Field of Dreams (1989) directed by Phil Alden Robinson is a glaringly idyllic rendition of the arguably overtaxed notion of "follow your dreams." While deeper themes such as faith and references to a nascent national mythology in the form of baseball were constants in the narrative, such concepts are easily overshadowed by the consistent attempt to specifically appeal toward the sentimentalities of the film's contemporaneous target audience. Besides this, Field of Dreams may have accomplished little beyond eliciting the fleeting goosebump and momentary bout of fondness from the lay viewer who exists only on the uttermost peripheral of the American pastime, or those who are hardly familiar with the history of baseball required to truly appreciate the exclusive …show more content…
The voice, although exclusively concerned with commanding Kinsella to appease the spirits of long-dead baseball players, equally likely personifies the impulsiveness and spontaneity of Kinsella and Mann or God, the very moral progenitor of the impulse to be selfless. As a narrative device, the voice acts as the driving force behind the progress between different segments of the narrative. Simply put, Kinsella himself was never in control of his pilgrimage nor understood its purpose; simply deferring himself to the painfully vague directives revealed to him. Fueled by an incessant fear that he'll never succeed in pursuing his dreams and leading a repeat of his father's life, his compliance with the voice represents his faith in baseball and its pantheon of deceased greats. Coupled with its personal significance to both he and his father in his youth, his compulsive faith in the sport superseded his rationality and better
Besides an initial voiceover narration introducing Ray Kinsella (Kevin Cosner), his beloved wife Annie (Amy Madigan), and their young daughter Karin, this is the first scene in Field of Dreams, released in 1989 and directed by Phil Alden. The voice-over establishes the expectation of the film as being a sensible story about a loving couple trying to run a family farm in Iowa, and the subsequent scene (pictured above) quickly deconstructs that expectation. While working in his field one night, Ray hears a voice whispering “If you build it, he will come.” From then on, there are no more misconceptions about Field of Dreams being anything but an unapologetic fantasy in which an Iowa farmer mows down his fields to build a baseball diamond where
The film Fernando Nation is a documentary highlighting the Major League baseball Career of Fernando Valenzuela. This movie illustrates a new type of American dream through the eyes of Mexican Americans by showing their historical struggle to be accepted in society, portraying the humble beginnings of Fernando, and highlighting the national fame which he acquired throughout his Major League career. In so doing, Fernando Nation helps viewers to understand the Mexican people’s desire for social equality with others in the United States, as well as what their version of the American dream looked like.
After discovering a God-given talent, a young boy struggles to achieve his only dream; to become the best there ever was. Baseball is all he has ever known, so he prevails through the temptations and situations laid before him by those out to destroy his career. His hopes and dreams outweigh all the temptations along his journey. These hopes, dreams, and temptations are depicted through archetypes in the movie The Natural.
In this movie, the main character Ray Kinsella shows his faith in what he believes he should do. In the beginning of the movie Roy hears a voice from the corn saying, “If you build it he will come.” At this point Roy has no idea who is talking to him or what about. He tells his wife Annie and his young daughter Karen. He eventually realizes that the voices are telling him to build a baseball field so “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and his teammates can play ball. Our group thought that the voices are coming from Ray’s conscience. We thought the message the voice is trying to get across is that if he builds the baseball field his father will come. We thought this because throughout the movie Ray discusses his relationship with his father and how it wasn’t the greatest. Another example of why we thought the voice was his conscience is when the voice says, “Ease his Pain.” Ray thought that he should have eased the writer Terence Mann’s pain, but we thought the voice was saying ease the pain from the relationship with his father. The Kinsella family showed great faith throughout the movie, but Ray definitely proved his the best. By listening to the voices, he built an expensive baseball field, traveled across the country with Terence Mann to find Archibald Graham. He could have quit at any time and just forgot about the voices, but he continued to stay strong to his faith and follow his dreams. Though Ray did end up realizing why he was being told to do these things, his faith and willpower was tested throughout the movie.
Chad Harbach’s The Art of Fielding focuses on Henry, a small town boy that learns the value of life through the sport of baseball. Henry comes from humble beginnings of small town America, but suffers from a case of perfectionism – he will not stop short of achieving total perfection and this will eventually lead to his demise. He meets Mike Schwartz, a college baseball player that convinces him that college baseball is his future. Henry’s curiosity gets the best of him as he stumbles into the dark, cutthroat, and competitive world of college athletics. Once he steps foot in this world, Henry’s hunger for perfection is amplified. He sees the real world of athletics and
It is the natural inclination of all men and women to dream. In John Steinbeck’s novel “Of Mice and Men,” the American dream is sought after by many different characters. However, the main theme in the story is how these dreams are unattainable, and how because of the Great Depression, all American dreams were dead. But what is the American dream? A unitary definition does not exist, however, the meaning of living the American dream is something that differs for everyone. For some people, the American dream might be acceptance and equality. On the other hand, for others, it might mean fame and fortune. In the short story called “Of Mice and Men” the American dream seems unreachable for a number of characters, such as George, Lennie, Curlie’s Wife, Crooks, and Candy. Although the characters dreams seem eclectic, they all aspire to grasp the same thing: the fulfillment of life. George and Lennie’s dream of owning their own land and to live independently crumbles because of Lennie’s stupidity and strength, which he knows not of. In contrast, Curley's wife dreams of becoming an actress l...
During the late 80’s, Phil Alden Robinson developed a sensational story that revolved around a real life account of a sport tragedy. The viewers were immersed in a touching account of how sport, a social interest, can play a powerful role in human bonding; thus becoming a very spiritual component of life. It in itself has a profound effect on the societies’ spiritual experiences; and just like religion can respectfully be considered a form of spirituality for a modern society, as exemplified in Robinson’s movie ‘Field of Dreams’. This story resonates far beyond the power of dreams, its appeal lies in a vision of a perfect sport and the love for which can inadvertently resolve issues no matter how grand. The plot at first presents itself as a complex; or maybe even a strange series of events, but somehow its scenes string themselves into a moral about redemption and deep interpersonal bonds.
A central theme in this film correlates to the first concept of the 7 principles describing gender socialization in the United States (Rozema, notes, 2014). This film pervasively focuses on males as the more valued sex (Rozema, notes, 2014). Here, women should easily partition back into a doll mold or submissive role apart from the masculine roles women were called upon to fill during the war. The importance of men never left the focal point. For instance, the black and white scene presenting all the heroic baseball players enlistment to fight for their country, the announcer praises the men for fighting for America, yet questions, “what does this mean for baseball” (Marshall, 1992)? How would baseball continue without men? Ostensibly, a women’s baseball league was a desperate attempt saving rich men’s pocketbooks. Initially, most sport lovers and supporters (mostly male) viewed the women’s league as a superficial and an insignificant replacement to the “real” male version. Just as Dottie expressed to her daughter in the opening scene as she is packing her suitcase, “It was never important to me, it was just something I did” (Marshall, 1992),...
Baseball has for a long time been a staple in the American sporting culture as baseball and America have grown up together. Exploring the different ages and stages of American society, reveals how baseball has served as both a public reflection of, and vehicle for, the evolution of American culture and society. Many American ways including our landscapes, traditional songs, and pastimes all bear the mark of a game that continues to be identified with America's morals and aspirations. In this paper I will be addressing the long residuals of baseball as it specifically relates to the emergence of the American nation and its principles of nationalism. This is a particularly important issue because baseball seems to be a perfect representative system having many comparative analogies to the larger system of development, America. Since the sport first emerged, baseball and America have shared the same values, responded to the same events, and struggled with the same social and economic issues. To learn of the ideals concerning the sport of baseball in America, is to know the heart and mind of America.
The American Dream is often thought of as the key to happiness, usually defined as the thing that one wants to achieve in their lifetime. However, it does not always end the way one may wish. When one attempts to achieve it, he risks the possibility of failure. In many fictional novels, this theme is displayed. In novels and in real life, there are continuous interruptions with one’s dreams. Although the American Dream, however one may define it, promises hope for people and characters from all backgrounds, it is impossible to achieve.
In the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind stresses the importance of memory and how memories shape a person’s identity. Stories such as “In Search of Lost Time” by Proust and a report by the President’s Council on Bioethics called “Beyond Therapy” support the claims made in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
The ‘American dream’ is generally characterized by the way that people depict success in life. In a seminal text from a successful period in America’s history, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby shows how the ‘American dream doesn’t surround merely one definition, but rather the it is what we make it to be. Within the text, it can range from, wealth, fame, or falling in love with the man or woman of your dreams. In contrast, Fitzgerald’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” depicts the life of Benjamin Button who is anything else but normal, which is unfortunate as the dream for most characters in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is to be just that. Both explore how the American dream doesn’t necessarily have to be the same for
In this essay I will first explain what a Social Control Theory is and how Hirschi developed his theory ‘Social Bond’ from this, I will also discuss further development of his theory with Gottfredson in a ‘General Theory of Crime’. I will then discuss and consider the criticisms of both theories before providing my own conclusion, including why his theory is still relevant in today’s society.
This game of a stick and ball has captivated the United States during good and bad times. In either time most of us today can remember stories of players from the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. These are legendary figures in the sport of baseball that have are celebrated as hero’s and in scandal, i...
The search of the liberties and freedoms promised to all by the American Dream has led to the corruption of the key values of the Dream and the entrapment of all those who pursue it. A comparison of the novel Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates and the film American Beauty directed by Sam Mendes, specifically looking at the aspects of the Dream highlighted and criticised in each of the texts, reveals how the Dream continues to be an ideal situation which one can pursue their whole life and never achieve. Context, however, has changed the way people approach and attempt to achieve the Dream. Both texts use irony to highlight the unachievable characteristic of the Dream, however there are specific literary and cinematic techniques that highlight the corruption and superficiality of those trying to achieve happiness and that portray the entrapment of pursuers of the Dream.