FIELD OF DREAMS
US, 1989, 107 minutes, Colour.
Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, Gaby Hoffman, Ray Liotta, Burt Lancaster, James Earl Jones, Timothy Busfield, Frank Whaley.
Directed by Phil Alden Robinson.
Field of Dreams was a favourite film for the American public during 1989. It is a fantasy, optimistic about the present and the future, nostalgic about the past. It is a story of American dreams, of hopes (rather than mere commercial success and status). It offers American archetypes of baseball, the sport that sustains the nation despite all the ups and downs. It is also a film dreaming of the present generation reconciling with the previous generations, especially fathers. The final caption of the film is ... To our parents.
The film is based on a celebrated novel, 'Shoeless Joe,' by W.P. Kinsella. It was adapted for the screen by Phil Alden Robinson (The Woo Woo Kid). The film adapts aspects of the novel including changing the real J.D. Salinger of the novel into a fictitious Pulitzer Prize black author, Terence Mann, who embodies the '60s.
Kevin Costner is very good in the central role, an echo of Gary Cooper, James Stewart and Henry Fonda from the old days. (Although there is a scene of James Stewart on television in Harvey which Costner tells his young daughter to turn off because Stewart is mad.) Amy Madigan has vitality as Costner's wife. Ray Liotta is Shoeless Joe Jackson, one of the 1919 Chicago White Sox who threw the game and lost the competition for money and were barred for life. (This was the subject of John Sayles' 1988 feature Eight Men Out.) There is a good supporting cast including James Earl Jones sagacious and rhetorical as Terence Mann, ridiculing aspects of the '60s for which he stood so passionately. Burt Lancaster is his screen persona as an ageing doctor.
The film moves briskly at the beginning and invites its audience very quickly to suspend disbelief and accept the fantasy. For an outsider, the film is not quite so persuasive as it depends thoroughly on an appreciation of the American psyche, American history, and the place of baseball. The film As beautifully photographed and is an optimistic fantasy.
1 The acclaim and popularity of the film for American audiences? A fable for the '80s? For non-American audiences?
2. The cornfields of Iowa, the country towns? The highways? Boston streets, baseball parks, small towns in Minnesota? The picture of Middle America?
3. The opening, Ray's memories of his father, World War One, work, the Depression, baseball, his marriage, death? The visualising of the collage from historic and newsreel material? The voiceover? James Horner's atmospheric score?
4. The title and its symbolism, literal visualising? The baseball field, the field of dreams and hopes? Archetype of American dreams? The contrast with the American dream of success and status with the American dream of personal vision, achievement of hopes, the blend of fantasy and foolishness? The American subconscious in the late 20th century? The experience of the 20th century, wars and depressions, the revolution of the '60s, the selfishness and complacency of the '70s and '80s? The memories of the '60s and change, passion? The '60s generation cutting themselves off from their parents? The need for reconciliation? The echoes of such directors as Frank Capra and their preaching and optimism? The title of the novel, 'Shoeless Joe' - and the reference to the baseball-players, their behaviour in 1919, the penalties, the loss of playing baseball and how important it was for their lives? A true penance? The final dedication of the film ... To our parents?
5. The credibility of the plot, the bold and direct screenplay and dialogue inviting audiences to accept the fantasy? The introducing of the various elements: Ray and his hearing the voice, the townspeople's reaction, building the field so quickly and doing it himself, discussions about his finance and debts? The people who could see, the people who could not? The baseballers coming, making themselves credible? Shoeless Joe and his explanations? The voices, the leads and the audience identifying with Ray's experience?
6. Ray as an example of 80s Middle America: born 1952, his age, growing up, playing baseball with his father, the rebellion, leaving his father and hurting him, not seeing him again, returning only for the funeral? The photos of Berkeley, protest, smoking pot? Study? Meeting Annie, marrying her, the birth of Karen? The impact of his father's death, the hostility of Annie's family? Moving to Iowa, the decision to farm, the hard work, the house, the porch? By 1988?
7. Ray, working in the fields, our hearing the voice with him, whose voice? (The final credits give the voice to: Himself)? The glimpse of Harvey and Ray turning off the television with his comment about the character being mad and seeing things? His relationship with Annie, love for her, talking things over? Finance impossibilities, mortgage? Ruin? His love for Karen? At work in the corn, ploughing in the corn, building the field? The memories of his father, resenting his growing old, resenting his not fulfilling his vision? In the town, talking with the people? The readiness of the field? The lights? Going to watch the game and the players with-Karen? The question of the debt, Mark coming, his mother-in-law, the pressures - and their not seeing the players?
8. Shoeless Joe Jackson, his place in baseball history, the 1919 World Series, throwing it? The eight men out? The hero, his subsequent career, his father seeing him? The words 'If you build, he will come?' The arrival, their talk, Ray pitching awkwardly to Shoeless Joe, in admiration of him? The others coming to practise? The excitement, the game? The fact, the symbol of baseball, the skills? All-American? sport? All boys playing it, women admiring it?
9. The P.T.A. meeting and the sub-plot, the banning of the books, the fascist attitude of the speaker (and Annie's saying that she had two 50s, no 60s)? The banning of the book, the speeches in favour, Annie's argument, offering to fight her? The speaker ridiculing Ray as a weirdo? The question of Terence Mann, 'Make love, not war,' his books, the '60s? The voice saying 'Ease his pain'?
10. Annie and Ray and their admiration for Terence Mann? The decision to go, despite the financial difficulties? Ray driving to Boston, rehearsing what he would say? The streets, searching-out Terence Mann, the failure, finding him, Mann's resistance, the foot in the door, Mann telling him to go back to the '60s, the insect repellents? Their arguing? His denying his vision of the baseball? Going to the game, the board and the information about Doe Graham? Their leaving, the decision to go, Terence admitting that he had seen the sign and had had desires to play baseball? Their travelling back to Minnesota?
11. Minnesota, the story of Doe Graham, the people telling him, his being kind, mannered, a good doctor, Alysha and her death, the blue hats? Ray walking out of the motel into 1972, the Godfather? Seeing Doc Graham, talking with him, wishes and fulfilment, baseball, Doc Graham glad that he was a doctor? The possibility of his wishes being fulfilled? Talking things over with Terry, Annie ringing about the mortgage and the sale? The decision to go home? Picking up the hitch-hiker, the young Doc Graham?
12. The return home, more players, the match, Terence seeing? Mark and his pressures, the arguments, Karen and her persuasion, his dropping her? Doc's coming out of his successful home run to help Karen, the old Doc arriving and helping Karen, knowing that he could not return, giving himself? Mark's reaction and being able to see?
13. Terry and his decision to follow Shoeless Joe's invitation and go with them? His speech about the 60s, his speech about reconciliation - an impassioned speech, rhetoric for the 80s? The passion of the 60s, the need for reconciliation? His smile and going?
14. Ray seeing his young father, Ray's attitude towards age, his terrible talk, his doing penance for his hurting his father? The father coming over, the meeting, the introductions? Annie leading him to talk to his father? Pitching and allowing his father to play with him, the reconciliation?
15. The theme of people wanting to come to this field, of knowing that they were there, of knowing their memories, of something permanent throughout the 20th century in baseball, despite all the difficulties of the nation? The final image of all the car lights across the streets and highways coming to this field of dreams?
16. America in the 80s, its past greatness, changes, the 60s, the 80s reaction, the need for passion, people being tired, private, working in technology (like Terence working on computers and child software)? The baseball dream, the archetype? Americans not having had the opportunity to reconcile and dreaming of forgiveness, love, acknowledgement? Dreams and fulfilment? A film of the American psyche?
