FIELD OF DREAMS - DVD review

I have always found it profoundly amazing that many Americans have taken such a delightful fascination with baseball. After all, it is recognized and admired as an American pastime more than any other sport. In my own experiences, I never had a father who enjoyed sports of any kind when growing up. Therefore, I couldn't tell you who played second base for the Yankees or Dodgers in 1968. I do, however, admire people's astounding fascination with the sport, and living in Arizona, along with winning a championship a few years ago, has help me to spark some interest of my own.

"Field of Dreams" may use baseball as a backdrop for its theme, but the film is really about the redemption of a father and son. There are other messages that I found stand out as much as the message of redemption. There are the messages of following your heart no matter how profound it may seem. Sometimes doing the wrong thing is doing the best thing, and, in other words, follow your dreams. The film teaches me that taking chances and listening to your heart can mean much more to living a full life than just doing the responsible things I have to. In many ways, "Field of Dreams" is one of the most optimistic, positive, feel-good films of 1989. In fact, it has been known to make grown men weep. Well, it didn't make me weep because I didn't feel that connected to the overall story. Nevertheless, I did enjoy the film for different reasons other than the message of redemption.

"Field of Dreams" is based on an admired novel by W.P. Kinsella that was originally titled "Shoeless Joe." Phil Alden Robinson went through a rigorous process to write the screenplay and, later, direct the film. The screenplay had been taken to several studios and was almost never made, but, fortunately, thanks to a generous dose of testosterone amongst Universal executives, the film got a green light.

The story takes place in 1978. In the beginning, we find Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) in the middle of a corn field where he hears a voice saying, "build it and he will come." Now, we all realize that hearing a voice in your head is not a good thing and would most likely be considered insane by some. Then again, if our President, Mr. Bush, Jr., can say he talked to Jesus in the oval office, then I guess hearing a voice in one's head can't be all that bad. Anyway, Ray gets the vision to build a baseball diamond in the middle of his corn field. Surprisingly, his wife Annie (Amy Madigan) and nine-year old daughter Karin (Gaby Hoffmann) are very supportive.

Ray immediately builds the baseball field, and within no time, 1919's famous White Sox player Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) appears out of the corn and onto the playing field. Keep in mind, I only know Shoeless Joe based on this film and would otherwise know nothing about him. Joe soon brings other "ghost" players to the field, which are supposed to be more famous ballplayers that I am totally clueless of. The players come to the field day and night to partake in the game that they love so much. However, as ghost players they are bound to the field and cannot cross the boundaries of the field. The only place they can travel in on the baseball field itself, and they are able to mysteriously walk into the corn filed and simply vanish into thin air.

As crazy, or maybe dull to others, as the story might sound so far, it really is entertaining to follow. The characters are colorful and interesting enough to capture one's attention, and the movie seems to play as one big "Twilight Zone" episode. And, in all fairness, this is one thing that I liked and found interesting about the film. I enjoy how a film can use fantasy, or something the supernatural, to relay a message that touches a subject in the real world.

Ray soon hears another voice that tells him to "ease his pain." Ray, of course, is confused by the message and has trouble figuring out what it means. In the meantime, he is in danger of losing his farm due to low profits because of the baseball field. His brother-in-law, Mark (Timothy Busfield), constantly warns Ray and Annie of their situation, but they refuse to give up the farm. As an added strangeness to the plot, Mark, being negative in nature, is unable to see the players on the filed. This, of course, adds more problems to Annie, Karin, and Ray as it makes them look completely crazy. Not to worry, though, folks, this all works out in the end. After all, this is a feel-good, redeeming film.

Ray later unravels the message of "ease his pain" as a quest to track down a famous writer from the sixties named Terence Mann (James Earl Jones). Terence had changed a lot from the sixties and did not want to listen to Ray's story. After some rather comical scenes and dialogue, Ray talks Terence into going to a ball game where they are to receive a message. Ray sees the message, but Terence tries to play as if he did not hear or see anything, yet he did. Once Terence admits he's heard a message, the two of them are off to find an old rookie player by the name of Moonlight Graham (Burt Lancaster). However, once they find him, Moonlight is an old man that is the town doctor, and he has no interest in going to some baseball field in Iowa.

Ray and Terence are confused by their pointless journey but decide to return to Iowa. Along the way, they pick up a young kid named Archie Graham (Frank Whaley). Archie talks about wanting to join local baseball clubs around the states as if it were back in the early 1900's. Well, even as an audience member, I was hearing that "Twilight Zone" music in my head as much as Ray and Terence probably were. However, it is on this journey back home that we learn more about Ray, his father, and their distant and difficult relationship.

Let me add that James Earl Jones brings an added treat to the film, and I have always thought of him as the black Sean Connery of movies. Between the both of them, they have that unique voice and a screen presence that outshines the other people around them. In my opinion, James really helped to kick the film up a notch by delivering on such a reluctant, heartfelt, and interesting character. His presence screams intelligence of the highest, and he easily earns a demanding awe of respect. He is the kind of guy that they could make an entire movie of him on the crapper and I'd pay money to see it.

By the time Ray and Terence return to Iowa, things have gone for the worst. The bank is ready to foreclose on Ray's farm and Ray and Annie are forced to make a tough decision. It is then that Terence relays a message to Ray, "Build it and they will come." He tells of people coming from miles to enjoy the past, which they have long forgotten. He tells of a past of people enjoying a good ball game with friends and family, and one that finds people from miles seeking their own redemption within themselves.

It is truly a heartwarming story, and one that shall be cherished among many of the baseball genre for years to come. Even though I found it to be about a lot more than just baseball, it succeeds in telling a story of redemption, following the heart, and enjoying the precious moments you have in life.

Video
Let me just mention that our promotion company that handles all of our Universal releases mistakenly ordered this DVD in a fullscreen format. Apparently, this was done on accident, and I was slated to get the widescreen release, but it was too late once they had noticed the error. However, with what I did get I found the picture to be very brilliant in color. It was sharp, vivid, and full of clarity. Other than its not being presented in widescreen, there is very little to complain about in the new anniversary edition.

Audio
The audio comes in Dolby 5.1 Surround and DTS 5.1 Surround. I, of course, played mine in DTS. Not that this is a landmark film for sound quality, but it was rich enough to deserve high markings here at DVD Town. It had a good balance and very acceptable dynamics. It's not some intensive action film, so you don't get as much from the rear speakers as you might like. However, it is a very good balance of overall tone and clarity.

Extras
Let me first mention that you will get the forced previews on disc one. I'm guessing this is going to be the norm for Universal DVDs in all future releases. They've been doing this for the past year, and I don't see them stopping this annoying tradition.

The two-disc set comes with a good load of extras, as should be expected with an anniversary edition. Disc one comes with the usual commentaries by director Phil Alden Robinson and director of photography John Lindley. Disc one also comes with deleted scenes and a feature called "From Father to Son: Passing Along the Pastime." It is a feature of cast members, filmmakers, and baseball players chatting about their own experiences with their sons, and how this film has changed their lives. I found it a little too deep for me and found it no more pleasurable than watching a bunch of guys on ESPN talk about how great some sport is.

On the second disc, we have about six more features. First is "Field of Dreams Roundtable" where Kevin Costner brings over a few major league players to his home to watch "Field of Dreams." Here was yet another feature that bored me to tears as we watch a bunch of guys talk as though they're in some serious ESPN forum. Personally, I skipped it about half way through. Second is a small feature about how they changed the small town of Galena, IL, into Chisholm, MN, for use as Moonlight Graham's home town. Third on the list is a feature named "The Diamond in the Husks" where we get to visit the actual field in Iowa, which still exists today. I liked this feature because it is interesting to see how passionate people are about visiting this baseball field in the middle of nowhere.

The third feature is probably the most enjoyable one of all. It was originally from the Bravo channel and is a short documentary on the making of the movie. There's plenty of interesting insight into the film and the many people involved in its making. The next feature is a text-menu-based feature on America's stadium trivia. It was really nothing all that special to me; however, if you are a baseball freak, then you might enjoy it. Lastly, there are the usual DVD ROM features, which didn't seem to work on my machine. I had the disc in my system and clicked to go to the DVD ROM features. Once I got there, it was telling me to place the disc in my DVD player on my computer. Well, it was in my computer. What gives Universal?

Parting Thoughts
I do find it strange that I could enjoy a film backdropped around baseball, which I know very little about. To me, it was a film that I found inspiring by its hope and admiration for never giving up on what you believe in. No matter how stressful life can get, if you just stop and listen to your heart, you may find that there is a lot more to live for in life. It acts as a reminder to me that all the things I work for are nothing more than material items. The true essence of life is in the heart and dreams of the human spirit. It's wonderful to see a film like "Field of Dreams" come along and remind us of that. Even if the film is somewhere in the "Twilight Zone," it still manages to touch the heart and make a valid point that we should all aspire to...that is, when we have the time.