Field of Dreams (1989)
If you believe the impossible, the incredible can come true
Starring: Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta, Burt Lancaster,
Director: Phil Alden Robinson
Running Time: 101 minutes
US MPAA rating: N/AUK BBFC rating: pg
Drama, Fantasy
On DVD Kevin Costner is Ray Kinsella, a child of the sixties who has settled down as an Iowa corn farmer with his wife Anni (Amy Madigan) and daughter Karin (Gaby Hoffmann). As he says himself in the film, he has never before done a crazy thing in his life. That all changes one day when he hears a voice speaking to him in his cornfield: "If you build it, he will come…"
At first, Ray has no idea what this means. Then he sees the vision in his field - a baseball diamond amongst the corn. Cheerfully, and with the somewhat confused support of his long-suffering wife, he sets out to turn the vision into reality. Once the field is finished, he and his family are stunned to discover the presence of 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) in it - a long dead legendary baseball player with a black mark on his record. Shoeless Joe brings his friends, the other seven Chicago White Sox players banned from the game for throwing the 1919 World Series, and soon the field is full of historic baseball figures.
However, there is more to Ray's task than just building the baseball diamond. The voices continue, sending him on a journey to find other characters who he knows need to be there but doesn't know why. In the meantime, debts accrue against the farm which can no longer produce the full crop of corn. On his journey of self-discovery, Ray will explore the things he has left undone and learn the real priorities in his life.
This is gentle touching movie, full of baseball but not about baseball - instead it is about a man getting in touch with his dreams and learning that sometimes you have to take a chance in life. Costner turns in a strong performance as the ordinary guy-next-door corn farmer who suddenly and without explanation does something extraordinary. Madigan is outstanding as his supportive wife - for a change not an antagonist but a believing participant who finds the disbelief of others most amusing.
DVD Extras: The Scrapbook offers an outstanding perspective into the making of the film.
Commentary with Director and Director of Photography, Field of Dreams Scrapbook featuring Making Of, Trailer, Production notes, Cast and Filmmaker Biographies.
It's Got: A simple touching plot and likeable characters.
It Needs: Not to be mistaken for a baseball movie.
Alternatives: Bull Durham, October Sky, Forever Young
Summary: An outstanding and moving film that will appeal to both men and women - one doesn't need to know or care anything about baseball to be inspired by it. Not to be missed.
Review by Andrea Chee
Review Date: 5th February 2003
External Links
Field of Dreams at the IMDB
Comments4 Comments |
| very good review. it helped me get good ideas for my review on the same movie, but i didn't copy any of your review. (not to be mistaken) Very nice job on your review and it made me understand the movie even more, even though i have seen the movie twice. Great job on it and i hope to read another one of your reviews! MJ |
| Comment by:- Anonymous | | 28 September 2004 | ip: logged |
| This movie was unmistakable unwell down and stupid it lacked any sort of drama or suspens and was unwearily repetive of the same emotional content. |
| Comment by:- Anonymous | | 03 November 2004 | ip: logged |
| Well! It seems that some of us did not enjoy this movie as much as others. I understand why. Some parts of this movie were very predictable. However, if you are going to post your comments on this site to tells others not to watch this movie, just make sure that you know how to spell so that no one mistakes you for an idiot and forgets to take your advice. As for me, I think this was a fine movie, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a good family flick. |
| Comment by:- Why Should I Tell You? | www. movie-gazette.com... | 07 November 2004 | ip: logged |
| A personal favorite of mine, Field Of Dreams is one of those movies that takes you back to the golden days of Hollywood - the time before everything was about body counts and action scenes. The soundtrack is awesome, and James Earl Jones steals the show in every movie in which he has a part. I highly recommend... |
| Comment by:- gilletbd1977 | www.thedvdreport.com/dvd_revie... | 19 January 2005 | ip: logged |
