Everyone loves a good coming-of-age tale. Movies like The Sandlot give us such a warm sense of nostalgia, taking us right back to those endless summers where everything seemed so much simpler.
David Mickey Evans’ classic sports comedy is about a new kid in town who falls in with a local baseball prodigy and his friends. Many adventures follow, including trying to retrieve a valuable baseball from a junkyard dog…
If you love movies like The Sandlot, then let’s go on an adventure to seek out more great picks…
10 Coming-of-age Movies like The Sandlot
1. The Goonies (1985)
A group of kids find an ancient map in their attic and go on a quest to find the lost treasure of pirate One-Eyed Willy, pursued on by the bumbling Fratelli crime family…
Richard Donner’s raucous adventure is like an Indiana Jones film for kids, with plenty of action and vulgar comedy along the way. Sean Astin and Josh Brolin head the energetic cast of youngsters while Anne Ramsey steals the show as the menacing Mama Fratelli.
Fans of movies like The Sandlot will enjoy this adventurous coming-of-age tale, which is packed with action and an intrepid spirit.
2. The Bad News Bears (1976)
A Little League team of misfits get a new coach in the form of an alcoholic ex-player, who manages to turn them into unlikely championship contenders…
Walter Matthau is perfectly cast as the grumpy, down-at-heel coach recruited to whip the team into shape, while Tatum O’Neal also stars as his tomboy star player.
Michael Ritchie’s roughneck family comedy has some dated language and behaviour, but is still a great pick if you’re looking for more movies like The Sandlot.
3. The Mighty Ducks (1992)
We switch baseball for ice hockey now as a selfish lawyer serving community service takes charge of a losing peewee hockey team and – you’ve guessed it – turns them into title challengers…
Stephen Herek’s popular family comedy provides a good starring role for Emilio Estevez, who convinces as the self-centred new coach. The kids are made up of the usual assortment of shapes and sizes.
While The Mighty Ducks offers few surprises, it’s well acted and directed enough to get you rooting for the team come the final match.
4. Super 8 (2011)
A group of friends shooting a home movie see a devastating train crash, and start to believe that its cargo is responsible for a series of strange events in their small town…
J J Abrams capably directs this homage to Steven Spielberg movies of the 70s and 80s, right down to the overuse of lens flare. Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning lead the cast of terrific kid actors.
Super 8 effectively captures the Kids-on-Bikes spirit of adventure, providing nostalgia, action and a few scares along the way.
5. My Girl (1991)
My Girl is the heartfelt story of Vada, the 11-year-old daughter of a widower and her friendship with a misfit boy who suffers from acute allergies. Things change when her dad starts dating another woman…
Howard Zieff’s summery comedy-drama provided another hit for Home Alone phenomenon Macaulay Culkin, and a breakout role for the precocious Anna Chlumsky. The grown-up characters are well represented by Dan Aykroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis.
My Girl was a huge hit and put title song back in the charts after 20 years. It’s a great pick if you’re seeking more movies like The Sandlot, but watch out for that weepy ending…
6. Son of Rambow (2007)
A young lad from a strict religious upbringing makes friends with a rough-and-tumble kid at school, and together they set out to make their own sequel to Rambo: First Blood…
Garth Jennings piles on the warmth and visual energy in this terrific British comedy, featuring a star-making debut for a young Will Poulter.
Son of Rambow is filled with 80s nostalgia and celebrates youthful imagination at its best, with genuinely charming and funny results
7. Almost Famous (2000)
A talented high school writer and rock enthusiast is given the chance to write a piece for Rolling Stone magazine, which involves touring with the band Stillwater. He learns a lot about life along the way…
Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical comedy drama has wall-to-wall rock classics on the soundtrack and an attractive cast including Billy Crudup and Kate Hudson as the lead singer and lead groupie respectively.
Almost Famous was not a hit on release but has built a solid reputation as a warm-hearted coming-of-age tale, perfect for those wanting more movies like The Sandlot.
8. The Way, Way Back (2013)
A high school loner goes on summer vacation with his mum, sister and his mum’s loathsome new boyfriend. He starts enjoying himself and finding out about the ways of the world when he is befriended by the slacker manager of a water park…
Nat Faxon and Jim Rash direct this delightfully funny coming-of-age story, featuring two brilliant performances by Sam Rockwell as the laidback water park manager and Steve Carell as the obnoxious boyfriend.
The Way, Way Back is a sweet and funny summer crowd-pleaser that makes the most of its nostalgic vibe and terrific cast.
9. Kings of Summer (2013)
Two friends who are fed up with their parents run away from home and build a house in a clearing deep in the woods. There they can enjoy freedom, but tensions rise when one invites along a girl…
Jordan Vogt-Roberts directs this offbeat indie gem, with an endearing cast headed by Nick Robinson and Gabriel Basso as the two friends, and comic relief from Moisés Arias as the weird kid who tags along.
2013 was a good year for coming-of-age flicks and Kings of Summer makes a great double-bill with the previous pick.Â
10. Stand by Me (1986)
Last but not least, we round out our list of movies like The Sandlot with perhaps the defining coming-of-age film of the last 40 years, Rob Reiner’s classic Stand by Me.
Based on the Stephen King novella, it’s the tale of four friends who set out on a trip to see the dead body of a missing local kid, and find out plenty about themselves in the process…
Few films capture the feeling of being a kid on an adventure as well as Stand by Me, thanks to Reiner’s sensitive direction and sincere performances from a standout cast including Will Wheaton, Corey Feldman and the late River Phoenix.