American TV series or program
The Comrades of Summer
is a 1992
television film
featuring
Joe Mantegna
and
Natalya Negoda
. It was directed by
Tommy Lee Wallace
, written by
Robert Rodat
and aired on HBO on July 11, 1992.
Plot
[
edit
]
Major League Baseball manager Sparky Smith is fired from his job with the
Seattle Mariners
. His attitude has gotten him into trouble with George, the owner of the Mariners, and no other team seems to want any part of him.
The
Olympic Games
are coming up, however, and a spirit of
glasnost
exists in the
post-Soviet
Russia, which is trying to field its first
Olympic baseball team
. Sparky reluctantly accepts an offer to move to Moscow to coach the players, many of whom don't even know the game's fundamentals. The players are predictably inept at first, but Sparky begins to learn the real joy in baseball is in the effort and the camaraderie. Along the way, Sparky also falls in love with young Russian girl Tanya Belova. However, Sparky's ultimate goal of returning to America and the Major Leagues hinders his making a full commitment to either the team or to Tanya.
A tour is ultimately arranged where Sparky's Soviet team plays several
spring training
games against
Major League Baseball
clubs, culminating in a match-up with Sparky's old team, the Mariners. Although they fail to win a game, the Soviets' respectable play is admired and Sparky receives Big League job offers. But inspired by his team's commitment and progress, Sparky decides to stay with his team and Tanya.
Cast
[
edit
]
Production
[
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]
Filming took place in
Nat Bailey Stadium
,
Vancouver
,
British Columbia
,
Canada
, and in
Moscow
,
Russia
.
Reception
[
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]
Variety
in their review said, "Robert Rodat’s script for this high-concept comedy is mechanical, and the direction by Tommy Lee Wallach is routine at best. One senses here an unfortunate unfamiliarity with comedic material?an even more acute problem, given that there is so little of it."
[1]
See also
[
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]
References
[
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]
External links
[
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]
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