Field of Dreams (1989)

 Field of Dreams (1989)

“If you build it, he will come.”

Those famous words resonated with me for a long time after watching the movie for the first time as a child. I have always been a huge baseball fan, but it is important to know that this is truly not about baseball but about people and their past, present, and future. For me, it was a religious experience. What was the religion? Baseball! The baseball diamond is the house of worship. Phil Alden Robinson’s Field of Dreams is the preacher. This is not a flick for cynics, realists, or anyone with anti-sentimental bias. It is a film that requires you to be sentimental in order to experience what many people have over the course of the years. James Earl Jones’s speech is one of the best cinematic speeches ever. There is no topping it. As a picture that revolves around baseball, this is my favorite. This and The Natural are ones that gave me an otherworldly feeling, although one is slightly more heavy-handed than the other.

In addition to directing duties, Phil Alden Robinson also wrote the script. The script is based on the autobiography Shoeless Joe which is about the infamous 1919 White Sox scandal where players threw the World Series for financial compensation. I was always intrigued by the story as it gives off an aura of mystery. Studios turned down the project at first because they felt it was not commercial-friendly and too esoteric. Kevin Costner was always the first choice but was not originally given the role because it was thought that he would not want to do another baseball movie after Bull Durham. Instead, Tom Hanks was asked but he turned it down (would later do another baseball classic several years later). Costner got his hands on the script and loved it. He became very useful on set because Robinson’s debut was a financial failure, so he helped out during production. I loved the score. James Horner created a simple, effective, and atmospheric score that plays a huge part in the film’s aura.

Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) lives on an Iowa farm with his supportive wife, Annie (Amy Madigan) and daughter Karin (Gaby Hoffmann). He hears a strange voice that whispers the famous quote, but no one else can hear it. What could it mean? He has a vision to turn his cornfield into a baseball field…and out comes the ghost of Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta). Ray grew up with baseball and his father was a former minor-leaguer. By the time he passed away, the two men were not on speaking terms. As a kid, Ray would hear stories about Shoeless Joe. In addition to turning his cornfield into a baseball field, the voice brings two people into his life; the reclusive 60’s author, Terence Mann (James Earl Jones) and Archie ‘Moonlight’ Graham (Burt Lancaster) who pitched very briefly in the majors and died in 1972. Ray has to somehow solve these mysterious puzzles. Because of lack of income, the family is also in danger of losing the farm because of Annie’s brother, Mark (Timothy Busfield) cutthroat efforts.

Kevin Costner is the king of baseball movies. He was fantastic in Bull Durham, but he takes it up a notch with Field of Dreams. Watching him trying to put the pieces of the puzzle in this ethereal universe is interesting. Amy Madigan is given ample character development. The roles of these “wives” are not good roles, but Robinson gave her a chance to shine. Watch her during the movie scene! For me, James Earl Jones is known for two things; the voice of Darth Vader and the incredible speech he delivered at the end of the movie. Ray Liotta was an odd casting decision considering he looks nothing like the real baseball player, but he did fit the supernatural mode everyone was aiming for. And Burt Lancaster shines brightly in a role that was meant for James Stewart. In a way, if you close your eyes, you can picture the film as a Frank Capra/James Stewart film. Upon watching as an adult, immediately came to that conclusion. Oh, see if you can spot young Matt Damon and Ben Affleck at Fenway Park!

Field of Dreams is nothing short of a classic. There have been many great sport pictures over the years, but this film is the best one. Each time I watch it, I get this magical, surreal feeling…and the tear or two streaming down my face. If you are a cynic and do not like sentimentality in your films, then I am afraid I cannot help you. I do not care for overly saccharine films just for the sake of being such, but this is not one of those. Each feeling, each tear has a place. Everything is earned. In 2021, the Yankees (my team) played the White Sox during MLB’s first “Field of Dreams” game. It was magical watching Costner and the players walk out of the cornfield. A film that needs to be seen.

My Grade: A+