Why did Field of Dreams make James Earl Jones break down in tears?

For more than 50 years, The late James Earl Jones The name in the film’s credits was reason enough to devote a few hours to the film. Was it always a satisfying two hours? As someone who has seen Allan Quatermaine and the Lost City of Gold, The Three Fugitives, and The Spirit Man, I can confidently say no.

This is more than good. Jones was a working actor who took the “work” role very seriously. As he told journalist Joe Lydon in 1989“This is my profession. I need to make a living at it, because I can’t make a living any other way.” So, when you’re not offered, say “The Great White Hope” every time, roll up your sleeves and spend some time in the “Blood Tide”, “Best of the Best”, and “Excessive” collections. Force” without any apology. These salaries keep you afloat while you wait for the next “Star Wars” movie to land on your desk.

However, as Jones told Lydon, there were two other reasons he wanted to make a film. One was the story. If he thought the script had a story worth telling, he would sign in to see what he could do with it with his director and fellow actors. The other was more elusive. “Sometimes, I just see the role I want to do,” Jones said. When that connection became strong enough, Jones found himself moved to tears, as when he made “Field of Dreams.”

Adapted from W. P. Kinsella’s offbeat novel “Shoeless Joe” “Field of Dreams” by Phil Alden Robinson It’s the kind of movie that shouldn’t succeed, let alone exist. Kevin Costner wasn’t Mr. Baseball at this point (he’d only starred in the raunchy “Bull Durham” at this point), which meant this wasn’t a huge success from the standpoint of studio executives. Robinson had only produced the famous nostalgia piece “In the Mood,” so the story of an Iowa farmer plowing his main crop to build a baseball field that would house the ghost of Shoeless Joe Jackson seemed like an ill-advised attempt. (Although it’s clear now Grinding mill new edition).

Why, tell me, did Jones sign up? He explained, “The film insists that you participate with your heart more than your mind, more than your critical companions.” Jones knew he had made the right decision when he saw the finished film for the first time. While most people don’t start crying until the film’s powerful final scene, Jones found himself crying during Ray Kinsella’s (Costner) opening narration about everything that preceded the moment he first heard the disembodied voice in the cornfield — including his difficult relationship with… Not resolved. With his deceased father – he began. James Horner’s brilliant score proved particularly effective in sweeping him away, but there was something more to this response. “I didn’t know why,” he said. “I couldn’t explain it to myself. By the time I got backstage with my character, I wasn’t objective — I couldn’t tell if I was doing a good job or not.”

James Earl Jones, of course, was doing a great job because he didn’t know how to do anything else. In fact, I’m not sure anyone has ever given a more influential speech about the importance of baseball in America than Terrence Mann Jones. It was a gift from the actor.