When I was a little kid, I wanted to be a major league ballplayer. I guess that's a lot of children's dreams. But I knew at about age 12 I would never be good enough for that. Eventually I became a journalist, not an award-winning journalist like Terrence Mann, but one who enjoyed documenting people's triumphs and tragedies. That's basically what "Field of Dreams" is all about for me. It features the ups and downs of life, and how we handle the good and the bad through life's journey. This is one of those movies that brings out many kinds of emotional responses as you watch it. I especially love the scene when James Earl Jones delivers his message about baseball and how it has marked the time in America. He has the perfect voice for reflecting on how baseball represents the innocence in us. I became a huge baseball when it was instilled in me as a 5-year-old child. And my love for this game has never wavered despite all the ugliness in today's professional game that exposes it mostly as a multi-billion dollar business where team loyalty is disregarded. When I attend a ballgame (pre Covid-19), all that ugliness is temporarily forgotten about as I "walk out to the bleachers, sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon". Many times I try to make a point of watching this movie just prior to the MLB season's opening day. I remind myself this game can represent the good in humanity despite the greediness it shows among those who run it.
415 Reviews
...if you watch it you will cry...
masonx29 March 2000
Even a baseball buff like myself realises this is not a baseball movie. And you don't have to be to appreciate it. Not one of my favourite films but one that touched me for a long time afterwards. I didn't know what to expect at the start but as the story took these unexpected twists and turns the more engrossed I got caught up in it. Ray's confrontation with Terence Mann, Ani Kinsella's spontaneous outburst at the PTA meeting, giving Archie Graham a lift to the game. It was all a mystery till right to the end.
The most heart rending moment I guess was at the end. Not a dry eye in the house. Enough said. Without giving the story away I can only add a wistful hope, if only everyone had a second chance at saying what we really feel to our loved ones...before its too late.
The most heart rending moment I guess was at the end. Not a dry eye in the house. Enough said. Without giving the story away I can only add a wistful hope, if only everyone had a second chance at saying what we really feel to our loved ones...before its too late.
Grand Slam!
revere-726 October 2009
Let's talk about endings here for a moment (don't worry there's no spoilers here) - every minute of a film is building toward an ending, but so often films mess up all the great story they've built up in the last few minutes.
That's why I want to draw your attention to 'Field of Dreams'. I'm sure by now we're all familiar with the premise - an Iowa farmer hears a disembodied voice that says, "If you build it he will come", which in turn leads him to plow under his cornfield to build a full baseball diamond.
Many people have talked about the themes explored by this movie (and there are many - family, redemption, pursuit of dreams, etc.), or the very believable characters. All of that is great.
But what I especially appreciated about this film was the ending. Everything builds up to it, and like so many things in the film, it ends on a perfect, serene note. It would have been so easy to tack on an extra scene or two; so tempting to tie everything up with a nice bow; belabor the point; but one single shot sums everything up and fades to credits.
A crash lesson in endings done right.
That's why I want to draw your attention to 'Field of Dreams'. I'm sure by now we're all familiar with the premise - an Iowa farmer hears a disembodied voice that says, "If you build it he will come", which in turn leads him to plow under his cornfield to build a full baseball diamond.
Many people have talked about the themes explored by this movie (and there are many - family, redemption, pursuit of dreams, etc.), or the very believable characters. All of that is great.
But what I especially appreciated about this film was the ending. Everything builds up to it, and like so many things in the film, it ends on a perfect, serene note. It would have been so easy to tack on an extra scene or two; so tempting to tie everything up with a nice bow; belabor the point; but one single shot sums everything up and fades to credits.
A crash lesson in endings done right.
Sometimes, dreams do come true !
steve russell1 December 2001
Very rarely, you see a film that means one thing when your father is alive, and another when he is dead. When I first saw this movie, my father was still alive, we had not spoken for 8 years, and I thought, cute, but it knows nothing about real life ! When I saw it again, he had been dead for over a year, and I cried like a baby.
I'm English, so for me the baseball element was lost, but what did hit home was the awareness that we are all flawed people, and the expectations we have for our parents, are way and beyond what we achieve ourselves as we grow older.
The film is not about baseball, it is about a second chance ! An opportunity to say hiya Dad, I was didn't know then, but I'm older now and understand more about the way the world works.
In terms of the film, Cosner has never had a better role, Lancaster as Doc Graham finally showed what a great actor he really was, and James Earl Jones was simply perfect.
In short a great film, James Horner's theme music is wonderful, the visuals are fantastic, the acting is as good as you could hope to see.
For most this is a feel good movie, for me this is a reminder that it is never too late to make amends, I just miss my Father
I'm English, so for me the baseball element was lost, but what did hit home was the awareness that we are all flawed people, and the expectations we have for our parents, are way and beyond what we achieve ourselves as we grow older.
The film is not about baseball, it is about a second chance ! An opportunity to say hiya Dad, I was didn't know then, but I'm older now and understand more about the way the world works.
In terms of the film, Cosner has never had a better role, Lancaster as Doc Graham finally showed what a great actor he really was, and James Earl Jones was simply perfect.
In short a great film, James Horner's theme music is wonderful, the visuals are fantastic, the acting is as good as you could hope to see.
For most this is a feel good movie, for me this is a reminder that it is never too late to make amends, I just miss my Father
A cathartic film
dwmarshall128 June 2006
I've just joined the club and the first film I felt the need to comment on was this, "Field of Dreams". Why? Because, firstly, it's haunted me since its release and secondly, because it had such a cathartic effect upon me. Like so many young people, I lost my dad when I was in my teens. I was fifteen. I'm fifty-nine now. The lost opportunity, the grief, cling to you like lead. When you need to discuss the paradoxes of this world with someone, you find they are gone. They will not return. Though by no means a perfect film - would we ever really want to see a perfect film? - it has heart, a centre to it that opens gateways for those bereft, even though unaware, by loss. I remember watching it the first time on the back row of a cinema with my ex-wife - long after back rows had any import - and, at the end, having to physically contain the need to sob uncontrollably. This had never happened to me before (unless you go back to Elvis riding into the hills at the end of Flaming Star when I was but a snivelling - and probably dysfunctional - early teen. The movie is a masterpiece in that it lives with you decades after its first viewing. In that you cannot analyse it, breaking it down cynically into manipulative parts. I've seen thousands of films and with each one that I feel has entered my soul I always ask myself, has it reached beyond Field of Dreams? In some respects the answer is yes, yet these are technical analyses of product. I've never had to do that with Field of Dreams. It is itself and defies scrutiny as would Gandhi defy psychoanalysis. It is, to itself, true. The cast are great. To this day, despite much, I like Kevin Costner. My sole concern is, why the hell can't I buy "Shoeless Joe", the novel upon which it was based and which I read in the late eighties? It contains much more background and is, in itself, an absorbing read. Dave Marshall
Wonderful, joyous piece of America where dreams are possible!
movieman916 October 1999
I truly believe that every once in a blue moon, a film can contain a sense of wonder, magic, and the power of dreams. The title says it all. "Field of Dreams" is destined to become (if it hasn't already) an American classic, and easily one of the most engrossing films of the eighties. Throughout the decade, we have seen a crock of films that capitalized on getting as much of anything the characters could grasp (hence the "me decade"). This film, made in 1989, reaffirmed what we learned from Hollywood in the forties, that dreams can come true and people can be saved by what they choose to believe in. And to top it all off, baseball is its subject. The great American pastime takes on a mystical quality that is nothing but immortal.
Kevin Costner plays Ray Kinsella, a corn farmer that seems to be stranded in his life, only choosing his profession because it allowed him to get away from the idealized dreams of his father that never became reality. One day, while roaming aimlessly through his cornfield, he hears a unknown voice speak to him, saying the words that have become synonomous with the film itself, "If you build it, he will come." He is compelled by the strange message, and even convinces his wife what he heard was real and definite. He believes that the simple words mean he is to build a baseball diamond in his field, and he sets out to do just that, and he indeed does one heck of a job. After at least half a year passes, following endless strains on their patience, who should show up in the field but Shoeless Joe Jackson, the famous alleged criminal from the 1919 Black Sox Scandal who was dismissed from the game of baseball forever, until now...
After all that is said and done, the film takes a back road and curves it into this storyline brilliantly. Ray receives a second message which he deciphers as getting a famous civil rights writer, Terence Mann (played wonderfully by James Earl Jones), to come visit his new ballfield. Of course it is to be expected that Mann begrudgingly resists Ray to join him, but he too becomes propelled by the power of the field's magic, and his life (like Ray's) is changed forever. Even Burt Lancaster shows up out of thin air (literally), but that's a different part of the plot altogether that I wouldn't dare reveal in fear someone reading this review has incompetently not seen this picture.
"Field of Dreams" is one of the strangest films I've seen, and possibly one of the best. When it throws its subject matter at you, you wonder how a story so preposterous can ever work. But somehow, I was deeply moved like Costner and Jones were by the miraculous incidents put in front of me. This film is not like any fantasy film I've seen, but in a way, it is like many that I've encountered. Some of my favorite movies elicited such an amazing feeling of warmth and grace in me that I was afraid to analyse it for fear that it would ruin the awesome impact I received. "Field of Dreams" is exactly like that, an odd piece of moviemaking that overwhelms you with its wonder and positive qualities that in turn leaves no doubt it is a classic, just from the way it moves you while watching it. Therefore, I'm not going to try to pick it apart and attempt to show the world my "field" of brilliance. All I will say is this is the kind of movie Hollywood should be reeling out more often, a tiny masterpiece that lets others be refreshed in their faith and believe in their crazy little fantasies. Ray Kinsella did, and now, so do I. Rating: Four stars.
Kevin Costner plays Ray Kinsella, a corn farmer that seems to be stranded in his life, only choosing his profession because it allowed him to get away from the idealized dreams of his father that never became reality. One day, while roaming aimlessly through his cornfield, he hears a unknown voice speak to him, saying the words that have become synonomous with the film itself, "If you build it, he will come." He is compelled by the strange message, and even convinces his wife what he heard was real and definite. He believes that the simple words mean he is to build a baseball diamond in his field, and he sets out to do just that, and he indeed does one heck of a job. After at least half a year passes, following endless strains on their patience, who should show up in the field but Shoeless Joe Jackson, the famous alleged criminal from the 1919 Black Sox Scandal who was dismissed from the game of baseball forever, until now...
After all that is said and done, the film takes a back road and curves it into this storyline brilliantly. Ray receives a second message which he deciphers as getting a famous civil rights writer, Terence Mann (played wonderfully by James Earl Jones), to come visit his new ballfield. Of course it is to be expected that Mann begrudgingly resists Ray to join him, but he too becomes propelled by the power of the field's magic, and his life (like Ray's) is changed forever. Even Burt Lancaster shows up out of thin air (literally), but that's a different part of the plot altogether that I wouldn't dare reveal in fear someone reading this review has incompetently not seen this picture.
"Field of Dreams" is one of the strangest films I've seen, and possibly one of the best. When it throws its subject matter at you, you wonder how a story so preposterous can ever work. But somehow, I was deeply moved like Costner and Jones were by the miraculous incidents put in front of me. This film is not like any fantasy film I've seen, but in a way, it is like many that I've encountered. Some of my favorite movies elicited such an amazing feeling of warmth and grace in me that I was afraid to analyse it for fear that it would ruin the awesome impact I received. "Field of Dreams" is exactly like that, an odd piece of moviemaking that overwhelms you with its wonder and positive qualities that in turn leaves no doubt it is a classic, just from the way it moves you while watching it. Therefore, I'm not going to try to pick it apart and attempt to show the world my "field" of brilliance. All I will say is this is the kind of movie Hollywood should be reeling out more often, a tiny masterpiece that lets others be refreshed in their faith and believe in their crazy little fantasies. Ray Kinsella did, and now, so do I. Rating: Four stars.
America's National Sport: Hallucinating.
rmax30482331 July 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Kevin Costner is Ray Kinsella, an uncertain Iowa corn farmer with a loving wife, cute daughter, big farmhouse, and many acres of land worth $2200 each. And one night, messing around in the corn, it seems to become alien. "If you build it, he will come," whispers a voice. His wife chuckles and dismisses the experience, as do his fellow farmers at the feed store. But this is a fantasy, not a psychiatric case study, and Costner interprets the command to mean, "Mow down half your corn crop and build a baseball field and bleachers in its place." He does so, putting his farm at risk, although things begin to happen. The whole 1916 Chicago White Sox team appears out of the remaining crop and happily begin to play and cuss each other out, all of them ghosts of course. Costner can see them and so can his wife and little girl but the evil mortgage company can't.
Other commands come to Costner, like, "Ease his pain." And "Archie Midnight Graham." They lead him to spend what little cash he has left on a cross-country trip to enlist the reclusive James Earl Jones, as a J. D. Salinger figure, and Burt Lancaster as a failed ball player who became a country doctor and died years ago, so he must be resurrected too, like the baseball players.
It has to do with the fulfillment of dreams, I guess. And Costner has personal issues involving his estrangement from his now deceased father. The musical score, which sounds at times as if it were being played on musical glasses, boosts the already high sentimentality quotient. The viewer's eyes brim with tears as he watches the awe with which the ghosts and the living interact, the long impregnated pauses between lines, while the viewer tries not to cry or to swoon.
Warning: Tea Party types, avoid this. Never mind any regard you have for baseball. There is a confrontation at the PTA meeting between Costner's liberal wife and a "Nazi cow" who wants to ban a novel written years ago by Jones because it's pornographic and the author might be a Commie. Jones, who was at the barricades during the 60s, is held up as a hero who is disillusioned with the past. There are references to "Tricky Dick." Not that the movie is a rabble rouser. Costner's wife's attitudes may be liberal but they're viewer friendly. "Whatever happened to the First Amendment?", she asks the PTA audience. And, "Who wants to spit on the Constitution?" The whole movie at times seems to be aimed at recovering the dreams of the 1960s, not 1916, when the White Sox blew the World Series. The message is, "Never give up your dreams." Try to remember that. One of the problems is that the dreams are already lost. Even the illusions are faded and yellow. Forget baseball and the 1960s. It might as well be, "Remember the Maine".
When I was a child there was only one game, the National Sport, and it was professional baseball. But then our patience (or impatience) evolved. Baseball fans had to sit around during time outs, and wait for the pitcher to check out the bases and pause, then the wind up, then the pitch -- as likely as not, a ball at which the batter did not swing. It required forbearance.
Then professional football replaced the college amateurs. It was faster and more brutal than baseball. Then professional basketball, in which the action is constant. And then professional hockey, a metaphor for war in which the combatants are already armed. Do we have professional cage fighting yet? I forget.
Well, the movie is a fantasy, after all, and isn't meant to evoke Deep Thoughts about the evolution of our national character. The ghosts of various period don't seem to follow any particular rules in their comings and goings. The movie doesn't either. I don't know why James Earl Jones was dragged into the story or why he disappears into the now welcoming corn.
But the casting is nearly perfect. If you want two more gentlemanly types than Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones, you'd have to search the corn fields for them. Even Burt Lancaster has now grown old enough so that his voice, though distinctively his, has a slight gargle and his presence is comforting. And that Iowa farm, with the big white house perched placidly on its knoll, surrounded by what looks like an infinity of leafy forest green, is unforgettably accommodating, as are the many sunsets.
Other commands come to Costner, like, "Ease his pain." And "Archie Midnight Graham." They lead him to spend what little cash he has left on a cross-country trip to enlist the reclusive James Earl Jones, as a J. D. Salinger figure, and Burt Lancaster as a failed ball player who became a country doctor and died years ago, so he must be resurrected too, like the baseball players.
It has to do with the fulfillment of dreams, I guess. And Costner has personal issues involving his estrangement from his now deceased father. The musical score, which sounds at times as if it were being played on musical glasses, boosts the already high sentimentality quotient. The viewer's eyes brim with tears as he watches the awe with which the ghosts and the living interact, the long impregnated pauses between lines, while the viewer tries not to cry or to swoon.
Warning: Tea Party types, avoid this. Never mind any regard you have for baseball. There is a confrontation at the PTA meeting between Costner's liberal wife and a "Nazi cow" who wants to ban a novel written years ago by Jones because it's pornographic and the author might be a Commie. Jones, who was at the barricades during the 60s, is held up as a hero who is disillusioned with the past. There are references to "Tricky Dick." Not that the movie is a rabble rouser. Costner's wife's attitudes may be liberal but they're viewer friendly. "Whatever happened to the First Amendment?", she asks the PTA audience. And, "Who wants to spit on the Constitution?" The whole movie at times seems to be aimed at recovering the dreams of the 1960s, not 1916, when the White Sox blew the World Series. The message is, "Never give up your dreams." Try to remember that. One of the problems is that the dreams are already lost. Even the illusions are faded and yellow. Forget baseball and the 1960s. It might as well be, "Remember the Maine".
When I was a child there was only one game, the National Sport, and it was professional baseball. But then our patience (or impatience) evolved. Baseball fans had to sit around during time outs, and wait for the pitcher to check out the bases and pause, then the wind up, then the pitch -- as likely as not, a ball at which the batter did not swing. It required forbearance.
Then professional football replaced the college amateurs. It was faster and more brutal than baseball. Then professional basketball, in which the action is constant. And then professional hockey, a metaphor for war in which the combatants are already armed. Do we have professional cage fighting yet? I forget.
Well, the movie is a fantasy, after all, and isn't meant to evoke Deep Thoughts about the evolution of our national character. The ghosts of various period don't seem to follow any particular rules in their comings and goings. The movie doesn't either. I don't know why James Earl Jones was dragged into the story or why he disappears into the now welcoming corn.
But the casting is nearly perfect. If you want two more gentlemanly types than Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones, you'd have to search the corn fields for them. Even Burt Lancaster has now grown old enough so that his voice, though distinctively his, has a slight gargle and his presence is comforting. And that Iowa farm, with the big white house perched placidly on its knoll, surrounded by what looks like an infinity of leafy forest green, is unforgettably accommodating, as are the many sunsets.
A magical experience
justafanuk26 September 2002
Warning: Spoilers
This is the first time I've commented upon a film at IMDB, but after watching Field Of Dreams for the, ohh, dozenth or so time, I just wanted to share my ramblings and musings on this film.
I first saw this film almost a decade or so ago, I was watching it alone on video after idly looking through some tapes for something. I was caught by the amount of glowing recommendations on the cover, and although it seemed to involve lots of baseball, something that I have never been even remotely drawn to, I thought I'd give it a chance. An hour and 40 minutes later and I had dissolved into a steam of tears, that were only broken up by the smile stretched right across my face. To me, this is the closest film I've seen that I would consider being perfect. My favourite film is The Godfather, with Godfather Part Two right alongside, but no film gives me such an emotionally rewarding experience as Field Of Dreams. This truly is a film dipped in magic waters.
Why do I love this film so?
The acting right across the board is naturalistic and strong. We believe the characters when they say what they say and do what they do. The whole tone and design of the film let us believe in the choices the characters make, we want Ray to build the field and have Shoeless Joe appear, we want Terrance Mann to go Finway Park with Ray, we want Archie Graham to get to play his dream, and most of all, even though we don't expect it or see it coming (well I didn't), we want Ray to get to throw a catch with his dad.>
The design, again, is wonderful. The lighting, and cinematography make your eyes and your heart ache, the magic hour lighting, the little break in Ray's voice when he asks his dad if he wants to have a catch, the moment Doc steps over the field and into the present to save Karin, when Mark mouths "What the f..." upon first seeing Doc Graham, the score, the fact that they talk about smoking grass and trying acid in what is essentially a family film in content and marketing, when Archie Graham gets picked up on the way back home and says "Hi, I'm Archie Graham", the sheer MAGIC!!!
Anyone thinking they may even be slightly put off by thinking the film is a baseball film, don't be. It's not about baseball, the sport serves as the backdrop for a story about loss, reconciliation, parents and family, dreams and having the courage to go through them. It really is a universal and timeless film, which is a cliched saying, but this is really one of those cases where it more than justifies the comment. Simply beautiful.
I first saw this film almost a decade or so ago, I was watching it alone on video after idly looking through some tapes for something. I was caught by the amount of glowing recommendations on the cover, and although it seemed to involve lots of baseball, something that I have never been even remotely drawn to, I thought I'd give it a chance. An hour and 40 minutes later and I had dissolved into a steam of tears, that were only broken up by the smile stretched right across my face. To me, this is the closest film I've seen that I would consider being perfect. My favourite film is The Godfather, with Godfather Part Two right alongside, but no film gives me such an emotionally rewarding experience as Field Of Dreams. This truly is a film dipped in magic waters.
Why do I love this film so?
The acting right across the board is naturalistic and strong. We believe the characters when they say what they say and do what they do. The whole tone and design of the film let us believe in the choices the characters make, we want Ray to build the field and have Shoeless Joe appear, we want Terrance Mann to go Finway Park with Ray, we want Archie Graham to get to play his dream, and most of all, even though we don't expect it or see it coming (well I didn't), we want Ray to get to throw a catch with his dad.>
The design, again, is wonderful. The lighting, and cinematography make your eyes and your heart ache, the magic hour lighting, the little break in Ray's voice when he asks his dad if he wants to have a catch, the moment Doc steps over the field and into the present to save Karin, when Mark mouths "What the f..." upon first seeing Doc Graham, the score, the fact that they talk about smoking grass and trying acid in what is essentially a family film in content and marketing, when Archie Graham gets picked up on the way back home and says "Hi, I'm Archie Graham", the sheer MAGIC!!!
Anyone thinking they may even be slightly put off by thinking the film is a baseball film, don't be. It's not about baseball, the sport serves as the backdrop for a story about loss, reconciliation, parents and family, dreams and having the courage to go through them. It really is a universal and timeless film, which is a cliched saying, but this is really one of those cases where it more than justifies the comment. Simply beautiful.
field of dreams
marmar-6978027 March 2020
Field of dreams isnt so much baseball film as you may expecting it to be if you are watching it for the first time,this is more story about journey of life and how dreams not matter how impossible and far are they are still possible if you know to make them for yourself,field of dreams is also a very good family film that interduces us to family that we care for since beginning even if sometimes they make weird decisions they are still very likeable and easy to relate to,i must say that costner did a good job here when you compere him to previous years untouchables,field of dreams was a good family film with a dose of sport
Different Meanings
jameshoran820 December 2018
When this movie came out in 1989, I drew parallels to my father that had just died. He never wanted to have a catch with me as he was too old, having me late in his life. I had twin sons in the 1980's and played ball with both of them. Fast forward to a Saturday morning July 31, 2010. RAGBRAI, the most famous bike ride in America the rides across Iowa, was starting its 7th and last day in Manchester to Dubuque, Iowa, passing through Dyersville, the location of the Field. Several of the riders stopped and we had a pickup game on the Field. I had lost one of my sons to a tragic accident the year before, and had a truly wonderful warm thought from the movie playing on the Field that my catch was not with my dad, but my son. Tears came to me and the movie did it. I still had to ride the twentysome miles into Dubuque for the finish, and my eyes were not dry on that hot morning the whole way. My son was on that Field that day having a catch with me. The movie touched so many mens' hearts. Mine came 21 years after the movie came out. To do that makes it a special movie.
If you film it, certain things will come.
lee_eisenberg30 June 2007
I'm going to admit that it will probably sound a little strange what got me interested in "Field of Dreams". On "The Simpsons", "The Itchy & Scratchy" show had an episode called "Field of Screams", and my parents identified what it spoofed. Also, when Burt Lancaster died, I saw his filmography, and it included this. So I finally saw the movie.
What is the movie's overall purpose? Hard to say, as there are several things that the movie brings up. Certainly it was crazy what Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) did. Probably my favorite scene was the courthouse, when Annie (Amy Madigan) challenges the attacks on Terence Mann (James Earl Jones). But when Mann identified that we elected Nixon twice, it solidly indicates what hypocrites we were. Prior to watching this movie, I'd never really been into baseball; I'd certainly never heard of the 1919 White Sox scandal. I wonder if I should study it more.
Do I consider this flick a masterpiece? I wouldn't go so far as to say that. But I would say mystifying and definitely worth seeing. Also starring Gaby Hoffman, Ray Liotta, Timothy Busfield and Frank Whaley.
What is the movie's overall purpose? Hard to say, as there are several things that the movie brings up. Certainly it was crazy what Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) did. Probably my favorite scene was the courthouse, when Annie (Amy Madigan) challenges the attacks on Terence Mann (James Earl Jones). But when Mann identified that we elected Nixon twice, it solidly indicates what hypocrites we were. Prior to watching this movie, I'd never really been into baseball; I'd certainly never heard of the 1919 White Sox scandal. I wonder if I should study it more.
Do I consider this flick a masterpiece? I wouldn't go so far as to say that. But I would say mystifying and definitely worth seeing. Also starring Gaby Hoffman, Ray Liotta, Timothy Busfield and Frank Whaley.
A Timeless Classic
slightlymad2213 August 2016
Continuing my plan to watch every Kevin Costner movie in order, I come to 1989's Field Of Dreams.
Plot In A Paragraph: Ray Kinsella (KC) an Iowa corn farmer, starts hearing voices, he interprets them as a request to build a baseball diamond in his crop field.
Is this heaven??
I don't like baseball, never have had even the slightest interest in the game, so why do I cry like a baby every time I watch Field Of Dreams??
I will admit from the off, I am bias. I love this movie. It is not just one of my favourite KC movies, it's not just my favourite movie of 1989 (and in a year that featured Last Crusade, Lethal Weapon 2, Batman, Back To The Future 2, Dead Poets Society and the classic Weekend At Bernie's, you know how high that praise is) one of my favourite movies of the 1980's, it's one of my favourite movies in general.
KC, Amy Madigan, Ray Liotta, James Earl Jones and Burt Lancaster are all perfect. Everything about this movie is perfect, not just the casting, the performances, the screenplay, the directing, the atmosphere and the score all knock it out of the park (yes pun intended again)
I will deliberately avoid talking about the movies ending (so I don't ruin it for those who have not seen it) but I cried like a baby when I seen it in 1990, and I have cried every time I have watched it since, and I watch it a couple of times a year. It doesn't matter if I sit and watch it all, or catch the last twenty minutes on TV, I will be in floods of tears. If I'm not already crying, the way KC's voice breaks, will do it!! EVERY TIME.
I read somewhere that the best motion pictures find meaning in not aspects of the story but rather in the underlying emotional core and heart that defines the story. Field Of Dreams is a perfect example of that saying. It's no surprise that Field Of Dreams is still entertaining and touching people regularly today (it plays regularly on TV in the UK) more than 25 years after its release.
A timeless classic. 10/10 for this reviewer.
Plot In A Paragraph: Ray Kinsella (KC) an Iowa corn farmer, starts hearing voices, he interprets them as a request to build a baseball diamond in his crop field.
Is this heaven??
I don't like baseball, never have had even the slightest interest in the game, so why do I cry like a baby every time I watch Field Of Dreams??
I will admit from the off, I am bias. I love this movie. It is not just one of my favourite KC movies, it's not just my favourite movie of 1989 (and in a year that featured Last Crusade, Lethal Weapon 2, Batman, Back To The Future 2, Dead Poets Society and the classic Weekend At Bernie's, you know how high that praise is) one of my favourite movies of the 1980's, it's one of my favourite movies in general.
KC, Amy Madigan, Ray Liotta, James Earl Jones and Burt Lancaster are all perfect. Everything about this movie is perfect, not just the casting, the performances, the screenplay, the directing, the atmosphere and the score all knock it out of the park (yes pun intended again)
I will deliberately avoid talking about the movies ending (so I don't ruin it for those who have not seen it) but I cried like a baby when I seen it in 1990, and I have cried every time I have watched it since, and I watch it a couple of times a year. It doesn't matter if I sit and watch it all, or catch the last twenty minutes on TV, I will be in floods of tears. If I'm not already crying, the way KC's voice breaks, will do it!! EVERY TIME.
I read somewhere that the best motion pictures find meaning in not aspects of the story but rather in the underlying emotional core and heart that defines the story. Field Of Dreams is a perfect example of that saying. It's no surprise that Field Of Dreams is still entertaining and touching people regularly today (it plays regularly on TV in the UK) more than 25 years after its release.
A timeless classic. 10/10 for this reviewer.
A True Feel Good Movie
massugatpegs3 April 2022
If you are looking for a movie that won't disappoint, make for easy watching on one of those nights when you just don't want to have to think about it to much, then "Field of Dreams" will tick all your boxes.
Was it worthy of an Oscar Nomination for Best Movie, I personally think not, but you really have to make your own mind up on that one!
A very enjoyable movie nonetheless 👍
Was it worthy of an Oscar Nomination for Best Movie, I personally think not, but you really have to make your own mind up on that one!
A very enjoyable movie nonetheless 👍
Uninspired, wishy-washy drivel
silvercreature29 September 2004
This beloved movie has irritated me for years. I'd seen it many years ago, before knowing just how popular it is and didn't really have much of an opinion on it one way or another.
However, within the past year, I've twice viewed it and I now feel compelled to say that the fact that it has such a favourable score on this site, along with dozens of glowing reviews, is absolutely baffling to me.
I have no idea how this movie can appeal to anyone on any level. The fact that it's managed to ensnare its fair share of people who aren't even really into baseball is even more disturbing because I always figured that if you're fiercely devoted to a sport, you can make yourself like any movie that paints it in such a positive and mystical light.
Many reviews on this site state that this movie isn't really about baseball, but is instead about deeper things such as family, regret and what it means to live. I can see how the movie may ATTEMPT to be about these things, but it fails quite miserably.
I should also point out that this movie is based on an extremely poorly written book. If you don't believe me, pick it up and try to force yourself to read the entire thing - it's quite a painful experience. The movie obviously changes some things from the book as all movie adaptations of novels do but it certainly doesn't make things any better. The plot is still a lazily slapped-together mash of events that are either cheesy and bland beyond belief or simply nonsensical (and quite often, both at once!)
I've seen movies in which a character is compelled to do something fairly out of the ordinary and is criticized for it by his peers before (in this case, a mysterious voice give Kinsella extremely vague instructions that he decides he MUST follow) but in those films and stories, the character actually winds up ACCOMPLISHING SOMETHING in the end. Building a baseball field so that the spirits of a bunch of deceased baseball players who played more than enough of the game in their respective lifetimes can come together and play again strikes me as utterly pointless. True, as James Earl Jones' character puts it in the end, "the people will come without knowing why and they'll pay twenty dollars each or more just to see" - the final shot proves that this is what's happening and it does solve the problem of Kinsella going bankrupt. However, the whole reason he's broke is because he built the field on his farmland, thusly destroying his livelihood! That's pretty circular, doncha think? Pointless? What has he really gained in the end? A chance to play catch with his father? I realize how that can be a meaningful thing but I question whether or not that justifies the entire movie.
As far as I can tell, nothing justifies pretty much any of the paranormal crap that goes on in this film. I know there are tons of movies with magic and over the top stuff that rely on the suspension of belief - hell, a lot of my favourite movies are quite fantastical and weird - but all that stuff seems extremely out of place in this movie. There's no explanation for any of the stuff that occurs and everything happens so haphazardly that it comes across as though the author just made it all up as he went along. Example: on his insane quest across the country for Jones' character, the reclusive author (in the book he was J.D. Sallinger - I have no idea why the filmmakers saw fit to change that), Kinsella suddenly, without warning, warps through time to the early seventies where he meets a former baseball player who is now an aged doctor. Kinsella isn't surprised in the least by this, I might add -Costner wanders through the events of the movie with this terrible, spaced-out look but never shows any range of emotion beyond that - and he asks the doctor to accompany him back to Iowa. (which reminds me - "Is this Heaven?" "No, it's Iowa." how can you hear lines like that and not vomit?) The doctor declines. Not to worry, because on the drive back, Kinsella inexplicably encounters another incarnation of the doctor in the present timeline (in which he would be quite dead) as a much younger man, practically a boy, and picks him and takes him back to the farm where he will perform the immeasurably important and earth-shatteringly significant act of playing baseball with a bunch of other dead guys. (and don't tell me he saves the girl's life - he wacks her on the back!)
I could go on and on, taking this movie down scene by scene but I won't bother. I will, however, point out that the filmmakers did a remarkable job of representing Kinsella's wife as she is portrayed in the book - that is, an insepid halfwit who stands by her husband's lunatic actions and is more effective as background colour in scenes than as a character. The added scene depicting the PTA meeting must be the filmmakers' attempt to somewhat animate her character but, as it has pretty much nothing to do with the rest of the plot, it just comes across as annoying. I realize that in that scene they mention the reclusive author but that only works since the author's identity was changed from that in the book in the first place.
I applaud anyone who is passionately involved with a sport on some level - it's a great feeling and I think that sports can mean a lot more than just a bunch of guys playing a meaningless "game". That said, I feel anyone who's really into baseball should be angry that this movie exists. If anyone made a movie this bad about a sport I love, I'd be beyond horrified.
Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I know there are scores of you who will disagree with me. But I'm yet to read a review on this site at least, where anyone comes even close to describing the merits of this movie. I hate to say it, but a lot of people come across as though they've simply been brainwashed either by an obsessive love for baseball (which probably isn't a bad thing on its own) or by the fact that the movie tries very hard to be emotionally compelling or perhaps a mixture of both.
As far as sappy movies go, this isn't the worst, but the fact that it's sappy as hell with a whole bunch of meaningless, paranormal garbage thrown in definitely makes it the most annoying. Anyone who says that they were "moved" by this movie would probably go nuts over the book, what with all the horrible clichés, awful dialogue and bland, uninspired imagery that couldn't be crammed into the movie.
Avoid at all costs unless the thought of ghost baseball players coming to life to stand around, scratch themselves and spit all over again makes you tear up. This movie's popularity will forever shake my faith in humankind.
However, within the past year, I've twice viewed it and I now feel compelled to say that the fact that it has such a favourable score on this site, along with dozens of glowing reviews, is absolutely baffling to me.
I have no idea how this movie can appeal to anyone on any level. The fact that it's managed to ensnare its fair share of people who aren't even really into baseball is even more disturbing because I always figured that if you're fiercely devoted to a sport, you can make yourself like any movie that paints it in such a positive and mystical light.
Many reviews on this site state that this movie isn't really about baseball, but is instead about deeper things such as family, regret and what it means to live. I can see how the movie may ATTEMPT to be about these things, but it fails quite miserably.
I should also point out that this movie is based on an extremely poorly written book. If you don't believe me, pick it up and try to force yourself to read the entire thing - it's quite a painful experience. The movie obviously changes some things from the book as all movie adaptations of novels do but it certainly doesn't make things any better. The plot is still a lazily slapped-together mash of events that are either cheesy and bland beyond belief or simply nonsensical (and quite often, both at once!)
I've seen movies in which a character is compelled to do something fairly out of the ordinary and is criticized for it by his peers before (in this case, a mysterious voice give Kinsella extremely vague instructions that he decides he MUST follow) but in those films and stories, the character actually winds up ACCOMPLISHING SOMETHING in the end. Building a baseball field so that the spirits of a bunch of deceased baseball players who played more than enough of the game in their respective lifetimes can come together and play again strikes me as utterly pointless. True, as James Earl Jones' character puts it in the end, "the people will come without knowing why and they'll pay twenty dollars each or more just to see" - the final shot proves that this is what's happening and it does solve the problem of Kinsella going bankrupt. However, the whole reason he's broke is because he built the field on his farmland, thusly destroying his livelihood! That's pretty circular, doncha think? Pointless? What has he really gained in the end? A chance to play catch with his father? I realize how that can be a meaningful thing but I question whether or not that justifies the entire movie.
As far as I can tell, nothing justifies pretty much any of the paranormal crap that goes on in this film. I know there are tons of movies with magic and over the top stuff that rely on the suspension of belief - hell, a lot of my favourite movies are quite fantastical and weird - but all that stuff seems extremely out of place in this movie. There's no explanation for any of the stuff that occurs and everything happens so haphazardly that it comes across as though the author just made it all up as he went along. Example: on his insane quest across the country for Jones' character, the reclusive author (in the book he was J.D. Sallinger - I have no idea why the filmmakers saw fit to change that), Kinsella suddenly, without warning, warps through time to the early seventies where he meets a former baseball player who is now an aged doctor. Kinsella isn't surprised in the least by this, I might add -Costner wanders through the events of the movie with this terrible, spaced-out look but never shows any range of emotion beyond that - and he asks the doctor to accompany him back to Iowa. (which reminds me - "Is this Heaven?" "No, it's Iowa." how can you hear lines like that and not vomit?) The doctor declines. Not to worry, because on the drive back, Kinsella inexplicably encounters another incarnation of the doctor in the present timeline (in which he would be quite dead) as a much younger man, practically a boy, and picks him and takes him back to the farm where he will perform the immeasurably important and earth-shatteringly significant act of playing baseball with a bunch of other dead guys. (and don't tell me he saves the girl's life - he wacks her on the back!)
I could go on and on, taking this movie down scene by scene but I won't bother. I will, however, point out that the filmmakers did a remarkable job of representing Kinsella's wife as she is portrayed in the book - that is, an insepid halfwit who stands by her husband's lunatic actions and is more effective as background colour in scenes than as a character. The added scene depicting the PTA meeting must be the filmmakers' attempt to somewhat animate her character but, as it has pretty much nothing to do with the rest of the plot, it just comes across as annoying. I realize that in that scene they mention the reclusive author but that only works since the author's identity was changed from that in the book in the first place.
I applaud anyone who is passionately involved with a sport on some level - it's a great feeling and I think that sports can mean a lot more than just a bunch of guys playing a meaningless "game". That said, I feel anyone who's really into baseball should be angry that this movie exists. If anyone made a movie this bad about a sport I love, I'd be beyond horrified.
Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I know there are scores of you who will disagree with me. But I'm yet to read a review on this site at least, where anyone comes even close to describing the merits of this movie. I hate to say it, but a lot of people come across as though they've simply been brainwashed either by an obsessive love for baseball (which probably isn't a bad thing on its own) or by the fact that the movie tries very hard to be emotionally compelling or perhaps a mixture of both.
As far as sappy movies go, this isn't the worst, but the fact that it's sappy as hell with a whole bunch of meaningless, paranormal garbage thrown in definitely makes it the most annoying. Anyone who says that they were "moved" by this movie would probably go nuts over the book, what with all the horrible clichés, awful dialogue and bland, uninspired imagery that couldn't be crammed into the movie.
Avoid at all costs unless the thought of ghost baseball players coming to life to stand around, scratch themselves and spit all over again makes you tear up. This movie's popularity will forever shake my faith in humankind.
Touches you in all the right places
oneflewovertheapocalypse8 September 2004
Films don't get better than field of Dreams. When you got back to the late eighties and early nineties you will find that Kevin Costner was the biggest actor to employ at that time as he starred in lots of major films like Dances with wolves which of course he directed, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, A Perfect World, JFK and Field of Dremas which I think delivers his best performance of all those films.
Costner is Ray who one day takes a walk into his corn field only to hear a voice saying 'If you build it, he will come'. This sends him crazy as it's all he can hear. He thinks on to what the voice maybe wants him to do and let's his feeling be known to his family and the only idea he can come up with is that he should build a baseball pitch in the middle of his field. He does with the backing of his family and nothing comes of it till one night somebody in a 1920's baseball kit turns up on his field out of the blue ready to play Baseball. This happens to be the great Shoeless Joe Jackson who is now dead but has come back to play the game he was once banned from playing. The story unfolds to more odd goings on and sends Ray onto a journey of self discovery with some beautiful moments ahead. Field of dreams is not a film that gets mentioned when it comes to Costner's career but I think it holds his best and most touching performance. Anybody who likes a feel good film like It's a Wonderful Life will ultimately fall in love with this film by the end as the more it goes on the more you find out why Ray was guided to build the pitch and follow the voice which he throughout the film makes no sense of what it he is looking for.
It touches you in all the places and just makes you feel good about yourself and sends an important message out about spending as much time your family as much as you possibly can til it's to late.
Trust me, you cannot go wrong with this film.
Costner is Ray who one day takes a walk into his corn field only to hear a voice saying 'If you build it, he will come'. This sends him crazy as it's all he can hear. He thinks on to what the voice maybe wants him to do and let's his feeling be known to his family and the only idea he can come up with is that he should build a baseball pitch in the middle of his field. He does with the backing of his family and nothing comes of it till one night somebody in a 1920's baseball kit turns up on his field out of the blue ready to play Baseball. This happens to be the great Shoeless Joe Jackson who is now dead but has come back to play the game he was once banned from playing. The story unfolds to more odd goings on and sends Ray onto a journey of self discovery with some beautiful moments ahead. Field of dreams is not a film that gets mentioned when it comes to Costner's career but I think it holds his best and most touching performance. Anybody who likes a feel good film like It's a Wonderful Life will ultimately fall in love with this film by the end as the more it goes on the more you find out why Ray was guided to build the pitch and follow the voice which he throughout the film makes no sense of what it he is looking for.
It touches you in all the places and just makes you feel good about yourself and sends an important message out about spending as much time your family as much as you possibly can til it's to late.
Trust me, you cannot go wrong with this film.
"...and the memories will be so thick they will have to brush them away from their faces."
jaws-1322 January 1999
It's American. It's corny (pun intended, I'm sorry). When I stop and think about it, it's laughable but the immutable truth is that this is naively beautiful on almost every frontier. I have watched this film so many times and though inside I know the ladled sentiment should be cringeworthy-especially for a cynic such as I...it somehow never fails to utterly absorb me.
Horner's musical score is haunting and mesmerising and adds so strongly to the whole ethereal feeling that this film exudes.
The acting is extraordinary in that they pull off corny lines without provoking me to laughter or cringing, with the possible exception of James Earl Jones speech "...the one constant is baseball...".
I even have to admit that Kostner is good (painful though it is).
You may not like or understand baseball...it doesn't matter. This is not a film about baseball. Its about relationships (particularly about father son relationships) and it tugs on every heart string.
There was a review of this film which first intrigued me enough to watch it several years ago. I cannot remember who said it but if memory serves me well his summation of Field of Dreams was this...
"Could you ever really love someone who didn't cry at this film, even just a little?"
Nuff said.
Horner's musical score is haunting and mesmerising and adds so strongly to the whole ethereal feeling that this film exudes.
The acting is extraordinary in that they pull off corny lines without provoking me to laughter or cringing, with the possible exception of James Earl Jones speech "...the one constant is baseball...".
I even have to admit that Kostner is good (painful though it is).
You may not like or understand baseball...it doesn't matter. This is not a film about baseball. Its about relationships (particularly about father son relationships) and it tugs on every heart string.
There was a review of this film which first intrigued me enough to watch it several years ago. I cannot remember who said it but if memory serves me well his summation of Field of Dreams was this...
"Could you ever really love someone who didn't cry at this film, even just a little?"
Nuff said.
Beautiful Film
yisraelharris10 June 2006
It is truly a rare movie indeed to which I would give a 10. But this is one of my all-time favorites.
This is a movie about themes like reconciliation, destiny, redemption, idealism, disappointment, the difficulty of relationships, especially that of the father-son relationship.
In this movie, the baseball field is where all such issues achieve resolution.
This is such a gentle movie, full of such sincerity, and moving emotions. Although it is by no means an upbeat movie, it is nevertheless ultimately a very optimistic and positive movie.
As some reviewers have noticed, some suspension of disbelief is required.
A movie with no guns, violence, gangsters, no gratuitous sex, just down-to-earth good people, and a good message. What a gem.
P.S. Interestingly, there really was a Moonlight Graham. See his baseball career stats here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/grahamo01.shtml. Some of the details of his life are altered in the movie; cf. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonlight_Graham.
This is a movie about themes like reconciliation, destiny, redemption, idealism, disappointment, the difficulty of relationships, especially that of the father-son relationship.
In this movie, the baseball field is where all such issues achieve resolution.
This is such a gentle movie, full of such sincerity, and moving emotions. Although it is by no means an upbeat movie, it is nevertheless ultimately a very optimistic and positive movie.
As some reviewers have noticed, some suspension of disbelief is required.
A movie with no guns, violence, gangsters, no gratuitous sex, just down-to-earth good people, and a good message. What a gem.
P.S. Interestingly, there really was a Moonlight Graham. See his baseball career stats here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/grahamo01.shtml. Some of the details of his life are altered in the movie; cf. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonlight_Graham.
not your usual baseball movie
didi-51 May 2004
This film could so easily have become 'Field of Corn'; the fact that it didn't is a tribute to the talents of director Phil Alden Robinson, and cast members Kevin Costner (as the guy who builds a baseball field and calls up Shoeless Joe, a player from the past, and eventually comes to terms with his own family troubles at the same time), James Earl Jones (as tetchy writer Terence Mann), and Burt Lancaster (as the jovial gentleman Dr Grahame).
What we have is a plot which, ok, is a bit hard to swallow - especially once a whole ghostly baseball match is created with two complete teams - but it is so well-written you don't quibble with the realities of the Kinsella's situation. It is a fairly touching film without being crushed under the sentimentality that could have so easily crept in.
What we have is a plot which, ok, is a bit hard to swallow - especially once a whole ghostly baseball match is created with two complete teams - but it is so well-written you don't quibble with the realities of the Kinsella's situation. It is a fairly touching film without being crushed under the sentimentality that could have so easily crept in.
My favorite
brux27 December 1998
A classic combination of sport, family, fantasy, faith, reconciliation, and redemption, all set in the heartland combine to put this film at #1 on the all-time list for me. I know, I know,...what about Gone with the Wind, Citizen Kane, The Godfather? You're telling us that Field of Dreams ranks higher? I saw Field of Dreams on Father's Day following its release, having no clue how the issue of father-son relationships would be addressed in the film. By the time the closing credits were rolling, this film had left a lasting impression because I could identify with so many of the themes in the film. The acting is fine/adequate, and as a whole this film may not compare to the "greats" I've previously mentioned. But it delivered in a powerful way with things I can relate to and treasure. I'd appreciate any comments and strongly recommend it to those who haven't seen it. Thank you.
Hokey, but good
MikeN2721 February 2000
While I enjoyed the movie a lot, it still angers me. Shoeless Joe is not a victim. He participated in the throwing of the World Series. There is evidence that shows he didn't give it his all. However that being said, the movie is good. The action makes me want to go right out and play, even in the wintertime.
still a good watach
moviegeek-6507913 June 2020
I don't think you understand...
meryl-231 July 1999
Ok,...I don't think that you understand... I HATE cheesy movies. I HATE them. I spaz out when I see a cheesy movie. And I UNDERSTAND why this movie could be construed as pure cheese...but,
I LOVE THIS FILM.
It is beautiful and it is sweet and if I were in it,...I would be able to see the field.....get it???
I LOVE THIS FILM.
It is beautiful and it is sweet and if I were in it,...I would be able to see the field.....get it???
"Hey rookie... you were good."
anythingyouwant26 January 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Pure magic.
This film, steeped in film legend, is by far one of the best movies Hollywood has ever produced. From the opening line, "If you build it, he will come." to the ending line, "Hey dad... do you want to have a catch?" give me chills every time I watch this movie. Ray Kinsella is played by Kevin Costner (who does a fantastic job I might add), and Terence Mann is played by James Earl Jones; the man could talk about taxes and I would give him 5 stars. Apart from being the greatest baseball movie ever made, this film is profoundly original, riddling one with questions such as: "Where do I go when I die?" and "Do miracles really happen?" It adds elements into it to make the film boundless without the watcher knowing it. I can relate this film to Back to the Future; it transports you to another time where everything is a coincidence, and nothing is impossible. However, nothing in this movie comes close to Burt Lancaster's performance as Archie "Moonlight" Graham. Every line the man gives is profoundly emotional and acted to perfection. I need to choke back tears even more so now, because I have seen the movie a couple times and know what is coming. Dr. Graham gives up his dream to save Kinsella's girl Karen; never able to come back after he steps off of the baseball field. Ray's line, "Oh my God, you can't go back." just brings a smile to the old man's face as he says, "It's all right, it's all right." Perfect. The only word I can use to describe this film. For although some say it has its flaws, historical, factual, or whatever, I believe that this movie more than makes up for them by dragging one into it's world and not letting go. I will give everyone this advice, go home and watch this movie. It doesn't matter if you have seen it before (that may even make it better) go rent it or buy it please. This movie deserves to been seen by as many people as it can.
"Go the distance."
This film, steeped in film legend, is by far one of the best movies Hollywood has ever produced. From the opening line, "If you build it, he will come." to the ending line, "Hey dad... do you want to have a catch?" give me chills every time I watch this movie. Ray Kinsella is played by Kevin Costner (who does a fantastic job I might add), and Terence Mann is played by James Earl Jones; the man could talk about taxes and I would give him 5 stars. Apart from being the greatest baseball movie ever made, this film is profoundly original, riddling one with questions such as: "Where do I go when I die?" and "Do miracles really happen?" It adds elements into it to make the film boundless without the watcher knowing it. I can relate this film to Back to the Future; it transports you to another time where everything is a coincidence, and nothing is impossible. However, nothing in this movie comes close to Burt Lancaster's performance as Archie "Moonlight" Graham. Every line the man gives is profoundly emotional and acted to perfection. I need to choke back tears even more so now, because I have seen the movie a couple times and know what is coming. Dr. Graham gives up his dream to save Kinsella's girl Karen; never able to come back after he steps off of the baseball field. Ray's line, "Oh my God, you can't go back." just brings a smile to the old man's face as he says, "It's all right, it's all right." Perfect. The only word I can use to describe this film. For although some say it has its flaws, historical, factual, or whatever, I believe that this movie more than makes up for them by dragging one into it's world and not letting go. I will give everyone this advice, go home and watch this movie. It doesn't matter if you have seen it before (that may even make it better) go rent it or buy it please. This movie deserves to been seen by as many people as it can.
"Go the distance."
An unusual story, well worth a watch but doesn't quite satisfy.
comps-784-382658 July 2020
The mark of a good film is could watch it more than once?
Field of dreams I've watched several times, it's a nice sunday matinee film and 7/10 is about right as a rating (in my opinion)
A farmer hears voices that tell him to build a baseball field, where he should be growing crops.
The resultant players makes for an interesting and unusual story . James Earl Jones is, as always, brilliant. Kevin Costner, as always, a bit wooden but ok.
The film builds up but to what I found an unsatisfying ending.
But it is a good film and certainly worth a watch
Field of dreams I've watched several times, it's a nice sunday matinee film and 7/10 is about right as a rating (in my opinion)
A farmer hears voices that tell him to build a baseball field, where he should be growing crops.
The resultant players makes for an interesting and unusual story . James Earl Jones is, as always, brilliant. Kevin Costner, as always, a bit wooden but ok.
The film builds up but to what I found an unsatisfying ending.
But it is a good film and certainly worth a watch
He was growing something more than just corn...
katt10130 May 2005
I won't say that this was the worst movie I have ever seen, because there are sure a lot of stinkers. However this seems to be the worst well reviewed movie. A lot of people thought it was great; I just found it to be moronic. The reluctant corn farmer (played by Kevin Costner) hears voices telling him to build a baseball field in his corn field. He somehow is able to obtain the lights and necessary equipment to do so. Don't even try to make sense of any of the logic in this movie - there isn't any. Once the field is built a bunch of ghost baseball players come out of the cornfields to play ball. However only a few people (probably those who have used LSD) can see them.
Through it all despite the fact that his loss of cropland used to build this ball is going to cause the them to lose the farm Costner grinds on with steely resolve. Farmer Costner's wife played by some actress that I thankfully have never seen before.) supports him all the way with a kind of annoying perkiness and pluck that she must have learned from watching tapes of Kathy Lee Gifford and Katie Couric. As this ludicrous farce progresses Costner drives off to pick up a washed-up hippy author played by James Earl Jones. The character of Jones has nothing to do with the plot of the movie but apparently those who made it just wanted him in the movie. Costner and Jones then pick up the ghost of a ball player turned doctor (played by Burt Lancaster.) Lancaster loved being a doctor but always regretted giving up playing ball now he has a second chance until he save Costners daughter from choking on a hot-dog. She was accidentally pushed off the bleachers by the farmers evil banker brother-in-law who has come to foreclose on the farm's mortgage. Once Lancaster has become a doctor to save the child's life he can no longer play ball. As I wrote before don't even try to figure out this. films logic. Everything ends well however since there are cares lined up in front of the farm to pay 20 dollars to watch ghosts play baseball. the ghost of Costner's character's father, a one time ball player then shows up to play catch with his son - Oh how sweet! The best thing about the movie was that it finally ended. Do not watch this piece of garbage.
Through it all despite the fact that his loss of cropland used to build this ball is going to cause the them to lose the farm Costner grinds on with steely resolve. Farmer Costner's wife played by some actress that I thankfully have never seen before.) supports him all the way with a kind of annoying perkiness and pluck that she must have learned from watching tapes of Kathy Lee Gifford and Katie Couric. As this ludicrous farce progresses Costner drives off to pick up a washed-up hippy author played by James Earl Jones. The character of Jones has nothing to do with the plot of the movie but apparently those who made it just wanted him in the movie. Costner and Jones then pick up the ghost of a ball player turned doctor (played by Burt Lancaster.) Lancaster loved being a doctor but always regretted giving up playing ball now he has a second chance until he save Costners daughter from choking on a hot-dog. She was accidentally pushed off the bleachers by the farmers evil banker brother-in-law who has come to foreclose on the farm's mortgage. Once Lancaster has become a doctor to save the child's life he can no longer play ball. As I wrote before don't even try to figure out this. films logic. Everything ends well however since there are cares lined up in front of the farm to pay 20 dollars to watch ghosts play baseball. the ghost of Costner's character's father, a one time ball player then shows up to play catch with his son - Oh how sweet! The best thing about the movie was that it finally ended. Do not watch this piece of garbage.
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