I was only about 12 or 13 when I joined my family for a movie night to see Field Of Dreams. I remember my father loving the film but me, I was bored and restless during that first viewing. Too young to truly appreciate Kevin Costner's chest and too immature to really be moved by the power of the some of the movie's most memorable moments.
Years later I watched the film again, this time on VHS. Old enough now to salivate over Costner shirtless and also mature enough to understand why my father loved it and to be affected by the film's beautiful ending. I was also old enough to notice the he, the he who came.
'If you build it, he will come.'
I watched Field Of Dreams again the other day, it played recently as part of TCM's 31 days of Oscar. This time it was the he, John Kinsella, the father of Costner's character Ray. Actor Dwier Brown may not be the huge name that Kevin Costner is, but upon my third viewing, it was his face that became the haunting vision that impacted my viewing of the piece. With only a couple of scenes and a couple of lines Dwier still manages through his scenes, which bookend the film, to provide an emotional balance, and understanding as to what motivates Costner's character.
After Field of Dream, Brown continued to work steadily, in movies and on television in shows such as ER, Quantum Leap, House, Private Practice, CSI and in last seasons short lived remake of Ironside. Besides his continued acting career, Brown's experience on the film also inspired his writing the new book Wanna Have a Catch? a book about fathers, fate and Field of Dreams. You can check out more about Dwier, and his book HERE:
