Field of Dreams...

[blindzebra]

The human aspect of a father having a catch with his son was lost on you.

The movie wasn't about literally having a catch with his dad...it's symbolic as part of the baseball metaphor.

The movie is about him regretting losing touch with his father...leaving him angry...him never meeting his daughter in-law or grand daughter...him never saying he was sorry that it happened before his father died.

The field is (in Ray's mind) being built to bring back his dad's favorite player Shoeless Joe...in reality he built it so he could bring his dad back to make up for all the things he lost a long time ago because he was too stubborn to pick up a phone or make a trip.

The movie ends with them playing catch because that takes them back to the relationship they had before he screwed things up and had years of regret.

 

[Doomsday]

The movie wasn't about literally having a catch with his dad...it's symbolic as part of the baseball metaphor.

The movie is about him regretting losing touch with his father...leaving him angry...him never meeting his daughter in-law or grand daughter...him never saying he was sorry that it happened before his father died.

The field is (in Ray's mind) being built to bring back his dad's favorite player Shoeless Joe...in reality he built it so he could bring his dad back to make up for all the things he lost a long time ago because he was too stubborn to pick up a phone or make a trip.

The movie ends with them playing catch because that takes them back to the relationship they had before he screwed things up and had years of regret.

Very well said!

 

[Nors]

I was just speaking about one small scene, a scene that I thought was very powerfull. The movie had a much bigger storyline agreed.

 

[trickblue]

Really...must have been filler for them to talk about how he refused to have a catch with his dad and told him Shoeless Joe was a cheater...Must have imagined him telling Terry Mann he regretted it?

That Terry got another chance to write about baseball after lying to Ray about the article Ray found about baseball, was just so he could joke about him using his finger for a gun?

That whole Doc coming back because he never got to bat in the majors and how he wondered how his life would be different had he not given up baseball must have been just to make the movie longer before dad took off the catcher's mask?

The movie was about fixing things from the past...you know building a field for the banned Black Sox to play again.

Believe me... I am fully aware of the meaning of the movie...

But thanks...

 

[Crown Royal]

I had seen it as a kid and it never did anything, but as an adult it makes me blubber.

 

[burmafrd]

ITs such a multi layered movie. Its about dreams and regrets and second chances and baseball and family. That is why it is remembered so fondly by so many.

 

[peplaw06]

It's about farmers and pain-in-the-***-brothers-in-law-who-won't-lend-you-money-and-instead-try-to-foreclose-on-you

 

[CoCo]

I love this movie to death for many reasons.

One of the most significant to me is its depiction of supernatural guidance, the doubts, the faith & cost to follow it, and the payout if you do.

And while I understand that was never the intent of that movie I find it interesting that it depicts that so powerfully.

One of my favorite scenes in the movie (though its ridiculous to try to single one out as there are so many great ones) is when Costner has built the field as he felt he was instructed, and then he is left to simply wait...

in the middle of the night, during the wintertime party as its covered with snow etc. Very powerful.

 

[StanleySpadowski]

You're all incorrect about the meaning of the film....

It's about how a person doesn't recognize the most significant moments in one's life as they occur. The defining scene in the film is when Archie "Moonlight" Graham makes the conscious decision to cross the line both literally and figuratively, becoming Dr. Graham, realizing that he can never play ball as his youthful self again.

 

[joseephuss]

I did not like it. I didn't hate it, but I did not understand why some made pilgrimages to the field.

I also did not like Jerry Maguire. Did nothing for me.

I have a hard time liking sports movies especially football movies. The action is usually terrible and so unrealistic. Like in Remember the Titans. They had guys running in slow motion, but filmed it live speed. Just silly. It was a nice story, but even that was changed to make it more hollywood.

Oliver Stone came somewhat close to getting a more realistic game action with the way he filmed Any Given Sunday with cameras on the players, but as is typical with all of his movies he over did it. Plus the story line and the rest of the film sucked.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

You're all incorrect about the meaning of the film....

It's about how a person doesn't recognize the most significant moments in one's life as they occur. The defining scene in the film is when Archie "Moonlight" Graham makes the conscious decision to cross the line both literally and figuratively, becoming Dr. Graham, realizing that he can never play ball as his youthful self again.

"Hey Rookie, you were good."

Burt Lancaster smiles knowingly, walks into the cornfield and disappears.

That's a great scene.

 

[blindzebra]

You're all incorrect about the meaning of the film....

It's about how a person doesn't recognize the most significant moments in one's life as they occur. The defining scene in the film is when Archie "Moonlight" Graham makes the conscious decision to cross the line both literally and figuratively, becoming Dr. Graham, realizing that he can never play ball as his youthful self again.

Not entirely correct.

That scene is because even though he regrets not having his shot at baseball, his impact on the world, and what he was meant to do, was to be Dr. Graham all along.

The tragedy wasn't him not playing baseball, it would have been him not becoming a doctor...now, your theory fits if he crosses the line because he realizes being a doctor was his significant moment...saving the girl was more important than him getting his at bat.

 

[CoCo]

Great character that Moonlight Graham.

When Ray visits him in Minnesota and offers him a chance to return to Iowa and chase his dream from long ago, in his old age Doc understands that he was meant to be a doctor more than a ballplayer and politely declines.

Then when faced with that decision yet again as young Archie at the Field of Dreams he again turns his back on baseball for his calling as a doctor.

Great, great character.

The whole movie seems eerily real to me.

 

[Nors]

Great character that Moonlight Graham.

When Ray visits him in Minnesota and offers him a chance to return to Iowa and chase his dream from long ago, in his old age Doc understands that he was meant to be a doctor more than a ballplayer and politely declines.

Then when faced with that decision yet again as young Archie at the Field of Dreams he again turns his back on baseball for his calling as a doctor.

Great, great character.

The whole movie seems eerily real to me.

Funny you mention that, I had that exact same feeling watching it in the movie theatre the first time.

 

[StanleySpadowski]

Not entirely correct.

That scene is because even though he regrets not having his shot at baseball, his impact on the world, and what he was meant to do, was to be Dr. Graham all along.

The tragedy wasn't him not playing baseball, it would have been him not becoming a doctor...now, your theory fits if he crosses the line because he realizes being a doctor was his significant moment...saving the girl was more important than him getting his at bat.

I do remember the conversation that occurred in Dr. Graham's office.

The point of crossing the line was that he was making the first decision in the whole movie that had a known outcome without any outside influences.

John McGraw not playing Graham made that decision for him at the time. It was stated more than once that if he had gotten a hit he would have never become a doctor.

A side issue then becomes how the significant moments are sometimes seemingly out of our control.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I do remember the conversation that occurred in Dr. Graham's office.

The point of crossing the line was that he was making the first decision in the whole movie that had a known outcome without any outside influences.

John McGraw not playing Graham made that decision for him at the time. It was stated more than once that if he had gotten a hit he would have never become a doctor.

A side issue then becomes how the significant moments are sometimes seemingly out of our control.

I agree with this. For example, Dish or Cable? Humm....... Dish, Cable, Dish, Cable. Suddenly, I found that only Dish came with NFL package and they were going to cripple me of it on the billing. No control at all in one of the biggest moments of my Cowboy life.