Millions of cinema fans are familiar with the 1989 Oscar-nominated movie Field of Dreams, the smash hit that used baseball as a vehicle to tell a passionate story about love, family, second chances, and a large dose of redemption. A smaller number of fans know the Field of Dream movie is based on the 1982 Houghton Mifflin publication Shoeless Joe , a fantasy/fiction novel written by Canadian author W.P. Kinsella. Very few fans, however, are aware of the entertaining tidbits of trivia generated by the making of this heartwarming movie during the hot Iowa summer of 1988.

*After viewing Field of Dreams for the first time, a Canadian magazine asked Shoeless Joe author Kinsella to write a review and rate the movie. Kinsella gave the movie four stars instead of five for two main reasons: citing obvious genetics, he felt daughter Karin (actress Gabby Hoffman) did not look like she could possibly be the daughter of Kevin Costner and Amy Madigan. He also felt Annie's brother Mark (played by thirtysomething and West Wing veteran Timothy Busfield) could've been more repulsive and diabolical.

*W.P. Kinsella may have been right: mistaking Busfield for one of the crew, veteran actor Burt Lancaster had him fetching chairs and water before realizing that Busfield was going to be in the next scene with him. Field of Dreams was the last major motion picture in which the legendary Lancaster appeared.

*The role of Ray Kinsella was originally offered to Forrest Gump star Tom Hanks, but he turned down the part.

*'The Voice', listed only as 'Himself' in the credits, whispered three of the movie's most famous lines, one of which ("If you build it, he will come") was ranked #39 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 most famous movie quotes of all time. While many have speculated, the identity of the person responsible for 'the voice' is known only by director Phil Alden Robinson, and he's not talking. "I promised I wouldn't tell."

*Not since the dust bowl years of the early 1930s had Iowa seen a drought like the one experienced in the summer of 1988. A good stand of corn was essential to the movie, and as executive producer Brian Frankish aptly surmised: "No corn, no movie." With the approval of local and state authorities, a small creek running through the property was dammed. The extra nourishment helped the corn crop rebound nicely. Too nicely, in fact. When it came time for Ray Kinsella to meet up with 'the voice' in his field, actor Kevin Costner was overwhelmed by the tall stalks of corn. Film crews quickly improvised, building a series of wooden platforms between rows. Neatly hidden by green leaves, there's no indication in the movie's open scenes that Costner is almost a foot above ground!

*The famous front porch swing, from which nary a whisper could be heard by Annie or Karin, was not an original piece of Don Lansing's porch furniture. The swing was rented from a family in nearby Dubuque and returned upon movie's completion.

*Shortly after farmer Ray pauses on the mound to say, "I'm pitching to Shoeless Joe Jackson," actor Ray Liotta drills a pitch back up the middle that knocks over the ball bag and sends Kevin Costner sprawling in the dirt. Ever the professional, Costner stays in character, and the unexpected sight gag stayed in the Field of Dream movie.

*Although Archibald 'Moonlight' Graham played in only one major league baseball game, he did continue to play minor league ball for three seasons. He obtained a medical license (thus the nickname 'Doc') and moved to Chisholm, Minnesota, where he served as the school district's doctor for 44 years. Graham died in 1965 and is buried in Rochester, Minnesota.

*In June, 2008, the American Film Institute ranked the Field of Dreams movie at #6 on their list of the 10 greatest films of all time in the 'Fantasy' genre.