The movie "Field of Dreams"

Plot:
The movie starts out with the main character, Ray Kinsella, tending his corn field. This is in the middle of the short story. Ray hears the voices("if you build it, he will come") in the introduction of the movie. The rising action consists of Ray trying to figure out what the voices are talking about. He eventually figures out that he must build a baseball field so that he can meet his idol, Shoeless Joe Jackson. This is similar to the short story. The climactic events of both versions are also similar. The field is built and Shoeless Joe appears out in the field, followed by his former teammates. In the movie, this encourages Ray to follow more of his dreams. He receives more messages from the field. ("ease his pain") This direction leads Ray to a former Pulitzer prize winner who now wants to be left alone to write children stories, Terrence Mann. "I'm going to beat you with this crowbar if you do not go away". Terrence main is obviously not accepting at first of Ray's help. These obstacles that occur after the field is built are the details that differ the most from the short story. The add depth and help the audience understand the meaning, of the theme as a whole. If you chase your dream, you can make anything happen.

Point of View:
The story comes from the view of Ray Kinsella. He is a middle aged man with a farm, a wife, and a daughter. Ray is afraid of becoming just like his father was; ordinary and dreamless. This fear is what drives him to make his dreams happen. His financial struggles with his farm try to hold him back from making the field. Ray's drive to be different and make something of his life cause him to use all of his savings to make his field. "It's okay, honey. I... I was just talking to the cornfield." (Ray Kinsella) Ray is a family man but he understands the importance of working hard for his dreams. The audience sympathizes with Ray because of this point of view. His financial struggles and humbleness cause the audience to be on his side.

Characterization:
Unlike the short story, we are given very direct characterization of the character of Ray Kinsella. He outright states how he was raised, his likes, and dislikes. His wife Annie, and his daughter Karin, are also characterized directly. They are major roles in this movie. The character of his wife differed greatly in the movie. In the short story, she was a very supportive wife and always pushed Ray to do whatever made him happy. She was sort of unrealistic and only thought of his happiness. In the movie, she is a realistic mother and realizes the sacrifices the family will have to make if this field is built. This causes some conflict between them. In the end, she supports his dreams and realizes the importance of his happiness.

Setting:
Ray Kinsella is an Iowan farmer who dreams to build a field for Joe Jackson. Joe Jackson is a member of the Chicago White Sox who threw the 1919 World Series and was suspended for life. The setting of the short story is the same as the first half of the movie. The second half of the movie is spent with Terrence Mann, trying to help him find himself again. " Well, I've got news for you. I spent all my misery years ago. I have no more pain for anything. I gave at the office." (Terrence Mann) The adjustment of the setting shows the lengths that Ray Kinsella went to to fill out his dreams. Helping out Terrence Mann puts adds to the financial turmoil that his family is experiencing. Still, he goes out of his way and commits to the hard work that he knows is necessary for his dream to come true.

Theme:
The stories of the movie and short story do not differ in theme. The theme remains that if you go searching for your dreams, they will come true. Ray Kinsella just happened to have his dream come to him after he built the baseball field. He was given messages from his cornfield. Ray didn't sleep until he figured out what he was being asked to do. He sacrificed profit from his farm, his savings account, and time with his family to build the baseball field and ease Terrence Mann's pain. In the end, his dreams came true just as he hoped they would. Ray searched for the missing pieces in his life to figure out what kind of man he knew he was being called to be. Just like in the short story, he finds that he has built a heaven on earth for himself just by going after his dreams.