scotty Smalls, is introduced as a straight-A, friendless young boy who has just moved into a new neighborhood in new state. While

Towards the end of the film, the boys are trying to get back Small’s stepfather’s baseball, which has been accidentally hit into the monster’s territory. As the other boys are too afraid of getting hurt, Benny decides to do the deed after being encouraged by his idol’s, Babe Ruth’s, spirit. In the end, Benny manages to retrieve the ball and overcome the monster. After everything, they find out that the monster is just a lonely dog named Hercules. Before getting the ball, Benny has doubts about how he can do it, but ultimately decides to do so. This shows that school-age children are willing to take risks and try to overcome challenges. This is important for a child of this age because it builds confidence and character to the child. By trying new things, middle childhood children learn about the world around them and makes them realize what they can and cannot