Review of Field of Dreams (1989) by Forrest P — 04 Sep 2010

I wasn?t entirely sure what to expect when I first sat down to watch Field Of Dreams. My other Kevin Costner experiences included JFK, Open Range, and Bull Durham and not once had he unimpressed me. Field Of Dreams easily impressed me.

This movie brought up an aspect of storytelling that can sometimes be overlooked. Value. In order for a good, emotional response be brought out of a picture, value has to be placed on some last object or action that seals the character?s or characters? goals. It sounds very technical and formulaic, but considering the fact that Costner?s game of catch brought a tear of joy to my eye in a way that no Michael Bay-esque kiss at sunset ever has really makes this point stand out. The idea that having one more game of catch with his father would mean the world to him is the reason this film works so well in the end.

But there are a lot of other parts of this film worthy of attention as well. For one, I loved the role of the supportive wife in any movie, and Field Of Dreams is one more example of that. Her character is what made the film wholly believable because she wanted the best for the family, was willing to make deals with the antagonists, and yet was still there and supportive of her husband each and every step of the way. So often I see a movie in which the bizarre events of the picture drive the wife away forever from the protagonist?s life. Are these screenwriters being realistic or lazy? That?s hard to say. Maybe both. All I know is that I got a better emotional response and a better sense of realism from having his wife stay with him than I would have if she had ?got sick of his shit and left.?

Field Of Dreams is one of the greatest fantasy films ever made, and it works because there is no Hollywood nonsense bombarding the audience at any given time. This is a film with a lot of heart just trying to tell a simple story with complex themes and even more complex events. It gets a big cheer and quite a few laughs along the way, made easy with the fantastic performances by Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones.

10/10.