I have a relatively small list of sports movies that are truly memorable. Maybe for the story or the drama, or the fact it was about a favorite team, but there are a few that stand out. One of those has always been Field of Dreams (1989). I hadn’t given the movie a ton of thought recently, but it came right back to the front of my mind this week, when Major League Baseball played an official game on that little baseball field carved out of a cornfield in Iowa on August 12, 2021.
The Book
Quick background. The film is based on a book by W.P. Kinsella, called Shoeless Joe from 1982. Kinsella often wrote about baseball, but this book seemed to capture readers’ imaginations in a crossover between a book that is ostensibly about baseball, but really more about life, magic, dreams, and something quintessentially American.
The Movie
The film stars Kevin Costner as Ray Kinsella (same last name as the novelist) who plays an IA corn farmer who one day hears a voice teling him “If you build it, he will come.” He sees a vision in his mind of a baseball diamond in his cornfield with Shoeless Joe Jackson standing on it. Despite the seeming insanity of plowing under a field of corn, he eventually does it and builds the baseball field from his visions.
Eventually, Shoeless Joe Jackson (the player for the 1919 White Sox) appears. The movie then moves on to a roadtrip where Kinsella brings together a few people who were meant to come to the field, including a famous author, and a young hitchiker who is looking for a field where he can play ball.
We learn that Ray’s father dreamed of being a professional baseball player but it never panned out, despite his love of the game. He tried to instill that love of baseball in his son Ray, who rebelled, one day refusing to play catch with his dad. They later became estranged and his father died.
The movie is really about Ray’s search to reconnect with his father, who eventually comes to play baseball on the field, giving Ray the chance to play catch with his dad again. I defy any guy to watch the final scene of this movie and not get choked up. I’m doing it now as I’m writing the article an adjust remembering it. LOL!
The Game
In 2020, MLB scheduled a game at the actual field, which was created for the film but then left standing ever since as something of a tourist attraction. While the pandemic forced them to reschedule, August 12, 2021 was the date when an actual official MLB game was played between the New York Yankees and (appropriately) the Chicago White Sox in front of just under 8,000 fans at the most unique stadium in modern day baseball history.
And, the game was fantastic. In literally a ‘you couldn’t script it any better moment’ Chicago’s Tim Anderson hit the walk off, game winning home run in the bottom of the 9th inning. This was after the Yankees took the lead in the top of the 9th inning. Just WOW. What an electric game in the most amazing venue.
You can watch Kevin Costner’s intro speech before the game if you want to get some chills.
