7.5/10
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330 user 85 critic

Field of Dreams (1989)

PG | | Drama, Family, Fantasy | 5 May 1989 (USA)
An Iowa corn farmer, hearing voices, interprets them as a command to build a baseball diamond in his fields; he does, and the 1919 Chicago White Sox come.

Writers:

(book), (screenplay)
Reviews
Popularity
1,361 ( 146)

On Disc

at Amazon

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 10 nominations. See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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James Andelin ...
Feed Store Farmer
Mary Anne Kean ...
Feed Store Lady
Fern Persons ...
Annie's Mother
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Dee, Mark's Wife (as Kelly Coffield)
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Storyline

Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella hears a voice in his corn field tell him, "If you build it, he will come." He interprets this message as an instruction to build a baseball field on his farm, upon which appear the ghosts of Shoeless Joe Jackson and the other seven Chicago White Sox players banned from the game for throwing the 1919 World Series. When the voices continue, Ray seeks out a reclusive author to help him understand the meaning of the messages and the purpose for his field. Written by Scott Renshaw <as.idc@forsythe.stanford.edu>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

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

Genres:

Drama | Family | Fantasy | Sport

Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

5 May 1989 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Shoeless Joe  »

Filming Locations:

 »

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Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$531,346, 23 April 1989, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$64,431,625

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$84,431,625
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The aerial shot near the end showing cars lined up coming to the field required a complete blackout of the town. About fifteen hundred locals were enlisted. The number of cars, however, brought the traffic almost to a standstill. Drivers were instructed to flash their brights on and off to create the illusion of movement. See more »

Goofs

When Ray returns home with Terrance, Shoeless Joe tells them that Ty Cobb wanted to come to the field "but none of us could stand the son of bitch when we were alive, so we told him to 'stick it'". In reality, Cobb and Jackson were friends, and had a great deal of respect for one another. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Ray Kinsella: [voice over] My father's name was John Kinsella. It's an Irish name. He was born in North Dakota in 1896, and never saw a big city until he came back from France in 1918. He settled in Chicago, where he quickly learned to live and die with the White Sox. Died a little when they lost the 1919 World Series. Died a lot the following summer when eight members of the team were accused of throwing that series. He played in the minors for a year too, but nothing ever came of it. Moved to ...
[...]
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Crazy Credits

The Voice ................ Himself See more »

Connections

Referenced in Skins: Tony (2007) See more »

Soundtracks

The Timeless Street
(uncredited)
Composed and Conducted by James Horner
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Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
A Memorable Film For Most Men
10 January 2007 | by See all my reviews

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.


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