Field of Dreams (DVD)

Let me add that James Earl Jones brings an added treat to the film, and I have always thought of him as the black Sean Connery of movies. Between the both of them, they have that unique voice and a screen presence that outshines the other people around them. In my opinion, James really helped to kick the film up a notch by delivering on such a reluctant, heartfelt, and interesting character. His presence screams intelligence of the highest, and he easily earns a demanding awe of respect. He is the kind of guy that they could make an entire movie of him on the crapper and I´d pay money to see it.

By the time Ray and Terence return to Iowa, things have gone for the worst. The bank is ready to foreclose on Ray´s farm and Ray and Annie are forced to make a tough decision. It is then that Terence relays a message to Ray, "Build it and they will come." He tells of people coming from miles to enjoy the past, which they have long forgotten. He tells of a past of people enjoying a good ball game with friends and family, and one that finds people from miles seeking their own redemption within themselves.

It is truly a heartwarming story, and one that shall be cherished among many of the baseball genre for years to come. Even though I found it to be about a lot more than just baseball, it succeeds in telling a story of redemption, following the heart, and enjoying the precious moments you have in life.

Video
Let me just mention that our promotion company that handles all of our Universal releases mistakenly ordered this DVD in a fullscreen format. Apparently, this was done on accident, and I was slated to get the widescreen release, but it was too late once they had noticed the error. However, with what I did get I found the picture to be very brilliant in color. It was sharp, vivid, and full of clarity. Other than its not being presented in widescreen, there is very little to complain about in the new anniversary edition.

Audio
The audio comes in Dolby 5.1 Surround and DTS 5.1 Surround. I, of course, played mine in DTS. Not that this is a landmark film for sound quality, but it was rich enough to deserve high markings here at DVD Town. It had a good balance and very acceptable dynamics. It´s not some intensive action film, so you don´t get as much from the rear speakers as you might like. However, it is a very good balance of overall tone and clarity.

Extras
Let me first mention that you will get the forced previews on disc one. I´m guessing this is going to be the norm for Universal DVDs in all future releases. They´ve been doing this for the past year, and I don´t see them stopping this annoying tradition.

The two-disc set comes with a good load of extras, as should be expected with an anniversary edition. Disc one comes with the usual commentaries by director Phil Alden Robinson and director of photography John Lindley. Disc one also comes with deleted scenes and a feature called "From Father to Son: Passing Along the Pastime." It is a feature of cast members, filmmakers, and baseball players chatting about their own experiences with their sons, and how this film has changed their lives. I found it a little too deep for me and found it no more pleasurable than watching a bunch of guys on ESPN talk about how great some sport is.

On the second disc, we have about six more features. First is "Field of Dreams Roundtable" where Kevin Costner brings over a few major league players to his home to watch "Field of Dreams." Here was yet another feature that bored me to tears as we watch a bunch of guys talk as though they´re in some serious ESPN forum. Personally, I skipped it about half way through. Second is a small feature about how they changed the small town of Galena, IL, into Chisholm, MN, for use as Moonlight Graham´s home town. Third on the list is a feature named "The Diamond in the Husks" where we get to visit the actual field in Iowa, which still exists today. I liked this feature because it is interesting to see how passionate people are about visiting this baseball field in the middle of nowhere.

The third feature is probably the most enjoyable one of all. It was originally from the Bravo channel and is a short documentary on the making of the movie. There´s plenty of interesting insight into the film and the many people involved in its making. The next feature is a text-menu-based feature on America´s stadium trivia. It was really nothing all that special to me; however, if you are a baseball freak, then you might enjoy it. Lastly, there are the usual DVD ROM features, which didn´t seem to work on my machine. I had the disc in my system and clicked to go to the DVD ROM features. Once I got there, it was telling me to place the disc in my DVD player on my computer. Well, it was in my computer. What gives Universal?

Parting Thoughts
I do find it strange that I could enjoy a film backdropped around baseball, which I know very little about. To me, it was a film that I found inspiring by its hope and admiration for never giving up on what you believe in. No matter how stressful life can get, if you just stop and listen to your heart, you may find that there is a lot more to live for in life. It acts as a reminder to me that all the things I work for are nothing more than material items. The true essence of life is in the heart and dreams of the human spirit. It´s wonderful to see a film like "Field of Dreams" come along and remind us of that. Even if the film is somewhere in the "Twilight Zone," it still manages to touch the heart and make a valid point that we should all aspire to...that is, when we have the time.