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In the 1989 film Field of Dreams, the title serves as a thematic anchor for the movie's exploration of redemption, second chances, and the intersection of reality and magic. However, the title's presence in the film is unique because it is never spoken by any character.
Here is the significance of the title in relation to the plot and specific details regarding its usage.
The title Field of Dreams functions on three primary levels:
1. The Literal and the Supernatural
The "Field" refers to the baseball diamond that Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) carves out of his Iowa cornfield. The "Dreams" refers to the fact that this field acts as a portal for the ghosts of deceased ballplayers—specifically "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and the seven other Chicago White Sox players banned after the 1919 Black Sox scandal. For these men, the field is a literal dream come true: a chance to play the game they were exiled from in life.
2. Unfulfilled Aspirations
The title reflects the personal "dreams" of the three main characters:
3. Faith and "The Build"
The title ties back to the film's most famous line: "If you build it, he will come." The act of building the field is an act of pure faith. Ray risks his family's financial security to build a structure based on a vision. In this sense, the "Field of Dreams" is the physical manifestation of Ray's leap of faith.
No character ever says the words "Field of Dreams" in the film.
The phrase is entirely extra-diegetic (existing outside the world of the story). Throughout the movie, characters refer to the location simply as "the field," "the diamond," "this place," or—most famously in the exchange between Shoeless Joe and Ray—"Heaven."
It is worth noting that the film is based on the novel Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella. The studio (Universal) decided to change the name to Field of Dreams because they felt the original title sounded like a movie about a "hobo" or a niche sports biography.
When the director, Phil Alden Robinson, called the author to tell him the studio was changing the name of his book for the movie, Kinsella reportedly replied that "Field of Dreams" was actually his own original title for the book, but his publisher had insisted on Shoeless Joe. Therefore, the title of the film is a return to the author's original intent, even if it is never spoken in the script.
The "Field" is the setting, but the "Dreams" are the "un-played innings" of the characters' lives. The significance lies in the fact that the field provides a "second chance"—a recurring theme in the film—allowing the characters to resolve their past regrets in a way that would be impossible in the real world.
While the summary mentions the 'Is this heaven?' exchange with Shoeless Joe, it doesn't note that a similar, perhaps more important exchange happens near the end of the film when Ray meets his father. John Kinsella says 'It's the place where dreams come true,' which directly connects to the film's title.
The summary incorrectly states Kinsella's original title was 'Field of Dreams' when it was actually 'Dream Field' or 'Dreamfield' - a subtle but important distinction for accuracy.
The title Field of Dreams serves as a thematic anchor for the 1989 film's exploration of redemption, second chances, and the intersection of reality and magic. The title functions on multiple levels: literally, it refers to the baseball diamond Ray Kinsella builds in his Iowa cornfield; metaphorically, it represents the unfulfilled aspirations and 'un-played innings' of the characters' lives—most notably Ray's reconciliation with his father, Moonlight Graham's dream of batting in the Major Leagues, and Terence Mann's restoration of wonder. The title also connects to the film's famous line 'If you build it, he will come,' representing Ray's act of faith.
No character ever speaks the title 'Field of Dreams' in the film. The phrase is entirely extra-diegetic. Characters refer to the location as 'the field,' 'the diamond,' or 'this place.' Most famously, in dialogue exchanges about heaven, Shoeless Joe asks 'Is this heaven?' and Ray responds 'No, it's Iowa.' Later, Ray's father John Kinsella describes it as 'the place where dreams come true,' to which Ray replies 'Maybe this is heaven.'
Regarding the title's origin: The film was based on W.P. Kinsella's 1982 novel Shoeless Joe. Universal Studios changed the title because test audiences found 'Shoeless Joe' confusing. When director Phil Alden Robinson informed the author of the change, Kinsella revealed his original title for the book had been 'Dream Field' (or 'Dreamfield'), but the publisher had changed it to Shoeless Joe. Thus, the film's title represents a return to a concept similar to the author's original intent, though not exactly the same wording.