If you asked me yesterday what I thought of "Field of Dreams," I would've probably spoken favorably. It had been years since I last watched it -- must've been high as shit.
The movie reminded me of the Christian Rock Hard episode of "South Park," in which the record exec questions Cartman's feelings toward Christ. "You really, really love Jesus." "Yeah, don't you?"
If I had to spend the day listening to Kevin Costner's character spew his cornball pronouncements about the game I'd turn to football. Go suck off a Louisville slugger and be done with it, Ray.
Then there's all that hippie angst -- "Oh, I'm turning into my father" ...
Finally, if you're making a valentine to the game, get your facts straight. Nothing against Ray Liotta, but having him play Shoeless Joe Jackson would be like casting Johnny Depp as Babe Ruth.
I'm not against sentimentality (the subplot about Moonlight Graham was a nice touch). And I'll admit, the movie worked for me the first time I saw it.
Must've been high.
--CB
No bullshit, no superstar nonsense, no contract disputes. Just me and a beer, spending a couple of hours outdoors and enjoying baseball.
Posted by: free russian dating website | August 15, 2011 at 10:32 AM
And I agree with Clete, the "Shoeless Joe" book was better (and slightly different) than "Field of Dreams", the movie it spawned. I own a copy of the book as well.
Posted by: Mike Lum | November 16, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Eight Men out was good, especially the baseball sequences. I've got to throw a shout out for "Bingo Long", the late-70's Negro Leagues movie starring Billy Dee Williams and James Earl Jones...filmed in my hometown, Macon (at fields I played on!).
Still, I'm a sucker for Field of Dreams. I own a copy, but haven't watched it in a while.
Posted by: Mike Lum | November 16, 2008 at 11:42 AM
Agreed about Lone Gone. Great movie that few know about!
Posted by: Viva Rufino Linares! | November 15, 2008 at 05:09 PM
Long Gone is the most underrated baseball movie of all time!
Posted by: Willie Montanez | November 15, 2008 at 01:23 AM
I enjoyed the book better than the movie. For me, the farfetched plot of Shoeless Joe worked better as I read it from the printed page than when I saw it on celluloid as Field of Dreams. Granted, there are certain parts of he movie that I like - hell, the end of the movie when Ray gets to play catch with his dad ALWAYS gets me.
The Eighties were a period of excellent baseball movies: Bull Durham, Major League, Long Gone (an HBO movie), Eight Men Out, The Natural... The Natural was even schmaltzier than Field of Dreams but the story works better. I sometimes wonder, though how folks would feel about The Natural if the moviemakers had kept the dark ending of the novel.
Oh, and I've never found Liotta believable as Shoeless Joe.
Posted by: clete boyer fan | November 14, 2008 at 11:15 PM
VRF is right: we have become too cynical. So that's exactly why I enjoy Field so much now. I feel a little less cynical after watching it, because it emphasizes the joy I can still find in baseball- much like going to a minor league game. No bullshit, no superstar nonsense, no contract disputes. Just me and a beer, spending a couple of hours outdoors and enjoying baseball.
Posted by: Steven | November 14, 2008 at 02:55 PM
While, I still like the movie, it has not worn well over time. Maybe we are all too cynical now. Eight Men Out is a great movie. Sayles portrayed the details of 1900's baseball to a "T". While the basball scenes in Major League are not the best, there are lots of great lines, especially from Uecker. Actually, my new favorite would be The Rookie. Still kinda schmaltzy, but enjoyable.
Posted by: Viva Rufino Linares! | November 14, 2008 at 08:49 AM
It's baseball meets Patch Adams. BTW, Roger Angell hates it, too.
I like Ray Liotta -- but you might as well cast him as Sarah Palin.
The Natural, Eight Men Out, to name a couple, are much better baseball movies.
Posted by: CB | November 13, 2008 at 04:56 PM
Dude, I think you must've been high when you wrote this post.
How is is any more "cornball" than any other movie, baseball-related or not?
"Hippie angst"? WTF? Doesn't everyone go through this as they get older and realize they're becoming their parents?
So you don't like Liotta as Jackson; what's "wrong" with it? It's not like they cast Don Ameche or something like that. Jeez.
I think you're the first person I ever seen rip the movie, baseball fan or not. Wow. Sure, it's sentimental. Lots of movies are. A certain degree of suspension of disbelief is needed to buy into a few of the plot points- like many movies require. But to call it dreck? Wow...
Posted by: Steven | November 13, 2008 at 08:40 AM
But...but...Iowa!
Posted by: Some Other Mike | November 13, 2008 at 01:57 AM