Moonlight Graham's Second Chance
As a fan of baseball, it's history, nostalgia and the game it's very easy to get caught up in the emotion of what the pastime means to the people who truly love it. The game connects me to my youth, the memories of playing sandlot ball, Little League and days listening to games on the radio with my Grampa sitting on the front porch. My dad coached my brother and I. I coached my boys and hundreds of other children over twelve seasons. I have dozens of stories about kids who found confidence, friendship, second chances and lessons that transcend the game. I will spare you my storytelling in favor of someone else's.
The Kevin Costner movie "Field of Dreams' is by far, without a challenger, my favorite baseball movie but I do this wonderful film a disservice labeling it a 'baseball movie'. It deserves far more credit than a pigeon-hole-genre-label could offer. It's a great film with messages of passion, following your dream, sacrifice, second chances and redemption....to name a few. I can never watch this film without fighting back the tears of an old guy remembering and regretting.
Most never chase their dreams beyond those years of youthful passion. We learn too young but not always rightfully that life is too serious for daydreaming. We give up on our youthful fantasies sacrificing our dreams when it's time to grow up. My favorite character is the movie is Archie 'Moonlight' Graham played by two actors. Burt Lancaster played old Doc Graham and Frank Whaley plays young Archie the wannabe ball player. The entire sequence from Chisholm, MN to Doc Graham disappearing in the cornfield is amazing.
When Ray Kinsella (Costner) tells Terrance Mann (James Earl Jones) of his strained relationship with his dad, how difficult his father was and his teenage rebellion it does not exactly resemble my relationship with my dad but it stirs the feelings I had that my father had no clue. We had our own cracks in our father-son foundation. My dad was a deeply flawed man who made many mistakes in life, mistakes I vowed never to repeat myself. I avoided most but of course I made my own mistakes because this apple did not fall far from that tree. I too am a deeply flawed man.
I loved my father for the good man he was and the valuable lessons he taught me, intentional or not, in spite of the fact I saw the error of his ways. I took the good with the bad lessons and worked so hard to do better than he did. In some ways I have but I understood too late the role he played in my life. I was able to see his good side in my heart but did not know how to 'come home' to say so. I never had the chance to tell him I loved him and respected his sacrifice because I never took the opportunity I had. When he died at 52 my chance was gone. He could have done better but so could I. Regret is a lousy feeling.
Field of Dream's strength is in the second chances and hope for redemption. Baseball is the perfect setting for such hope. There's always another at-bat, a new game tomorrow, a fresh season next spring and opportunity to make up for yesterday's errors. Unfortunately life is not so kind. The sacrifice is also a component in the game we love. Moonlight Graham got his second chance to live his dream and for the second time he gave it up, sacrificing to help others. Ray gets the chance to 'have a catch' with his father after living years of regret for never taking back the terrible things he said as a 17-year-old to hurt his dad. Those scenes of sacrifice and redemption get me every time. We should all be so lucky to have second chances.
If you've never seen 'Field of Dreams' you've missed a great movie but you have a second chance.