Reel Rumbles: “Field of Dreams” vs. “A League of Their Own”

Movies and baseball are among the most enduring of America’s favorite pastimes. They go well together, too; after boxing, the pastoral game seems to be the sport of choice among filmmakers. Two beloved baseball films are on deck at Flickchart Field today. Get your hotdog and your $10 beer and settle in for nine innings of Field of Dreams (1989) and A League of Their Own (1992).

First Inning: Directing

Neither Phil Alden Robinson (Field of Dreams) nor Penny Marshall (A League of Their Own) have many directorial credits to their name. Marshall got her start as an actress, most notably as Laverne on the Happy Days spinoff Laverne & Shirley. Robinson has also worked extensively in television, splitting his time between directing a screenwriting. He was one of eight directors on the TV miniseries Band of Brothers. Marshall, for her part, gave us the 80s age-bending comedy Big.

They both know how to make a ballpark look like nostalgia incarnate, and they can both tease heartfelt performances out of celebrity ensembles. Directorially these movies are a wash, but there’s no tying in baseball, so Marshall wins by dint of a better resumé.

Winner: A League of Their Own

Second Inning: Story

From a storytelling perspective, one of the benefits of baseball is its long history. Baseball peaked when, arguably, America itself did. A League of Their Own finds a new angle on the Greatest Generation by showing its better half: the women who kept America’s farms, factories, and baseball diamonds running while so many of their husbands and brothers were overseas. It isn’t a simple story to tell. There were as many different perspectives on the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) as there were people involved – some women found new meaning in the opportunity and fought to hold onto their jobs, while others viewed wartime employment as temporary, a patriotic duty to be patriotically set aside at the end of the war. A League of Their Own touches these historical bases while conveying a great deal of human and sporting drama.

Field of Dreams is set in its present, but with a story drawn from an even earlier era of baseball: the interwar period, which opened with a World Series betting scandal in 1919. In addition to Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta), whose major league career was perhaps unfairly ended by the scandal, Field of Dreams brings together different sorts of baseball lovers for a chance at redemption. There is the perspective of the jaded journalist (James Earl Jones) who used baseball as a shelter from social strife until even that no longer helped; the rookie who washed out but could have made it big (Burt Lancaster); the fan who connected with his father through their mutual love of the sport (Kevin Costner). If A League of Their Own is about personalities within the game, Field of Dreams is about the society that loves it.

A League of Their Own is more grounded in fact, and the real-life content gives its story more weight.

Winner: A League of Their Own

Third Inning: Screenplay

Field of Dreams progresses through soliloquies. A League of Their Own is a study in the art of the one-liner. In Field of Dreams all characters speak with the same voice, the voice of the screenwriter. In A League of Their Own each character’s worldview is distinct to the point of comedic overstatement. With screenplays so different, the winner is mostly a matter of preference. My preference is for laughs over lectures, so A League of Their Own extends its lead to three.

Winner: A League of Their Own

Fourth Inning: Actors

Tom Hanks plays against type as an obnoxiously drunk coach in A League of Their Own. Jon Lovitz, another favorite actor of Marshall’s, has a brief but memorable turn as an abrasive talent scout. The actor category, though, is a grand slam for Field of Dreams. Costner may not have much range, but the role of myopic corn farmer is well within it. At the end of a long film career, Lancaster gets a poignant send-off as Dr. Archibald “Moonlight” Graham. Jones’s well-known bass voice is perfect for narrating the conscience of baseball. Liotta doesn’t have to say much: his blue eyes, credulous and proud, reflect the spirit of the film.

Winner: Field of Dreams

Fifth Inning: Actresses

The Rockford Peaches, protagonists of A League of Their Own, come storming back to take the fifth inning. Rosie O’Donnell and Madonna’s friendship is just mismatched enough to feel drawn from life, while Geena Davis and Lori Petty’s sisterly rivalry is intensely conveyed through each one’s posture, face, and voice. A recast timelapse toward the end doubles this film’s embarrassment of acting riches. With all due respect to Field of Dreams’ Amy Madigan, A League of Their Own bats through its lineup twice in this inning.

Winner: A League of Their Own

Sixth Inning: Soundtracks

Madonna’s end credits song for A League of Their Own lacks the kitschy joy of her best pop hits, but the rest of the soundtrack is a well-curated collection of ‘30s and ‘40s standards. Songs like “Choo Choo Ch’boogie,” “It’s Only a Paper Moon,” and “In a Sentimental Mood” are rearranged and performed by only-slightly more contemporary artists like Carol King, The Manhattan Transfer, Billy Joel, James Taylor, and Art Garfunkel. On the other hand, the Field of Dreams score is a moody, dreamy flight by James Horner. Robinson’s movie depends on a sustained suspension of disbelief, and Horner’s score helps you achieve it even if you don’t notice it.

Songs from Field of Dreams have crossed over to classical FM radio, so it’ll take the inning. RIP James Horner.

Winner: Field of Dreams

Seventh Inning: Stretch!

It’s a tradition! Stand up and stretch. Maybe head to the restroom. Wait in line for some peanuts and crackerjacks, and… oops, the inning’s over. But don’t worry, you didn’t miss anything. The relief pitchers were fresh and no runs were scored.

Winner: Tie

Eighth Inning: Awards

Field of Dreams scored three Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Best Score, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Though it didn’t win, the American Film Institute has been kind to it. It appears on 3 AFI Best Of lists (including the Quotes list for the oft-misremembered line “If you built it, he will come”) and was nominated for 3 more.

A League of Their Own was snubbed at the Oscars, giving Marshall, Hanks, Davis, and others reason to feel aggrieved. It appears on just one AFI list, the Quotes countdown, for the line “There’s no crying in baseball.” I say it’s underrated, but baseball is a numbers game, and the numbers favor Field of Dreams.

Winner: Field of Dreams

Ninth Inning: Play ball!

The ghosts in Field of Dreams do more standing around than playing (just like a real baseball game, zing!). They’re an All-Star team from a golden era of the game, but they don’t really get to show their chops. The AAGPBL players in A League of Their Own aren’t trained ballplayers, as so many men remind them, but they learn quickly and leave it all on the field. The movie shows plenty of hits, runs, catches, and home plate clashes, plus all of the gimmicks and acrobatic tricks players had to do to get the press’s attention. When it comes to actually playing baseball, few films play more or play harder than A League of Their Own.

Winner: A League of Their Own

Final Score: A League of Their Own beats Field of Dreams 5 to 3! Thanks for coming out to Flickchart Field, and don’t forget to stop by the team store on your way out.

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A League of Their Own stats:

• Global ranking of 1105
• Wins 42% of matchups
• 14 users have it at #1
• 310 users have it in their top 20

Field of Dreams stats:

• Global ranking of 793
• Wins 43% of matchups
• 34 users have it at #1
• 779 users have it in their top 20