2. Field Of Dreams
Choosing between Field Of Dreams and the next film was a daunting task. If you want to argue that Field Of Dreams is the greatest baseball film of all time, I won’t take any offense. It’s absolutely phenomenal. The fact it failed to win the Oscar in 1989 is one of the biggest Academy Awards snubs of all time. “If you build it they will come” is one of the most iconic lines in cinematic history. The “they” obviously referred to hugely devoted fans, critical acclaim, and respect as one of the greatest sports movies of all time. Basically everything except a tiny golden statue.
The premise sounds absolutely ridiculous. But it works. It works so well. I honestly can’t explain why other than it’s the magic of baseball. This film has an enduring and heartfelt quality that should appeal to far more than just fans of the game.
Kevin Costner is a baseball film great, and he shines the brightest in this role as Ray Kinsella, an Iowa farmer who builds a baseball diamond in his corn field. To say the first time Shoeless Joe and the rest of the Sox appear from the stalks and play ball is chilling, would be a major understatement.