Collector's Edition DVD

Universal, widescreen 1.85:1, languages: English Dolby Surround [CC], French Dolby Surround, subtitles: Spanish, single side-dual layer, 70 chapters, rated PG, 105 min., $34.98, street date 4/28/98.

Supplements:

• Audio commentary from director Phil Alden Robinson & director of photography John Lindley
• A Field of Dreams video scrapbook featuring new interviews with director Phil Alden Robinson, James Earl Jones, Timothy Busfield, production designer Dennis Gassner, composer James Horner and head baseball coach Rod Dedeaux, with additional information and memorable images
• Behind-the-scenes footage
• Production notes
• Theatrical trailer
• The entire screenplay by writer/director Phil Alden Robinson, based on the novel Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella

Studio Line

Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Original Score, 1990.

Directed by Phil Alden Robinson. Starring Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, James Earl Jones, Burt Lancaster, Ray Liotta, Timothy Busfield.

"If you build it, he will come." With these words, Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) is inspired by a voice he can't ignore to pursue a dream he can hardly believe.

Supported by his wife Annie (Amy Madigan), Ray begins the quest by turning his ordinary cornfield into a place where dreams can come true. Along the way he meets reclusive activist Terence Mann, the mysterious "Doc" Graham and even the legendary "Shoeless Joe" Jackson.

A heartwarming experience that has moved critics and audiences like no other film of its generation, Field of Dreams is a glowing tribute to all who dare to dream.

Picture/Sound/Extras (A-/B+/A)

My guess would be that anyone reading this probably likes to own movies and to watch them more than once. For the most part, that's a good thing and I agree with it. However, I think there are some movies that should not receive additional viewings. This is not because these films are poor - in fact, I mean pictures that I liked the first time through - but simply because they don't hold up well to the second screening and whatever affection I originally had for the piece gets destroyed.

For some reason, Kevin Costner films feature prominently in my "Shouldn't have watched that again!" derby. Robin Hood, JFK, Dances With Clams, Field of Dreams... These are all movies that I liked that first time out but altered my opinion upon further review.

It had been a while since I saw Field of Dreams, so I thought I'd give it another chance. As usual, I was enticed by what appeared to be a fine special edition DVD; add to that a cheap five-day rental and I thought I'd give it a go.

Now that I've seen it again, I've concluded that FOD is actually a pretty decent little movie. It's not the greatest thing I've ever seen, but it's a fairly enjoyable and occasionally moving piece.

You know, right now I'm not even terribly sure what turned me off about FOD in the first place, but I think it was probably the frequently overly reverent attitude it displays towards baseball. This isn't because I don't like the game; in fact, I'm a lifelong baseball fan who counts it as easily his favorite sport. Nonetheless, I can't stand the whole "baseball as America" rhapsodizing that so frequently occurs. Whenever baseball starts to get viewed as some sort of mythological, unifying source, that's when I head for the exits; please keep George Will, Ken Burns and their ilk away from me.

Not that I deny the ways that baseball can tie people - especially fathers and sons - together. I can definitely relate to the experiences of Ray Kinsella (Costner), who never knew how to talk to his dad but could usually connect to him through baseball, so I perfectly understand the message being sent. I think that's largely the reason FOD worked for so many people, because lots of us see our own experiences depicted on the screen.

However, some people push the baseball-America metaphor way too far, and that's what turns me off. Thankfully, FOD avoids that trap for the most part. I could have lived without Terence Mann's (James Earl Jones) speech at the end, but other than that, there's not too much baseball religion happening here. Really, as has been said many times before, the movie isn't about baseball; it's about relationships and regrets, and baseball simply is the vehicle that motivates the story.

Actually, the use of baseball in the film is quite a clever device if for no reason other than that it helps draw men in to the story. Essentially, FOD meets most criteria to be a "chick flick," but it's rarely thought of that way. The fact that sports are involved makes the picture more accessible for a male audience.

FOD shoots for modest goals, and it achieves them pretty well. It's actually a lot like It's a Wonderful Life in that it seeks to remind the viewer to appreciate what they have rather than to constantly wish for something else. Some may view that message as subtly insidious - it seems to argue against pursuing dreams and desires - but I think it's something that too many of us forget too often; it's much easier to find the negative in your current situation and fantasize that something else would be better than it is to really understand and appreciate what positives you do have.

Enough philosophizing. Suffice it to say that FOD is an effective, well-made film that moves slowly but steadily and resolves with a nice emotional payoff. Although I'm not wild about Amy Madigan - just a little too SPUNKY for my liking - the acting's uniformly good and both cinematography and score are fine. FOD will never make my top ten favorite films list, but it's a good movie to watch on days when you feel bitter or depressed (I call those "weekdays").

So how about the DVD itself? Universal have done an absolutely fantastic job with this "Collector's Edition" release. Their products in that line are usually very good, but this one's outstanding.

The picture quality of FOD is terrific from start to finish. The film is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 on the dual-layered DVD. The image looks razor sharp and the colors seem bright and bold. A little grain pops up from time to time, but not enough to make a significantly negative difference. Black levels appeared solid as well. All in all, it's a fine looking film.

I also found the film's Dolby Pro Logic 2.0 mix to be pretty satisfying. Throughout the film, most audio appears natural and clear; I never had any quibbles with the quality of the dialogue or effects. The music usually sounds quite good, too, which is important since James Horner's score plays such an important role in the film. However, whenever the film used pop/rock music - such as a scene that featured the Doobie Brothers'" - the sound seemed somewhat flat and lacked bass. Those were the only serious quality problems I noticed, though; the rest of the film sounds surprisingly good for a decade old picture. The surround channels get an acceptable but unspectacular workout; really, considered the film's age and its genre, the sound mix works very well and it heightens the viewers enjoyment of the movie.

While the picture and sound quality of the Field of Dreams DVD are both very good, it's in the area of supplements that this package really shines. Universal really went all out in this department.

Probably the high spot of the supplements is the DVD's fine 89 minute program about the making of Field of Dreams. Universal probably makes the best, most cohesive film documentaries of any of the studios, and this feature lives up to that reputation. It combines interviews - both old and new - with all the major participants and lots of on location footage to offer a nicely complete telling of how the story made it to the big screen. The program provides a nice wealth of information about the film, and it provides it in an entertaining manner - what more could you want?

Also informative and useful is the solid audio commentary from director Phil Alden Robinson and director of photography John Lindley. While this track inevitably repeats some information we already heard in the documentary, it mostly provides new details about the film, and the participants manage to be engaging and interesting for the most part. Robinson dominates the commentary - I'd guess there's about a 70-30 split between the two - but Lindley offers enough good technical comments to make his presence worthwhile.

Immediately following the documentary are a whole bunch of other materials. In regard to purely visual items, we get a package of production photos, some publicity stills and advertising materials, and a few storyboards. The FOD DVD also included a lot of text information: some good cast and director biographies, strong production notes, statistics and photographs of some of the ballplayers featured in the film, a series of interesting newspaper articles about the real person who inspired one of the characters, and the complete shooting script for the film! Wow! Add to that the theatrical trailer and a nice essay from novelist W.P. Kinsella (who wrote the book upon which FOD was adapted) in the DVD's booklet and you have one awfully complete supplemental section!

While I was prepared to dislike Field of Dreams, I actually found it to be fairly charming and entertaining. Universal's Collector's Edition DVD of the film certainly didn't hurt its cause; it offers very good picture and sound and one of the best collections of supplemental materials to be found. With a list price of about $35, Field of Dreams is a little pricey, but when one considers the extremely high quality of the package, it's worth it. If you have any interest in this film, I recommend you give it a shot.