Nice article by WP Kinsella
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10797026/mlb-wp-kinsella-25th-anniversary-field-dreams
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10797026/mlb-wp-kinsella-25th-anniversary-field-dreams
SumnerH said:Field of Dreams can't hold Bull Durham's jock. Inducing crying is a parlor trick, and even so I see more guys crying at Rudy, the Natural, or Hoosiers.
MJ, I don't know how old you are but the Fenway scenes aren't that far from reality. Ok getting a space across the street from the park? Maybe but many times in that pre-sellout streak mania days i was able to park at meters on Beacon or Brookline Ave less then an hour before first pitch. That's what sucks about the constant sell outs it's taken away the "it's a nice night, let's go to the game"Mugsys Jock said:See, I hated this movie.
First off, the movie had absolutely no sense of humor. Nostalgia's great and all, but for Christ's sakes, baseball is a fun game typically played by men with big personalities who are fun guys. Lighten up.
More importantly, it was so unrealistic.
Yes, I know it was a fable. And Shoeless Joe Jackson coming back from the dead and playing baseball in the cornfield Kevin Costner built in his back yard is fine by me. It's a movie and your imagination should run wild. All good.
But the Fenway scene was ridiculous. Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones drive to the ballpark, without any traffic, and get a parking space across the street from Fenway. They walk to the ticket window, walk into the ballpark and proceed to the concession stand to get a beer. And then... get this... they walk up to the beer stand, where there is NO LINE, buy two beers from a Harry M. Stephens worker who hands them their cups and SMILES at them, and they walk unabated to the beautiful box seats they had just bought on game day.
I mean, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is more realistic. Fatuous tripe.
doldmoose34 said:MJ, I don't know how old you are but the Fenway scenes aren't that far from reality. Ok getting a space across the street from the park? Maybe but many times in that pre-sellout streak mania days i was able to park at meters on Beacon or Brookline Ave less then an hour before first pitch. That's what sucks about the constant sell outs it's taken away the "it's a nice night, let's go to the game"
The night after Steroids21 threw his 20K game in 86 my roommate and I left our apartment in Quincy at 630, drove in, parked on Beacon St , had a beer and roast beef sandwich at the Cask and were in the bleachers for first pitch. Those days are gone
And yes I was a total fucking puddle the first time I saw FoD
johnmd20 said:
I felt like his post was satire. I mean, he joked about a guy coming back from the dead, while deriding its lack of realism. Movies aren't realistic, who knew?
Hendu for Kutch said:Some trivia you can use to win a bar bet: Field of Dreams is the first Affleck-Damon movie. They were extras in the Fenway Park scene.
It's possibly not even a top-2 Costner baseball movie ever made.MentalDisabldLst said:The author may be a pompous ass, but it's still the best sports movie ever made, in my opinion. It's the only movie I can think of which, upon watching the ending for the first time, results in the vast majority of male American viewers openly weeping. Plus Fenway Franks feature in it. What's not to love?
Dan to Theo to Ben said:It's possibly not even a top-2 Costner baseball movie ever made.
Then again, my favorite baseball movie is/was ALOTO, so what do I know.
And I agree with Mugsy. Need comedy in a baseball movie (ML is 2nd on my list)
FLG has Kelly Preston. Point, FLGcromulence said:
You didn't really just say For Love of the Game is better than Field of Dreams, did you? Because no. It's not.
"Hey, thought some of you might be interested in this Field of Dreams article by the guy who wrote the book, seeing as it's the 25th anniversary and all"
"I cried." *sniff*
"Field of Dreams sucks! [Insert baseball movie] is WAY better!"
"No it isn't, 'cuz FoD was awesome."
"No, [This other baseball movie] kicked FoD's ass. It's better, just because."
"Well, [yet another baseball movie] was actually the best baseball movie ever."
drleather2001 said:
Ya, I think it was a joke.
The best part about Field of Dreams is Burt Lancaster. The rest is kind of silly, IMO. I also want to punch the brother in law in the face.
I mean, the father and son thing is just too much. I get that it's the quintessential thing that American fathers and sons do together, but if you stop and think about it, it's fucking ridiculous. "Oh hi Dad, it's been forever. Instead of asking you any questions about you or mom or anything, hey, let's throw a ball back and forth."
It's cheap.
mabrowndog said:
Another day, another enlightening SoSH debate.
Comfortably Lomb said:
Unconfirmed, uncredited extras according to IMDB. I'm not paying up with that kind of stipulation ("hey, they were there! ...maybe"). School Ties actually, you know, has them in the movie.
Matt Damon was an extra in Field of Dreams with friend Ben Affleck when they were just starting out.
StuckOnYouk said:
The father/son thing is the foundation of the movie. And the ending is perfect. There's nothing cheap about it.
drleather2001 said:
Baseball has enough myth, history, and legend that it doesn't need to pander to the audience with supernatural and maudlin.
When you first saw this movie, presumably 25 years ago, is this the way you felt?drleather2001 said:
Baseball has enough myth, history, and legend that it doesn't need to pander to the audience with supernatural and maudlin.
johnmd20 said:
You are too cynical. It was a good movie that ended in an earnest and non-ironic way. Not everything has to be ripped apart because it's not real enough for the cool kids.
drleather2001 said:
Ah, the "You must think you're cool" chestnut because I don't like something that lots of other people do.
Nice to see that one again.
doldmoose34 said:MJ, I don't know how old you are but the Fenway scenes aren't that far from reality. Ok getting a space across the street from the park? Maybe but many times in that pre-sellout streak mania days i was able to park at meters on Beacon or Brookline Ave less then an hour before first pitch. That's what sucks about the constant sell outs it's taken away the "it's a nice night, let's go to the game"
The night after Steroids21 threw his 20K game in 86 my roommate and I left our apartment in Quincy at 630, drove in, parked on Beacon St , had a beer and roast beef sandwich at the Cask and were in the bleachers for first pitch. Those days are gone
And yes I was a total fucking puddle the first time I saw FoD
johnmd20 said:
I didn't realize that was a chestnut. If you happen to be hearing this a lot, it might mean something.
SumnerH said:Field of Dreams can't hold Bull Durham's jock. Inducing crying is a parlor trick, and even so I see more guys crying at Rudy, the Natural, or Hoosiers.
drleather2001 said:
Or it might mean that you'd prefer to start a pissing match rather than actually debate the merits of the movie in question.
Your comment might also mean that you like to take the side of things that are popular, and then try and belittle people who disagree with your side, knowing most people will agree with you, which makes you nothing more than some pathetic type of bully.
It might mean lots of things.
Reverend said:
I agree with this. And if you want a really great sports movie, get a copy of Mystery Alaska.
I can't stand the father son stuff. I don't remember when I first saw the movie, but I think it was before my father died, but I don't remember. But it continues to strike me as an imaginary hypothetical about how young males who aren't good at emotions (for a number of social reasons) imagine they would feel and it seems deep. If you want to see a great movie about deep, father son stuff with death, get a copy of Big Fish.
And make sure you don't have any plans for after the movie.
I don't begrudge anyone's enjoyment of the movie. But it's pop music and candy--which I also enjoy.
pedro1918 said:I can't get past the fact there are no Negro League players out there. You're telling me that Terrence "The Boat Rocker" Mann would have given that monologue without mentioning the Negro Leagues?
You know, I never realized this before. It now strikes me as something extremely wrong given how they built up Mann's character. Fine point.pedro1918 said:I can't get past the fact there are no Negro League players out there. You're telling me that Terrence "The Boat Rocker" Mann would have given that monologue without mentioning the Negro Leagues?
drleather2001 said:
Ya, I think it was a joke.
The best part about Field of Dreams is Burt Lancaster. The rest is kind of silly, IMO. I also want to punch the brother in law in the face.
I mean, the father and son thing is just too much. I get that it's the quintessential thing that American fathers and sons do together, but if you stop and think about it, it's fucking ridiculous. "Oh hi Dad, it's been forever. Instead of asking you any questions about you or mom or anything, hey, let's throw a ball back and forth."
It's cheap.