Andy Summers 🤠’s review published on Letterboxd:
"If you build it, he will come".
There are movies that have an effect on you no matter what sort of mood you're in. Phil Alden Robinson's "Field Of Dreams" has had me in tears every time I've watched it. Unfairly described as a Baseball film, it's so much more than that.
Kevin Costner was in the middle of his heyday back in 1989 when this magical movie hit the cinemas. Magical you say? Well what would you call a film where an Iowa farmer hears voices in his cornfield and then plays Baseball with dead former legends of the game. It's a movie that shouldn't have worked, but with Robinson's tender touch giving the film more than a little schmaltz, it'll have you reaching for the cleanex. A story of faith, of regret, and a second chance to fulfill a dream, "Field Of Dreams" offers a unique take on relationships and is testament to the power of storytelling. By the time you add a cast that includes both Ray Liotta at his most charismatic and James Earl Jones at his most bombastic, Costner doesn't do it all on his own. A small role for Burt Lancaster that brought that magical feel of the film right to the fore was also his last screen appearance before his death. From Iowa to Minnesota via Boston we see Costner's Ray Kinsella following his heart in the quest for answers. Jones and Costner have some great sparring and with a script that has a lovely endearing quality, it's both quaint and witty. Jones's sarcasm is especially funny and with Amy Madigan adding much needed support as Costner's wife, this does wear it's heart on it's sleeve.
This is a movie that's hard to put a handle on. You try to describe it to someone and they give "that look". Another weird film Andy reckons is worth watching? As far as fantasy films go, it's right up there. It doesn't have flashy special effects or orcs and goblins but it's still a fantasy film with heaps of drama. I lost my dad when I was young and the fact that Costner's character gets the chance to spend time with him again really resonates with me. I'd give anything to spend time with my father again and even as I write this I'm filling up just thinking about it. Much much more than a movie about Baseball, this is a film that will effect you emotionally if, like me, you lost someone special well before their time.