Field of Dreams
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| Field of Dreams | |
|---|---|
| Image:Field of Dreams.jpg | |
| Directed by | Phil Alden Robinson |
| Produced by | Lawrence Gordon and Charles Gordon |
| Written by | W.P. Kinsella (novel Shoeless Joe) Phil Alden Robinson (screenplay) |
| Starring | Kevin Costner Amy Madigan James Earl Jones Ray Liotta Burt Lancaster Timothy Busfield Frank Whaley Gaby Hoffmann |
| Music by | James Horner |
| Cinematography | John Lindley |
| Editing by | Ian Crafford |
| Distributed by | Universal Studios |
| Release date(s) | April 21, 1989 (USA) |
| Running time | 107 min. |
| Country | Image:Flag of the United States.svg United States |
| Language | English |
| Gross revenue | $84,431,625 |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Field of Dreams (1989) is an American movie, directed and adapted by Phil Alden Robinson from the novel Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella. The movie stars Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, Gaby Hoffmann, Ray Liotta, Timothy Busfield, James Earl Jones, Frank Whaley and Burt Lancaster in his last film appearance.
Field of Dreams was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Music, Original Score, Best Picture and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.
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[edit] Plot synopsis
Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) is a novice farmer who becomes convinced by a mysterious voice that he is supposed to construct a baseball diamond in his corn field. The film's underlying themes are the fulfillment of dreams, and how people can overcome any regrets they may have about the life choices they make.
Kinsella lives in rural Iowa with his wife, Annie (Amy Madigan), and their young daughter Karin (Gaby Hoffmann). Ray's deceased father, John Kinsella (Dwier Brown) loved baseball, the Chicago White Sox, and Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta), who was banned from baseball for his part in throwing the 1919 World Series. His father, though, seemed "worn down" by life.
While walking through the cornfield, Ray hears a voice whisper, "If you build it, he will come." He imagines a baseball field in his cornfield. Annie is skeptical but she tells him to follow his vision. He works on the field for the next couple of days, hoping to find out what will happen. Neighbors stop along the road to watch and heckle as he plows under the corn. He waits all year to see whatever happens. Nothing happens, leaving a dejected Ray. One night the next summer, several deceased ballplayers from the 1919 team begin practicing and playing on the field. Soon after Ray is told by his brother-in-law that unless he gets rid of the baseball field and returns it to farmland, he will go bankrupt.
Ray hears the voice again, which prompts him to contact 1960s author Terence Mann (James Earl Jones), who had once written about the golden days of baseball. He goes to Boston to find Terence and bring him to a Red Sox game, which he envisioned in a dream one night. At the game, Ray sees a message on the scoreboard telling him to find a 1920s ballplayer named Archibald "Moonlight" Graham (Burt Lancaster).
Ray and Terence travel to Chisholm, Minnesota, Moonlight's hometown, to find him. The first place they check is the office of the local paper, but one of the researchers there tells them he's been dead since 1972. A confused Terence and Ray return to their motel room, wondering how to find Moonlight. Ray decides to go out for a walk. During the walk, he discovers that he has somehow been transported back in time to 1972. He quickly finds Moonlight, who has been working as a doctor since his brief time in the major leagues. When he asks why he left baseball for medicine, Graham answers that he'd rather make a better living for himself, instead of having a bad one in baseball.
When Ray comes back to the real world, he and Terence return to Iowa. On their way, they pick up a young hitchhiker. After a brief discussion of how the man is trying to find a way to play professional baseball, the young man introduces himself as Archie Graham (Frank Whaley) - the young Moonlight. The three return to the farm, where Moonlight begins to play with the other ghosts. More baseball players have appeared in Ray's absence, and Moonlight is having a great time playing.
During an argument between Ray and his brother-in-law, who is forcing him to lease the property before it's too late, Karin falls off the bleachers. Karin appears to be not breathing. Moonlight quickly runs to help, but hesitates to leave baseball. Making a decision, he steps off the field, instantly becoming the old doctor Ray met in Chisholm. Graham recognizes that Karin is choking and pounds her on the back, causing her to spit out the piece of hot dog that blocked her airway. Ray then realizes that Graham's decision means he cannot return to the field as his younger self, and apologizes to the doctor. Moonlight forgives Ray, and walks out into the distance of the cornfield. Terence and Karin persuade Ray's brother-in-law that tourists will pay admission to see the magic of this field to bring back memories of the game.
At the end of the day, the players head for the cornstalks in the outfield. Just before vanishing, the players ask Terence if he will come with them. An angry Ray demands to know why he can't go. Terence persuades him that he has to stay behind to take care of his family. After saying goodbye, Terence walks into the cornstalks and disappears.
Shoeless Joe then tells Ray, "If you build it, HE will come", and glances toward a player near home plate in catcher's equipment. The player removes his mask, and Ray recognizes his father as a young man. Ray introduces his father to his family, not telling him who they are. As his father is heading toward the outfield, to leave with the rest of the players, Ray asks his father to play catch, finally calling him "dad." As they play catch, a long line of cars begin approaching the baseball field - people coming to watch the game.
[edit] Historical connections
The character played by Burt Lancaster and Frank Whaley, Archibald "Moonlight" Graham, is based on a real baseball player of the same name. The character is largely true to life, excepting a few factual liberties taken for artistic reasons.
The author Terence Mann (James Earl Jones) is fictional but inspired by the life of reclusive author J. D. Salinger. Salinger is the author sought by the main character in the original novel. In 1947, Salinger wrote a story called "A Young Girl In 1941 With No Waist At All", featuring a character named Ray Kinsella. Later, Salinger's most famous work, The Catcher in the Rye, features a minor character named Richard Kinsella, a classmate of the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, who digresses a lot in an "Oral Composition" class. (Richard Kinsella is the name of Ray's twin brother in the original novel.)
[edit] Locations
Except for a few location shots for Boston, notably Fenway Park, much of the film was shot in and around Dubuque County, Iowa[1]. The home (then and now a private residence) and field were on adjoining farms near Dyersville, Iowa. The baseball field built for the film has become an attraction with the same name.
Other places used in the film are:
- Dubuque:
- University of Dubuque- Kevin Costner's character Ray looks up information on Terence Mann in the school library. When Ray and Annie are walking to their truck Blades Hall and the Van Vliet main administration building are shown.
- Hendricks Feed. The store where Ray had gone to purchase supplies is located on Central Avenue in downtown Dubuque.
- Terence Mann's apartment and neighborhood - This was located near 17th Street and Central Avenue in Dubuque, although the scene takes place in Boston.
- Airline Inn. This roadside motel is about three miles south of Dubuque along US Highways 61/151. This is the motel where Ray and Terence stayed while traveling to Minnesota.
- Martin's gas station. The gas station where Ray gets directions to Terence Mann's place was located at the southeast corner of the intersection of W. 3rd and Locust Streets in Dubuque. The gas station has since been razed to facilitate economic development.
- Zehentner's Sports World. In one of the scenes cut from the final movie (outtakes available in the 15th Anniversary Commemorative DVD), Ray buys equipment at a local sporting goods store and discovers its employees are the first people who don't think he's crazy. Zehentner's was located near 9th and Main, and is now closed after 60 years in business at that location.
- Farley, Iowa. The PTA meeting dealing with Terence Mann's books was at Western Dubuque Elementary/Jr. High School, in Farley.
- Galena, Illinois - Galena was used to represent parts of Chisholm, Minnesota.
- Local Dubuque attorneys Dan McClean and Bill Conzett were featured in the kitchen scene as Timothy Busfield's partners. The two lawyers, playing bankers, were the only two "bad guys" in the film.
The film used local roads quite extensively to represent the drive from Dyersville to Boston, Boston to Chisholm, and Chisholm to Dyersville. The following are some of the local roadways used:
- U.S. Highway 20 - Part of the highway between the Illinois towns of East Dubuque and Galena was used to represent the drive from Boston to Chisholm. The Citgo station where Ray and Terence stopped was along the highway west of Dubuque. When Ray and Annie are driving home from town, parts of the highway west of Dubuque are shown.
- U.S. Highway 52 - Parts of the highway north of Dubuque were used in the drive from Chisholm to Dyersville.
- U.S. Highway 151 - A portion of this highway that is about six miles south of Dubuque is seen in the scene where Ray and Terence are in the van and talking about Ray's father.
Other Roads:
- Interstate 90 near La Crosse, Wisconsin. Where the first scenes from Dyersville to Boston were shot.
- Huntington Avenue in Boston, near the campuses of Northeastern University and Wentworth, and the street where the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the sit of the first world series game can be found. As Ray drives along this heavily traveled road from downtown Boston to Natick, he rehearses how he will greet Terence Mann.
[edit] Other
- The Iowa tourism board issued a bumper sticker referencing the film. It included an outline of Iowa along with the line, used twice in the film, "Is this Heaven?"
- In an episode of a christian radio drama called Jungle Jam they use the Phrase "If you build it we will come" multiple times
- In an episode of the Fox Kids Tv show Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles called 'Meet Casey Jones' Mikey uses the phrase "if we build it we will ride" while talking about modifying an armored car.
- In Wayne's World 2, the phrase "If you book them, they will come" is frequently said to Wayne whilst he is planning "Waynestock"
[edit] Notes
- ^ Filming locations for Field of Dreams (1989). Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2007-08-29.
[edit] External links
- Field of Dreams at the Internet Movie Database
- Field of Dreams at Rotten Tomatoes
- Field of Dreams at Box Office Mojo
- Field of Dreams Movie Site
Image:United States film.png American films of the 1980s |
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es:Field of Dreams fr:Jusqu'au bout du rêve it:L'uomo dei sogni ja:フィールド・オブ・ドリームス pt:Field of Dreams ru:Поле его мечты (фильм)
