Field of Dreams

Field of Dreams (1989)

Director: Phil Alden Robinson

Writers: W.P. Kinsella (novel), Phil Alden Robinson (screenplay)

Cast: Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta, Amy Madigan, Gaby Hoffman, Timothy Busfield, Burt Lancaster, Frank Whaley, Dwier Brown

Synopsis:

Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella (Costner) has the seemingly perfect life with his wife, Annie (Madigan) and his young daughter, Karin (Hoffman). However, one afternoon he hears a voice from inside his cornfield telling him to build a baseball diamond overtop of his crops. Despite the misgivings of Annie and other townsfolk, Ray goes ahead and makes the diamond, believing that it will somehow appease the ghost of disgraced former White Sox outfielder, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (Liotta), his deceased father's favorite player. Once the field is built, the spirit of the long-dead ballplayer appears one evening and soon invites his former teammates to play on the field with him. However, Ray believes the voice needs him to do more, and he soon travels to Massachusets to speak to the former counter-culture author, Terrance Mann (Earl Jones), because he feels he must ease his pain. Ray is pulled into a spiritual journey, encountering ghosts of the past, including some who deeply connect to his past. 

First Impressions:

This film hit theaters when I was 13 years old, and, at the time, I didn't really have much interest in seeing it. I liked baseball at that age but hadn't entirely developed the rabid love I have for it today. As a result, I didn't see Field of  Dreams until several years later. I watched it with the impression that it was a movie about baseball, which it really isn't. Despite that, I recall enjoying the film, but even in my early 20s, I still didn't quite grasp the whole point of the film. It wasn't until I picked it up on DVD in my 30s that I finally understood what the movie was getting at. It's really about the bond formed between fathers and sons. While I was never estranged from my dad, and we have a pretty good relationship overall, the themes explored are powerful and always hit home. Just the simple act of seeing a father and son have a catch brings up a lot of powerful memories and feelings for me. To this day, this is the only film that can cause me to unabashedly weep. Happens every time. 

Story/Direction: 

"If you build it, he will come."

As I mentioned above, this film isn't about baseball but rather the bond between a father and son. While baseball is the connecting factor bringing the characters in the movie together, it doesn't really feature enough baseball action for me to consider it a "baseball movie." This film is like something out of cinema history as its story has a feel reminiscent of movies from the 30s and 40s like It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street. It's not a coincidence that I compare it to those two Christmas films because Field of Dreams has that...feel to it, if that makes any sense. Director Phil Alden Robinson strives to emulate the wonder and whimsy of those older films and sprinkles in a non-specific spirituality that doesn't stomp on anyone's belief system. Even the film's villains harken back to the Golden Age, as Ray's primary antagonist is his brother-in-law, Mark (Busfield), who represents the bank that helped him buy his farm. Mark and others think Ray has gone around the bend by plowing under a part of his crops, which are his livelihood. To make it worse, they can't see the spirits of the old ballplayers playing on the field and think that Ray and his family are just staring at nothing. Alden Robinson manages to weave an engaging tale without the need for any action, scares, or anything like that. Much like those films of old.

Don't let the film's simplicity in story fool you, though, as it doesn't go from Point A to Point B in a straight line. Throughout most of the film, Ray is guessing what he's supposed to do, as the voice tends to be quite cryptic. Ray initially believes the field is meant to ease the pain of "Shoeless" Joe and his teammates, who were banned from baseball in 1918 over a gambling scandal. When he builds the field and the voice continues to speak to him, Ray then believes that he must take Terrance to a Red Sox game, much to the latter's chagrin. The pair experiences a vision while at Fenway Park and set off to Minnesota to find information on an old baseball player from the 1920s who never got an official at-bat. Ray's journey is winding, but it leads to a highly satisfying conclusion that brings out the waterworks every time I watch it. 

Acting/Characters:

The cast in this film is brilliant from top to bottom, starting with its star Kevin Coster, who was the perfect choice to play Ray. At the time, Costner's star was on the rise, and his considerable charm and affability gave life to the character, which in lesser hands may have seemed unhinged or even unsympathetic. However, in Costner's hands, Ray is likable and relatable, and it's easy to root for him. We share his frustration with him as he tries to make sense of what's happening around him. That connection with the audience makes the payoff in the end that much better.

It was this movie or Conan the Barbarian in which I first experienced James Earl Jones as someone other than Darth Vader. Earl Jones does a great job playing the beaten-down author Terrance Mann. He's a man who has lost his passion and is just going through the motions of life. He initially wants to be rid of Ray, believing him to simply be a former hippy and a fan of his writing. However, he gets pulled into the journey with the same sense of wonder as his younger companion. Mann takes on the mentor role, in a way, providing a calming voice of wisdom for Ray as he tries to navigate the events of the film.

The rest of the cast is stellar and includes (I believe) the last film performance of the great Burt Lancaster as the former ballplayer Dr. Graham. Amy Madigan knocks it out of the park as Ray's supportive yet concerned wife Annie, and Timothy Busfield excels at making the audience hate him, even though he's just trying to do his job. Finally, Ray Liotta does solid work as "Shoeless" Joe. Incredible cast all around.

 Score/Soundtrack:

James Horner composed this film's music, which is pretty good. While I don't find myself humming it while going about my day, I found that it complimented the film's subject matter well and didn't date the movie too much. In addition, the music had an almost ethereal quality, which blended well with the spiritual subject matter. I've always dug Horner's work, and he gets top marks for this one.

Final Verdict:

I still love this movie; there wasn't really any doubt. It's just old-school movie magic. It's definitely not a film for just baseball fans, and with Father's Day around the corner, I highly recommend checking it out if you've never seen it. Heck, even if you have seen it, maybe it's time to revisit it.