FIELD OF DREAMS (1989)

[zombie no.one]

first time viewing, holy late pass

I'm not going to be an edge-lord and post this in the 'bad movies' section, but I was really underwhelmed by this. It was soppy and sentimental in ways that bored me.

All of it seemed so far fetched, and yet they were clearly going for realism with the acting. an odd mix.

I would say the fact I know zilch about baseball is irrelevant - for e.g. I have zero interest in the world of theater productions and yet WAITING FOR GUFFMAN is a classic movie to me...

thoughts and opinions on this one? did any of you grow up with this movie and have some nostalgia attached to it?

[RCMerchant]

You said it all in three words- " soppy and sentimental ".

[Trevor]

The ending of that film where the camera rises up over the baseball field where Kevin Costner and his Dad are playing catch and shows the hundreds of cars bringing people to the field always makes me think of my own Dad who would have been 90 on Sunday.

🥺😢

[zombie no.one]

You said it all in three words- " soppy and sentimental ".

I really wasn't sure what tone it would have... was half expecting 'buddy' comedy or full on sports action stuff.

The ending of that film where the camera rises up over the baseball field where Kevin Costner and his Dad are playing catch and shows the hundreds of cars bringing people to the field always makes me think of my own Dad who would have been 90 on Sunday.

🥺😢

sure, I can see it might elicit things like this. As someone who's basically had zero relationship with their own father there's probably some things that don't tug on me old heartstrings in the same way they might for others?

it was interesting to see a pre GOODFELLAS Ray Liotta, at least....

(Auto-corrects changes that to Ray Lolita, hah)

[Trevor]

You said it all in three words- " soppy and sentimental ".

I really wasn't sure what tone it would have... was half expecting 'buddy' comedy or full on sports action stuff.

The ending of that film where the camera rises up over the baseball field where Kevin Costner and his Dad are playing catch and shows the hundreds of cars bringing people to the field always makes me think of my own Dad who would have been 90 on Sunday.

🥺😢

sure, I can see it might elicit things like this. As someone who's basically had zero relationship with their own father there's probably some things that don't tug on me old heartstrings in the same way they might for others?

it was interesting to see a pre GOODFELLAS Ray Liotta, at least....

(Auto-corrects changes that to Ray Lolita, hah)

😊😊

I had a good relationship with my dad and he would always be game for a catch. 😊

It's just that final shot with the hundreds of cars bringing people to the field which always makes me think there's some South African ninjas chopping onions somewhere.

It also changes the IF YOU BUILD IT HE WILL COME thing to the much more emotional IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME and they do. 🥺

[M.10rda]

I too have no interest in baseball, as well as a deceased father who loved (loved....... loved) baseball. I likely wouldn't have watched it, ever, if he hadn't rented it/put it in the VCR in late '89 or early '90. I only remember seeing my father cry during two films. One of them was at the end of FIELD OF DREAMS. (He missed his dad, who I'd never met, too.) So, my opinion of this one likely is colored by those sentiments. However I did watch it again 15 or so years later (after my own dad had passed) and... well, the film holds up, and the finale certainly hit me hard, too. Perhaps it's not about baseball at all - just about wanting to connect to something you've lost.

Phil Alden Robinson seemed to disappear after SUM OF ALL FEARS (understandably) but judging from FIELD and SNEAKERS he was clearly a guy w/ some abilities.

In some ways I guess one could say WAITING FOR GUFFMAN isn't about theatre, either. Last night I made a GUFFMAN joke in a crowded theater full of many people who aren't traditional theatregoers (or likely movie buffs) and it got some laughs, so obviously that film has some transcendental appeal!

[bob]

I've loved this movie from the first time I saw it as a youngster to these days.