| The Comrades of Summer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Comedy Sport |
| Written by | Robert Rodat |
| Directed by | Tommy Lee Wallace |
| Starring | Joe Mantegna Natalya Negoda |
| Music by | William Olvis |
| Country of origin | United States Canada Russia |
| Original languages | English Russian |
| Production | |
| Producers | Tim Braine David Pritchard |
| Production locations | Nat Bailey Stadium,Vancouver,British Columbia,Canada Moscow,Russia |
| Cinematography | David Leiterman Richard Leiterman |
| Editor | Stephen E. Rivkin |
| Running time | 96 minutes |
| Production company | HBO Pictures |
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | July 11, 1992 (1992-07-11) |
The Comrades of Summer is a 1992television film featuringJoe Mantegna andNatalya Negoda. It was directed byTommy Lee Wallace, written byRobert Rodat and aired on HBO on July 11, 1992.
Major League Baseball manager Sparky Smith is fired from his job with theSeattle 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.
TheOlympic Games are coming up, however, and a spirit ofglasnost exists in thepost-Soviet Russia, which is trying to field its firstOlympic baseball team. Sparky reluctantly accepts an offer to move toMoscow 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 severalspring training games againstMajor 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.
Filming took place inNat Bailey Stadium,Vancouver,British Columbia,Canada, and inMoscow,Russia.
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]
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