|
| |
Field
of Dreams
(1989)
 | Information at Internet
Movie Database |
| "Teaching
Field of Dreams as Cosmogonic Myth," Mara E. Donaldson, Journal
of Religion and Film, 1998. |
|
Review, Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Health -
Spiritual Practices for Human Being. |
| Themes
 | Abraham
 |
Ray Kinsella and his wife give up everything in
Iowa/UR to find the promise land. At the end of the movie
their daughter envisions the field as a promised land for people,
and as the credits roll their are headlights as numerous as the
stars coming to the promise land of an Iowa baseball field. (Niel
Climer)
|
|
| Afterlife/Heaven
& Hell
| A host of long-dead ball players
come out of the night fog of the corn to play on the ball field, one
asking, "Is this heaven?" To which, the farmer
responds, "It's Iowa." (Mark D. Johns,
Instructor of Communication/Linguistics, Luther College, Decorah,
Iowa) |
|
| Call
| An Iowa farmer hears a mysterious
voice borne on the wind blowing through his corn field, "If you
build it, he will come!" The voice becomes more
insistent, until he gives in and builds a baseball diamond, complete
with lights for night games and bleachers for spectators. (Mark D. Johns, Instructor of Communication/Linguistics, Luther
College, Decorah, Iowa) |
|
| Father-Figure
| But the real "He" who was
to come is the farmer's long estranged and now dead father. In
a simple game of "catch" on the field they have a chance
to talk, see life from the other's point of view, and experience
forgiveness and a restored relationship. (Mark D.
Johns, Instructor of Communication/Linguistics, Luther College,
Decorah, Iowa) |
|
| Faith
| There are several good scenes for use in worship on
this subject, but I think the best one is where James Earl Jones's
character is invited by the baseball players to go with them, beyond
the field into the corn. He wants to go, even though he knows he
won't be able to come back, because it's his destiny, what he was
brought to Iowa for. So he takes a few tentative steps, then joyful
enters the unknown. (Anonymous) |
|
| Forgiveness/Reconciliation
| An Iowa farmer hears a mysterious
voice borne on the wind blowing through his corn field, "If you
build it, he will come!" The voice becomes more
insistent, until he gives in and builds a baseball diamond, complete
with lights for night games and bleachers for spectators. A
host of long-dead ball players come out of the night fog of the corn
to play on the ball field, one asking, "Is this heaven?"
To which, the farmer responds, "It's Iowa." But the
real "He" who was to come is the farmer's long estranged
and now dead father. In a simple game of "catch" on
the field they have a chance to talk, see life from the other's
point of view, and experience forgiveness and a restored
relationship. (Mark D. Johns, Instructor of
Communication/Linguistics, Luther College, Decorah, Iowa) |
|
| Seeing/Not Seeing
| Throughout the movie, Ray sees things that others
do not. Only when they have awakened to the faith of the field
do they see. John 9:25. Especially the last scene where
the skeptical brother in law sees the players on the field for the
first time. (Niel Climer) |
|
|
Index of Movie Titles
Index of Movie Themes
|
