Field of Dreams (1989)

Director:

Phil Alden Robinson

Writers (WGA):

W.P. Kinsella (book)
Phil Alden Robinson (screenplay)

Release Date:

21 April 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family | Fantasy | Sport

Tagline:

All his life, Ray Kinsella was searching for his dreams. Then one day, his dreams came looking for him.

Plot:

An Iowa corn farmer, hearing voices, interprets them as a command to build a baseball diamond in his fields; he does, and the Chicago Black Sox come.

Plot Keywords:

Shoeless Joe Jackson | Father Son Relationship | Volkswagen Bus | Black Sox Scandal | Volkswagen Microbus

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Kevin Costner	...	Ray Kinsella
Amy Madigan	...	Annie Kinsella
Gaby Hoffmann	...	Karin Kinsella
Ray Liotta	...	Shoeless Joe Jackson
Timothy Busfield	...	Mark
James Earl Jones	...	Terence 'Terry' Mann
Burt Lancaster	...	Dr. Archibald 'Moonlight' Graham
Frank Whaley	...	Archie Graham
Dwier Brown	...	John Kinsella
James Andelin	...	Feed Store Farmer
Mary Anne Kean	...	Feed Store Lady
Fern Persons	...	Annie's Mother
Kelly Coffield	...	Dee, Mark's Wife
Michael Milhoan	...	Buck Weaver - 3B
Steve Eastin	...	Eddie Cicotte - P

Also Known As:

Shoeless Joe (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

West Germany:6 (f) | Iceland:L | Spain:T | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Portugal:M/6 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Gordon Company

Trivia:

In 1991, Hawaii's House of Representatives filed House Resolution 95 to plead the case for "Shoeless" Joe Jackson's reinstatement. Among the reasons given was a quote given by James Earl Jones's character in the movie that "grasps the essence of an American tradition, baseball." Among those receiving a copy of the House Resolution were Phil Alden Robinson (Field of Dreams writer-director), Charles Gordon and Lawrence Gordon (Field of Dreams producers), and cast members Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, and James Earl Jones.

Goofs:

Plot holes: The gas station attendant in Boston tells Ray that Terence Mann lives "two blocks down, right hand side, the first door that don't have a chicken in the window is his." When Ray walks down the street, he goes into the first chicken-less door on the left hand side.

Quotes:

[Ray winds up on the mound]
Ray Kinsella: I'm pitching to Shoeless Joe Jackson...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Boys of Summer (2006)

Soundtrack:

China Grove

A Memorable Film For Most Men

The movie is a rarity in one respect: a non-violent film that is almost strictly a man's film, one that brought tears to millions of men who watched it. For one thing, anyone who has ever played catch with his dad will be very touched by this story.

This is pure fantasy and has some schlock, if I'm using the right word, mixed in with some sickeningly-Sixties Liberalism but the good parts are SO good that they far outweigh anything else and make this film one I've always treasured.

To me, this movie has many memorable scenes, too many too mention here especially since there are enough reviews already. Suffice to say it's hard to beat those nighttime shots of the ball diamond between the house and cornfield and those mystical moments when the players suddenly appear on the diamond. My favorite character in the movie was "Doc" Graham, played superbly by Burt Lancaster in the last movie role he ever played, and by Frank Whaley as a younger "Archie."

Kevin Costner, as "Ray Kinsella," the star of the film, is outstanding, too. It's nice to see a guy who knows how to play baseball. Costner is a fine ballplayer in his own right.

I didn't care for his wife, "Annie," in here, played by Amy Madigan, who supplies us with a lot of the Liberal propaganda with her PTA "debate," a few other comments and just the way she sees things, although she is a great wife in here to a husband who appeared to have lost his marbles. She was supportive and loving: what more does a husband need?

James Earl Jones is good as the former leftist radical who would rather leave his past behind and just extol the virtues of baseball, which he does here expertly. I loved the scene with he and Kevin Costner at Fenway Park in Boston. Ray Liotta, who plays "Joe Jackson," became a star because of this movie.

Politics aside, this a special movie to anyone who has dreams, yearns at times for the good 'ole days, loves baseball, enjoys a good time-travel-type of story and is a sentimentalist at heart. I plead "guilty" on all counts.

If you own the special-edition, or rent it, please check out some of the features. They are among the best I have ever watched on a DVD. This is one of those films that inspired me to buy the book, too.