Sugar: Makayla Bigard

Makayla Bigard

Film Studies 

Film: Sugar

At only 19 years old, Miguel "Sugar" Santos has a dream of play baseball in the American leagues.  Living in the Dominican Republic, he plays professionally at a baseball academy, where he has somewhat a celebrity status there.  To his family Sugar is their hope to make it out of poverty.  After learning a devastating knuckle ball, his pitching talents gets him an invite to spring training with the Kansas City Knights.   He was assigned to a single-a team in Iowa where he was sent to live with an American family.  

Day-by-day Sugar struggled living in the states and experiences a major culture shock.  From trying to learn English, to the kind of food they eat in the US.  He struggles with fitting in with the community and even with the family he lives with.  Jorge, a veteran player and the only other Dominican on the team tries to show him the ropes.  Taking him out to dinner on the first night and order food.  Something Sugar was not use to and not know what kind of food was offered.  Jorge tells Sugar that everyone is good in the states and he has to work hard.  He proves that he has the talent and becomes the starting pitcher for his team the Swing.  With the money he is making from play on the team, he sends it right back to his family in the Dominican Republic.   

Sugar's determination showed while he was pitching, winning game after game.  It wasn't until he got injured.  He tried playing through he injury but eventually he started playing bad.  The team put him on the injury list.  As an athlete myself, I know how much this hurt Sugar.  He couldn't play the sport he loved and worked so hard at.  Watching his team win and lose with him sitting helplessly on the bench.  At the same time he was injured his friend Jorge was cut from the team.  With his friend moving away and starting a new life, that got Sugar to consider the same thing.  He was almost fully recovered from his injury as his dreams began to fall apart.  A new pitcher on the team, seems to have taken his spotlight as the starting pitcher.  

Sugar then decides to leave the team to follow another type of American Dream.  He finds himself in New York City where he makes a new home for himself.  At the end he finally feels apart of the community and not out of place.  He starts playing baseball again for a rejected player league.