When I was a little kid, I wanted to be a major league ballplayer. I guess that's a lot of children's dreams. But I knew at about age 12 I would never be good enough for that. Eventually I became a journalist, not an award-winning journalist like Terrence Mann, but one who enjoyed documenting people's triumphs and tragedies. That's basically what "Field of Dreams" is all about for me. It features the ups and downs of life, and how we handle the good and the bad through life's journey. This is one of those movies that brings out many kinds of emotional responses as you watch it. I especially love the scene when James Earl Jones delivers his message about baseball and how it has marked the time in America. He has the perfect voice for reflecting on how baseball represents the innocence in us. I became a huge baseball when it was instilled in me as a 5-year-old child. And my love for this game has never wavered despite all the ugliness in today's professional game that exposes it mostly as a multi-billion dollar business where team loyalty is disregarded. When I attend a ballgame (pre Covid-19), all that ugliness is temporarily forgotten about as I "walk out to the bleachers, sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon". Many times I try to make a point of watching this movie just prior to the MLB season's opening day. I remind myself this game can represent the good in humanity despite the greediness it shows among those who run it.
Reviews
2 Reviews
The Scout
(1994)
I can't stand Albert Brooks in this movie and I can't stand this movie.
24 April 2020
I like good baseball movies - the Natural, Field of Dreams, the Sandlot, Pride of the Yankees, etc.
But I hate this movie because I can't tell if this is supposed to be a comedy or a drama. It seems like neither.
Also, the baseball scout, played by Albert Brooks, seems more out of touch with reality than the troubled Brendan Fraser character. I can't stand Brooks in this movie.
i am usually more of a glass-half-full type of person when I evaluate movies, but I can't believe some of the favorable comments for The Scout. You have to be kidding?
I can't believe that Bob Costas and Tim McCarver, both with well-respected baseball reputations, would agree to be part of the absurd ending. I know it's a movie, but as someone who loves baseball, the final scene is a complete insult to the game...and the movie business.
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