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THE 100 GREATEST MOVIE SEQUENCES OF ALL TIME Return to Main 100 Sequences Page | Enter Your Choices! |
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100 99 98 97 96 95 94 93 92 91 90 89 88 87 86 85 84 83 82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 NUMBER ONE
Ray Kinsella meeting his father and playing catch at the end
It's a very powerful and tender scene, directed with subtlety by Phil Alden Robinson. Ray asks his father, John Kinsella, if there
is a heaven, because this film is really about spirituality and hope. John replies "Oh, yeah -- it's the place dreams come true."
Lines like these remind people instantly of Disney movies and idealistic Frank Capra movies, and it was so welcome to see a
contemporary film join those ranks. At its tender conclusion, Ray finally calls John "Dad" and asks him if he wants to have a
catch, and the two have a game of catch right there in the middle of the field, while lines of people begin driving up as
predicted. This movie is filled with people obtaining messages from somewhere through voices, dreams, and it all leads to
this moment, when Ray and his father have one last chance together to be father and son. It's one of the most rousing and
emotional film endings I can think of -- and definitely one of the truly great happy endings of all time, and yes, one of the
few film sequences that has made me cry.
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FIELD OF DREAMS was one of the greatest fantasy films ever made, a film which can't even begin to make sense in reality, but is
so heartwarming and enjoyable it reminds you what is truly magical about the movies. During the film, Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella,
played by Kevin Costner, is propelled to build a baseball diamond in the middle of his cornfield because a voice in the field has
told him "If you build it, he will come" -- he thinks it means if he builds the field, the great Shoeless Joe Jackson will be able
to come back and play baseball again. Besides being one of the greatest sports films ever made, at its heart this film is about
family, and relationships specifically between father and son, and the hope to always get a second chance when death takes
a father away from him. Ray and his father never got along, and at age 17 he left home for good, and never got a chance
to say he was sorry. Building the field gives Ray his chance -- by the time this ending sequence is revealed, all that has come
before makes sense. If you build it, he will come. Heal his pain. Go the distance.