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July 21, 2004 - DAD
Madison, WI
Madison, WI
I woke up at 7 a.m. to a beautiful sunrise. Our goal for the day is to find the "Field of Dreams" , the farmhouse location for the movie of the same name.
We arrive about 3 p.m. We spend the next few hours playing ball, talking, taking pictures and film of the experience. The Field of Dreams is a remarkable experience – one I will not forget soon.
After a wonderful day we head north. It must be close to midnight when we arrive. Bob goes to Kinko’s and I go to bed.
THE FIELD OF DREAMS
We have arrived...
RC:
I’m completely overwhelmed. This, as I’ve said, many times is the inspiration for the trip. This is the Field of Dreams. This trip is all about dreams because, pragmatically speaking, this project shouldn’t be getting made but because of a great organization like NPF, because of the love and generosity of people we’ve met along the way and the great kindness and angels we’ve met along the way, here we are--
DC:
Not to mention your energy and force of will.
RC:
You’ve got to have a little bit of, what is it, inspiration and perspiration, right?
DC:
That’s right.
RC:
That’s what makes the dreams come true. And I’m overwhelmed. This is just beautiful. I’m thankful.
DC:
It’s built like a real ball field. The dimensions look correct. It doesn’t look like a movie set.
RC:
They built it right.
DC:
I can see them coming right out of that cornfield. Right there.
RC:
Yeah. It’s perfect.
DC:
If it’s a set, it’s as real as it could be.
RC:
Yeah. And Becky and Don Lansing, the owners, thank you very much. Two more angels. They get all sorts of opportunities to -- all the time people want to shoot out here. And they said to us, “No problem.”
DC:
“Just keep us posted. We’d like a copy.”
RC:
That’s the payment. That’s pretty fair payment for using this place.
Dan speaks to Field of Dreams owner, Don Lansing
DC:
So did they tell you how they decided to use your place?
DL:
Dubuque, Iowa found it for them. They were contacted by the Iowa Film company which told them what kind of setting they wanted. So they scouted around and they had a couple hundred they looked at. They were looking all the way from Tennessee to Canada.
DC:
Wow. That’s like hitting the lottery, isn’t it?
DL:
Well, you know, I’m very honored to have it. It’s an honor to have my farm chosen. To have them come out here and make a good movie. “Field of Dreams” is a classic. People think so much of the movie. It’s so great to be part of a good movie. It’s about baseball. (But) just because it’s about baseball, don’t mean it has to be a good movie. But it had a good story behind it. It was based on the book, “Shoeless Joe”. It’s just an honor to have (the Field) and people just thank me for keep on keepin’ it. They encourage me to keep on keepin’ it. I didn’t know people would come out here after the movie was over. I was going to keep it for three or four years so when family or friends would come over, we could have a game of baseball. But then tours started coming. The first year we had about 7,000. The next year it went to 15,000 and it’s grown all the way to 60,000 last year.
DC:
So did you used to farm?
DL:
Yes, I was born and raised here. I took over for my dad in 1980. My dad raised four kids on this farm. But now a day it seems you’ve got to deal with it being bigger. I’ve got 100 acres here.
DC:
So you still do farm?
DL:
Yeah. I rent the farm out and maintain the ball field. It’s getting to be about a full-time job.
DC:
I bet it is. A beautiful job you’re doing, too. It looks like the ballparks we’ve been visiting.
DL:
It’s a little different than growing corn, but you learn real fast how to manicure baselines, cut the grass. You meet people from all over the world: Japan, Australia...it’s just a good family sport and family-oriented movie. I come out and people really, really respect the place.
DC:
Your wife seems to enjoy it.
DL:
Yes she does. She talks to a lot of groups and helps me cut the grass. It’s more or less family run.
DC:
She seems to get a real kick out of it. Pretty well organized it seems like.
DL:
She is. I don’t talk to one-tenth of the people that come here. If I did I would never get anything done. But it’s great. Every once in a while I come out here and talk to people like you and everybody has there own little dreams. a lot of people come out here because they seen the movie and sort of relate back to it. Got their own little dreams and they come out here to make their dreams come true.
DC:
I was surprised. The first thing that struck me was that it didn’t look like a movie set. It looks like just a beautiful, beautiful park. There’s nothing phony about it.
DL:
We don’t want to commercialize it. The first year after the movie was made, my phone rang off the wall for big teams that wanted to come out here -- talking teams from Chicago and New York -- and I said no to the first ones and I’m glad I did because that would have opened up a whole new chapter. I could have a game out here every day if I wanted to. But that would take away from the tours that want to come out here and have their own little family picnics and pickup games.
DC:
Do you regret that? Have second thoughts about that at all?
DL:
No I didn’t. When they told me they were going to build me a ball field, I liked baseball and I thought, heck this is a great opportunity. There’s no regrets that I have it and as the years go on I really appreciate that we’re keeping it because it makes so many people happy.
DC:
That’s more important to you -- I’m sure it would have been more financially rewarding to go the other way.
DL:
It probably would have. But I’m not in it for the money. I’m in it for the fun and bigger is not always better.
DC:
This is definitely better.
DL:
I had one story one time where this father had two sons that didn’t get along. He invited them out here. They didn’t know that the other was going to be here. And before they left they were playing catch. But before that, they wouldn’t speak a word to each other.
...People ask me how long I’m going to keep it. And I say, as long as people keep coming, it will be here.
RC:
I hope we’re a part of keeping it going. It was the movie and this field that fueled our making this trip happen. This place was always at the heart of it. And rightfully so; it has surpassed my expectations.
DC: Mine too.
DL:
This has all happened through word of mouth. I had a guy come out here with his pregnant wife about 13 years ago. His dream was to have a son. 13 years later he comes back and he’s out here playing catch with his son. So it is magic.
DC:
Another dream come true.
DL:
I’m so thankful and so blessed.
RC:
To be the facilitator of dreams, as you are, you’re one of our angels, as we like to say. On this trip we’ve been loaded with them. Thank you.
DL:
You’re welcome. I had a guy come from California one time. He was playing in the minor leagues, he was a catcher and he got injured. He got up one morning and he told his wife, I’ve got to go to Iowa to see the Field of Dreams. He drove all the way out here and he spent about two hours out here and he told me, “My dream is fulfilled, I’ve got to go back home.” He wanted to get in the Major Leagues, but that didn’t happen because he got his leg torn up. I mean, you wonder sometimes if it’s made up or not. But I heard it here just like I’m hearing you guys, so...
DC:
Probably not made up.
DL:
His wife was shocked, but she said you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do, just like in the movie.
RC: Wise woman.
DC: Yeah.
DL: Okay guys. Come back again.
DC/RC: We will.
I’m completely overwhelmed. This, as I’ve said, many times is the inspiration for the trip. This is the Field of Dreams. This trip is all about dreams because, pragmatically speaking, this project shouldn’t be getting made but because of a great organization like NPF, because of the love and generosity of people we’ve met along the way and the great kindness and angels we’ve met along the way, here we are--
DC:
Not to mention your energy and force of will.
RC:You’ve got to have a little bit of, what is it, inspiration and perspiration, right?
DC:
That’s right.
RC:
That’s what makes the dreams come true. And I’m overwhelmed. This is just beautiful. I’m thankful.
DC:
It’s built like a real ball field. The dimensions look correct. It doesn’t look like a movie set.
RC:
They built it right.
DC:
I can see them coming right out of that cornfield. Right there.
Yeah. It’s perfect.
DC:
If it’s a set, it’s as real as it could be.
RC:
Yeah. And Becky and Don Lansing, the owners, thank you very much. Two more angels. They get all sorts of opportunities to -- all the time people want to shoot out here. And they said to us, “No problem.”
DC:
“Just keep us posted. We’d like a copy.”
RC:
That’s the payment. That’s pretty fair payment for using this place.
Dan speaks to Field of Dreams owner, Don Lansing
DC:
So did they tell you how they decided to use your place?DL:
Dubuque, Iowa found it for them. They were contacted by the Iowa Film company which told them what kind of setting they wanted. So they scouted around and they had a couple hundred they looked at. They were looking all the way from Tennessee to Canada.
DC:
Wow. That’s like hitting the lottery, isn’t it?
DL:
Well, you know, I’m very honored to have it. It’s an honor to have my farm chosen. To have them come out here and make a good movie. “Field of Dreams” is a classic. People think so much of the movie. It’s so great to be part of a good movie. It’s about baseball. (But) just because it’s about baseball, don’t mean it has to be a good movie. But it had a good story behind it. It was based on the book, “Shoeless Joe”. It’s just an honor to have (the Field) and people just thank me for keep on keepin’ it. They encourage me to keep on keepin’ it. I didn’t know people would come out here after the movie was over. I was going to keep it for three or four years so when family or friends would come over, we could have a game of baseball. But then tours started coming. The first year we had about 7,000. The next year it went to 15,000 and it’s grown all the way to 60,000 last year.
DC:
So did you used to farm?
DL:
Yes, I was born and raised here. I took over for my dad in 1980. My dad raised four kids on this farm. But now a day it seems you’ve got to deal with it being bigger. I’ve got 100 acres here.
DC:
So you still do farm?
DL:Yeah. I rent the farm out and maintain the ball field. It’s getting to be about a full-time job.
DC:
I bet it is. A beautiful job you’re doing, too. It looks like the ballparks we’ve been visiting.
DL:
It’s a little different than growing corn, but you learn real fast how to manicure baselines, cut the grass. You meet people from all over the world: Japan, Australia...it’s just a good family sport and family-oriented movie. I come out and people really, really respect the place.
DC:
Your wife seems to enjoy it.
DL:
Yes she does. She talks to a lot of groups and helps me cut the grass. It’s more or less family run.
DC:She seems to get a real kick out of it. Pretty well organized it seems like.
DL:
She is. I don’t talk to one-tenth of the people that come here. If I did I would never get anything done. But it’s great. Every once in a while I come out here and talk to people like you and everybody has there own little dreams. a lot of people come out here because they seen the movie and sort of relate back to it. Got their own little dreams and they come out here to make their dreams come true.
DC:
I was surprised. The first thing that struck me was that it didn’t look like a movie set. It looks like just a beautiful, beautiful park. There’s nothing phony about it.
DL:
We don’t want to commercialize it. The first year after the movie was made, my phone rang off the wall for big teams that wanted to come out here -- talking teams from Chicago and New York -- and I said no to the first ones and I’m glad I did because that would have opened up a whole new chapter. I could have a game out here every day if I wanted to. But that would take away from the tours that want to come out here and have their own little family picnics and pickup games.
DC:
Do you regret that? Have second thoughts about that at all?
DL:
No I didn’t. When they told me they were going to build me a ball field, I liked baseball and I thought, heck this is a great opportunity. There’s no regrets that I have it and as the years go on I really appreciate that we’re keeping it because it makes so many people happy.
DC:
That’s more important to you -- I’m sure it would have been more financially rewarding to go the other way. DL:
It probably would have. But I’m not in it for the money. I’m in it for the fun and bigger is not always better.
DC:
This is definitely better.
DL:
I had one story one time where this father had two sons that didn’t get along. He invited them out here. They didn’t know that the other was going to be here. And before they left they were playing catch. But before that, they wouldn’t speak a word to each other.
...People ask me how long I’m going to keep it. And I say, as long as people keep coming, it will be here.
RC:
I hope we’re a part of keeping it going. It was the movie and this field that fueled our making this trip happen. This place was always at the heart of it. And rightfully so; it has surpassed my expectations.
DC: Mine too.
DL:
This has all happened through word of mouth. I had a guy come out here with his pregnant wife about 13 years ago. His dream was to have a son. 13 years later he comes back and he’s out here playing catch with his son. So it is magic.
DC:
Another dream come true.
DL:
I’m so thankful and so blessed.
RC:
To be the facilitator of dreams, as you are, you’re one of our angels, as we like to say. On this trip we’ve been loaded with them. Thank you.
DL:
You’re welcome. I had a guy come from California one time. He was playing in the minor leagues, he was a catcher and he got injured. He got up one morning and he told his wife, I’ve got to go to Iowa to see the Field of Dreams. He drove all the way out here and he spent about two hours out here and he told me, “My dream is fulfilled, I’ve got to go back home.” He wanted to get in the Major Leagues, but that didn’t happen because he got his leg torn up. I mean, you wonder sometimes if it’s made up or not. But I heard it here just like I’m hearing you guys, so...
DC:
Probably not made up.
DL:
His wife was shocked, but she said you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do, just like in the movie.
RC: Wise woman.
DC: Yeah.
DL: Okay guys. Come back again.
DC/RC: We will.
The Boys of Summer roll along, but we need your help to complete this year's journey. Please see our site for the latest on how to contribute. Thank you!
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