Hey Dad, do you want to have a catch?
How Field of Dreams has connected with sports fans for over 30 years
Do you remember the emotional scene at the end of Field of Dreams?
Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) has been listening to a voice telling him to build a baseball field, take a retired author to a baseball game, and help a deceased doctor make his baseball dreams come true. Ray gets fed up with "the Voice" and asks "What's in it for me?!" He sees banned baseball players getting one more crack of the bat, the famous author walk into a cornfield portal to heaven, and watches the deceased doctor in youthful form playing baseball side-by-side with his heroes.
Kevin Costner sees redemption all around him and wonders how "the Voice" will reward him for his efforts.
Finally, Kevin Costner sees his Dad in the prime of his 20’s taking off his catcher’s gear, and begins to realize his moment for redemption just might be standing right in front of him.
Ray and his dad, who have had a broken relationship, exchange thoughtful comments about baseball, Iowa scenery, and heaven before Ray’s voice cracks into a higher pitched tone to ask "Hey Dad…Do you want to have a catch?" and his Dad quickly responds "Yes, I'd like that".
2 Questions:
Why is this scene so emotionally charged?
What should we do next?
This scene is so powerful because of the physical, emotional, and spiritual facets driving the scene.
Physical. "Catch" is probably the first exposure to sports you had as a baby. In between spitting up and sleeping, you probably rolled, kicked, or threw a ball as your parents beamed with pride. Years before your first competitive game, you played catch with your parents and years after your last competitive game as an old adult your last athletic act will probably be playing catch. When Ray asks his dad to play catch, he's trying to reconcile a broken relationship over the common appreciation of baseball he shares with his father using the simplest form of sport.
Emotional. If you felt emotional, you're not the only one. The top 2 comments for this video on YouTube mention crying over this scene and they have over 3,300 likes. In a divided world, I'm not sure the last time there was that much agreement over an emotional response. We have all experienced broken relationships, hurt feelings, and we long for restoration. For Ray, his dad had passed away years ago and he never expected to have the opportunity to heal the wounds with his father. Then all of a sudden in his front yard, he sees his dad in his prime and his shot at redemption is right in front of him.
Spiritual. Ray's dad asks in a shy voice "Is this heaven?", Ray laughs like a son realizing he knows more than his dad on a subject and replies "No, this is Iowa". Ray thinks a bit more and realizes it's maybe not such a silly question given their circumstances as he asks "Is there a heaven?". Regardless of your faith background, you have probably wondered the same thing and looked to your parents (like Ray did) for an answer.
What should we do next?
Simple - enjoy watching, engaging, and reminiscing about sports with family and close friends. Grab a ball and go have a catch!
Enjoy the clip here - A Catch With Dad - Field of Dreams
P.S. Field of Dreams popularity consistently ranks above its baseball movie peers in terms of web search history and experienced massive spikes of interest when Major League Baseball hosted games at the Field of Dreams baseball field in Iowa in 2021 and 2022 (see Google Trends graphic below). Check out the clip from Kevin Costner at the 2021 game here - Kevin Costner leads the Yankees and White Sox out of the cornfield at MLB at Field of Dreams!
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