“Until I heard the voice, I’d never done a crazy thing in my whole life.”

A pitch perfect opening montage introduces us to Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) as he briefly tells the story of his late father John (Dwier Brown), the eventual meeting with his wife Annie (Amy Madigan), the birth of their daughter Karin (Gaby Hoffmann), and traverses decades to land in their present state of being in Iowa. Ray is a reluctant farmer and happy family man, and while walking the corn stalks of his crop one evening before dinner, he hears a voice and his steely eyes mimic that of the Hawkeye state. “If you build it, he will come.” The words possess him, and one day he simply sees it in a vision; the Field of Dreams. The seed is successfully planted. Demolition and construction and watering begin. We’ll see if it takes root.

Ray believes that the person to come must be the long deceased Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta), and he eventually does, miraculously yet cautiously stepping back into a world and a sport from which he had been banned and left behind. Ray nervously shanks one ball before flying a few to left field, and serves as pitcher to Joe for some impromptu batting practice. Soon after all 8 from the Black Sox Scandal are having a practice. Ray thinks he’s answered the calling. But the voice returns, telling Ray to “Ease his pain,” and the journey continues. It leads him to the door of legendary author Terence Mann (James Earl Jones), back in time with Dr. ‘Moonlight’ Graham (Burt Lancaster), and back home after hearing “Go the distance” whilst at a Red Sox game. Everything leads back to Iowa. Or Heaven. Maybe it’s both.

The first time I watched Field of Dreams, I was admittedly skeptical about the scenes with James Earl Jones. None of them worked for me the first time around. But today I see them as the softening of a soul that had been hardened over time, now surrendering one’s self over to childlike wonder and possibility. And for me, that’s the real reason this picture has stood the test of time. The story shows us that you can do the right things for the wrong reasons, yet still arrive at the proper destination so long as your intentions are pure and honest. It’s a masterclass lesson in intuition, imagination, humility, and empathy. This secular yet deeply spiritual film flips the common phrase on end, and shows how unwavering belief in the unknown is the key to seeing what can be felt and heard and observed. You can’t honestly root for what you don’t believe in.

Poetic monologues, a magical score from James Horner, and gentle direction from Phil Alden Robinson give the picture a natural look with a bit of longing for nostalgia. There’s a hankering for a period when baseball was America’s true pastime. But the film doesn’t tie dye every little detail neatly either, giving Annie space to relive her protests from the 60’s against the kinds of radical book burners we sadly still have today, and makes room for her brother Mark (Timothy Busfield) who plays the rationalist of the bunch, assuring Ray that he’s bordering on bankruptcy and foreclosure if he doesn’t sell. As you could probably guess, all Mark sees is an empty field. For him, there are no dreams attached, at least from the onset.

Field of Dreams defines Heaven as a place where dreams come true, and as a young man who grew up around the sport, I can attest that place most certainly can be the ball diamond. This is a sports film that’s not just romantic about the game itself, but is ultimately a romance about the bonds me make along the way, and is a deep rumination on how regret and grief can drive us to explore the unexplainable. And while its themes are universal, at its core, this is a story about a child wanting to mend the relationship with his father, even if he doesn’t realize that’s what he’s after all along. Watching this movie now gives me goosebumps. It transports the senses; you can smell the freshly cut grass, hear cleats kicking up the infield, taste the iced water from a personal sized Igloo water jug, and feel the salt in the sweat staining the brim of your hat. And at the end, you realize just how much can be said with a few looks and having a good old fashioned catch with your dad. Field of Dreams isn’t flawless, but it is timeless, and I’d go so far as to call it one of our greatest American motion pictures. It exemplifies the goodness and kindness we should aspire to as a people.

Rating: 5 out of 5

“The memories will be so thick, they’ll have to brush them away from their faces.”