You would think that when Fox video approached director David Mickey Evans with an idea for a nationwide tour promoting his nostalgic cult classic film, the sports comedy The Sandlot,on its 20th anniversary, he'd be logging some serious air miles.
Instead Evans decided to make the 23-stop, six-month tour in his Honda Pilot with his now-fiance and his German shepherd ("my chief of security").
"I am not kidding. It's been 34,000 miles," Evans tells USA TODAY. "All in my Pilot. Dear Honda USA: Your Pilots are bullet proof. But long distance driving is bad on the back."
Evans started in his Florida home and has cris-crossed the country showing the film at Triple A stadiums and big league locations like Dodger Stadium and Target Stadium in Minnesota (the film is also available on 20th edition DVD/Blu-Ray combo kit).
In Salt Lake City, where the film was shot, Evans even proposed to his girlfriend Stacey McGillis in front of 1,500 fans. She said yes. They drove on.
Through it all, Evans insists he didn't have any car malfunctions. Just one minor ding caused, his insists, by another driver.
"Some dude parked behind me really close. And it was hard to see with everything in the car," says Evans. "And I bumped him and cracked my own rear light cover. That's it."
But he had some close calls with some truck drivers on the nation's highways.
"They should stop all truckers from trucking," says Evans. "They are horrible, horrible people. God love them for moving the goods. But they will try to kill you."
When the Georgia event ends, Evans and his traveling team will head back to Florida. Then it's time to start thinking about his road-tested vehicle for the 25th anniversary. "Hello Honda USA," says Evans. "I need a new car."
