Field of Dreams

Directed by Phil Alden Robinson, Field of Dreams follows Kevin Costner’s Ray Kinsella as he’s prompted to build a baseball diamond in his cornfield by a mysterious voice – with the subsequent arrival of Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) paving the way for a journey involving a forgotten writer (James Earl Jones’ Terence Mann) and a long-dead physician (Burt Lancaster’s Moonlight Graham). Filmmaker Robinson, armed with his own screenplay, delivers a deliberately-paced yet progressively absorbing drama that benefits substantially from Costner’s magnetic, engrossing performance, and there’s little doubt, as well, that Robinson elicits compelling (and endlessly entertaining) work from a superb assortment of periphery players – with Liotta, Jones, and Lancaster elevating the proceedings on a recurring basis with their (predictably) top-notch efforts. And although the narrative admittedly does contain a very small handful of lulls, Field of Dreams boasts a predominantly irresistible storyline that’s been augmented with a number of engrossing and downright spellbinding sequences – including Ray’s decision to initially build the aforementioned baseball diamond and his comedic attempts at winning over Jones’ jaded figure. By the time the iconic and thoroughly moving climax rolls around, Field of Dreams has undoubtedly cemented its place as a mostly captivating endeavor that hasn’t lost any of its impact in the years since its 1989 release.

***1/2 out of ****