Is Field of Dreams Based on a true story?

By Oliver Wiener April 09, 2024 18:20

Photo by Brian Power/The Register

Field of Dreams is a 1989 movie directed by Phil Alden Robinson, starring Kevin Costner under his glaring halo made from God-light selves; Amy Madigan is an overly saccharine ethereal wife to the Baseball Ethos incarnate known as James Earl Jones (of “drill Sergeant” fame) and Ray Liotta.

Field of Dreams is a movie about Ray Kinsella, who hearsbthe voice of James Earl Jones (as Terrence Mann) telling him to build a baseball diamond in his cornfield.

As the tale goes on, that diamond is a home field to illustrious figures of the ball's past that are resurrected to play. This leads to the question, is Field of Dreams a true story?

Where the Story Came From

It was inspired by the novel "Shoeless Joe" (1982) written by W. P. Kinsella, which formed a part of their Daughter in Her Age series. Feldman chuckled when "Shoeless" Joe Jackson's name came up, saying the original inspiration for his novel was indeed based on that fabled baseball legend banned from the sport following Chicago's infamous Black Sox scandal of 1919.

Kinsella's novel incorporates magical realism and baseball elements, but it's this title that was predominantly relied upon for the movie.

Shoeless Joe Jackson

"Shoeless" Joe Jackson was an early 20th-century professional baseball player who played for the Cleveland Naps, now the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.
The great Joe Jackson — who earned the nickname "Shoeless Joe" when he took off his shoes during a game after suffering blisters from new cleats.

He was fined for life in every league but not formally charged with a crime until his career abruptly ended, as he and seven teammates were accused of colluding to throw the 1919 World Series to gamblers who offered money.

As a result, this framing doomed the reputations of players such as Jackson themselves and led to them never again playing professional baseball.

The Connection to Reality

Although "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and the 1919 Black Sox scandal do exist in history, the players returning as spirits to play on a diamond is fictitious.

The Iowa Farm

Perhaps the most iconic aspect of Field of Dreams is the beautiful Iowa farm where they constructed a baseball field. After the film came out, the Dyersville, Iowa farm became a sought-after tourist attraction.
Visitors come from near and far to see the field of dreams, with some pieces of movie history still intact even now.

Impact of the Film

Field of Dreams has had an imprint on the landscape of pop culture, and sports fans as well. The cultural lexicon now contains immortal lines like, "If you build it, he will come."

To sum up: The reason the film is still popular today and its original Iowa farm location remains a celebrated tourist destination speaks to how enduringly timeless it has been over decades.

True story or not, Field of Dreams is already a classic movie in the books and one we would never want to miss.