Field+of+Dreams,+Nana+Park

Thematic Elements Viewing Questions

Directions: Please answer these questions after watching each film in the thematic unit. Please post your answers on your personal wiki page and bring in a hard copy to class after we finish each film.

Film Facts: List the main characters and write a short description about each one. Ray Kinsella- The main character who sets out a journey because of the voice in his head. Annie Kinsella- Ray’s wife who supports his ideas and hearings, sometimes she doubts them but she later on accepts and encourages him. Karin Kinsella- Ray’s daughter who convinces Ray to not sell his farm to Mark. Mark- Annie’s brother who tries to convince Ray to sell the farm. Terence ‘Terry’ Man - An author of many famous novels, and he travels with Ray. Archie Granham- He is a doctor, and a former baseball player. John Kinsella- Ray’s father, he comes out at the end, he visits his son as a younger version of himself and plays a catch-ball with Ray. Shoeless Joe Jackson- He was an American major league baseball player, he comes out as a ghost.

What is the central conflict? Ray Kinsella is the main character,he hears a voice in his head. “If you build it, he would come.” He builds a baseball field that puts him in a debt. Several weeks later, he meets Sholess Joe Jackson in the field. And later, he hears “ease his pain,” and realizes that the baseball field is there to give people a second chance who have given up certain values in their lives. He puts out a journey to search.

Describe the setting (both time and place) of the film. 1960’s in Iowa and Minnesota.

What is the general mood of the film? Be detailed! The general mood of the film is hopeful. When Ray Kinsella built the baseball field after hearing “if you build it, he would come,” for weeks, nothing or no one was present in the field. But he remained undoubted and hoped for someone to show up. And also even though Ray’s wife Annie was a little agitated by their debt but waited hopefully for something positive to happen. So in the end the positive attitude brought the positive outcome.

Briefly summarize the plot. Ray Kinsella is an ordinary farmer in Iowa living happily with his family. Somehow, he hears a voice “If you build it, he would come” in his head and gets convinced to build a baseball field on his cornfield. After many weeks, Shoeless Joe Jackson appears on the baseball field. This convinces Ray’s internal doubt about the baseball field and sets out a journey after hearing another voice saying “ease his pain.” He meets Terrence, Ray kidnaps Terrence to watch a baseball game, then another clue shows up in the scoring board and Terrence and Ray goes to meet Archie Granham. They come home with young Archie Granham on their car. Later Ray meets his father and the movie happily ends.

From whose point of view is the story told? Ray Kinsella’s point of view is told.

7. What was the structure of the film? Ray flashbacks about his families and how he met his wife in the beginning of the film. And the film shifts to present day.

Theme and Focus: What is the film’s primary focus: plot, mood, character, style, or ideas? Answer one of these questions:

Plot- summarize the action abstractly in a single sentence or short paragraph Mood- describe the mood or feeling that is conveyed Character- describe the unusual aspects of his or her personality Style- describe the qualities that contribute to the special look or feel of the film Idea- identify the subject in a single word or phrase; explain what comment or statement the film is making about the subject

The film’s primary focus is the character because since the beginning of the story, Ray hears a voice in his head. This unusual aspect of his characteristic triggers the conflict in the plot.

Identifying the Theme: What was the primary aim of the film? Give reasons. providing pure entertainment--escape from the real world developing a pervasive mood or emotional effect providing a character sketch of a unique personality creating a consistent, unique feel or texture criticizing society and social institutions and raising awareness of a problem providing insights into human nature creating a moral riddle to ponder making moral implications to influence the viewers’ behavior exemplifying the struggle for human dignity exploring human relationships providing insight into a growth experience

The primary aim of the film was to provide insights into human nature. This movie is about satisfaction of dreams. Where the baseball field give second chance to satisfy people’s dream who had given up certain values in their lives. The movie provides understanding of how human wants to fulfill particular dream even though they are dead. And it explains how human nature strongly desires fulfillment of failed or past dreams and regret it over for not trying or doing them. For example Ray did not have a good relationship with his father. So when his father appeared on the field, they played catch-ball, which normal father-son relationship would do for fun. Ray wanted to have good for at least better relationship wit his father. This movie provides the understanding of desire and fulfillment of the human nature.

Which items could be secondary aims? Explain your answer. The secondary aim of the movie explores human relationships. From the beginning of the movie, Ray introduces his families. It is clear that he is trying to put an emphasis on the relationship as a part of his conflict. He has a difficult relationship with his father, he did not really get along with his father and regrets it after his father’s death.

Evaluating the Theme: Is the film’s basic appeal to the intellect, to the funny bone, to the moral sense, or the aesthetic sense? Is it aimed at the erotic sense, the viscera (blood and guts), the heart, the yellow streak down the back, or simply the eyes? Support with evidence from the film. The film’s appeals to moral sense and it aimed at the heart. This movie is not simply about what is right or wrong, but it more concentrated on how people’s past, positive or negative, can remain unfulfilled at people’s mind. For example, Ray did not have a positive relationship with his father, it remained as a burden in his life. He wanted to somehow satisfy his desire but he did not know how to. So after building the field, his father came to Ray to help him attain his desire. This movie aimed at heart because after watching the movie my heart was too full for words. The struggle of the family and the fulfillment of the dreams is a topic that appeals to our heart because we can correlate our lives with them.

How well does your statement of the film’s theme and focus stand up after you have thoroughly analyzed all the elements of the film? The film’s theme strongly stands up after I have thoroughly analyzed all the elements because I have now deeper understanding of the theme.

To what degree is the film’s theme universal? The film’s theme is universally shared topic or conflict that people all over the world go through everyday. People live to full fill their dream, and the satisfaction of it brings happiness in people’s lives. So, the film’s theme is highly universal.

Is the theme relevant to your own experience? The theme is relevant to my own experience because I would like to fix something of my past and also fulfill my dream of present.

If you think the film makes a significant statement, why is it significant? The film does not make a significant statement because it states an ordinary subject matter people often face.

Decide whether the film’s theme is intellectually or philosophically interesting or self-evident and boring. Defend your decision. The film’s theme is self-evident because it is often portrayed in our daily life. We make mistakes, regret it, and wants to redo it. And also, we try to fulfill our dream of any kind. So, this film’s theme is self-evident because we experience it through our background.

Does the film have the potential to become a classic? Will this film be viewed watching it twenty years from today? Why? The film have the potential to become a classic because it explains the theme in depth in high quality level. And it will be viewed watching it twenty years from today because it basically underlines the aspect of human lives and it is an interesting film.

Reflection:

Who was your favorite character and why? My favorite character is Karin Kinsella, Ray’s daughter. Even though she was a little child she is a significant character who acted out an important role. She was the first person to tell Ray that there is a person in the baseball field. And she was the one who persuaded her father not to sell the cornfield, that everything would turn out right. Even though she was small she had an influence to the whole family and the dead people.

Who was your least favorite character and why? My least favorite character is Mark, Annie’s brother. I just did not like how he acted in the movie, he was annoying and cruel to his sister. However, he realized how important the cornfield was to Ray’s family and the baseball players on the field. Even though he was irritating he has changed in the end.

What was your favorite part of the movie? My favorite part of the movie was when Ray finally meets his father. The reunion of two finally settles the conflict that Ray has wanting to solve for a really long time. And I really liked how it happily ended.

What was your least favorite part? My least favorite part of the movie was when the eerie music came out in the beginning of the movie, when Ray was walking on the cornfield. It made me goosebumps, because those kinds of music remind me of horror movies.

Did you learn anything from the movie? What was it? I learned that I should do things I desire before I regret it. Even though what I desire might be stupid or unworthy, it is better than regretting it later when you can’t fulfill it. And also I learned the importance of my family, I should be more close to my family before they are all gone.