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"Field of Dreams" is a Brilliantly Cast, Beautifully Filmed Folly

Film critic Stephen Schiff says the new film, based on W.P. Kinsella's baseball-themed novel Shoeless Joe, is designed to make men cry, while still preserving their masculinity. It's skillfully made and acted, but Schiff thinks Field of Dreams is sappy and, ultimately, pointless.

03:33
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Other segments from the episode on April 27, 1989

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, April 27, 1989: Interview with Wolf Blitzer; Review of five recent pop songs; Interview with Lynn Sharon Schwartz; Review of the film "Field of Dreams."
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27:21

A Spy Caught Playing Both Sides

Navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard was arrested by the FBI for giving classified information to the Israeli government. DC Bureau Chief for The Jerusalem Post Wolf Blitzer reported the story, and had unprecedented access to Pollard in prison. Blitzer's new book about the affair is called Territory of Lies.

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06:32

Time Again for the Tucker Top Five

Ken Tucker returns with his latest countdown of noteworthy songs. His list features Roachford, Peter Case, Tim Finn, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and Elvis Costello.

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30:29

Stephen Schiff Discusses His Latest Adventures in Hollywood.

Screenwriter Stephen Schiff talks about writing the scripts for "True Crime" and "Deep End of the Ocean."He first established his reputation as a film critic for Vanity Fair and Fresh Air. He also wrote film essays and profiles for The New Yorker. He served an unprecedented three terms as chairman of the National Society of Film Critics. His first screenplay was for the most recent film adaptation of Lolita.

Interview
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34:15

Stephen Schiff on How "Lolita" Explores the "Beastly and the Beautiful"

Fresh Air's former film critic returns to discuss writing the screenplay for the controversial film adaptation of Nabokov's "Lolita." The $58 million film inspired such controversy that distribution in the U.S. was delayed. "Lolita," directed by Adrian Lyne (Flashdance, 9 1/2 Weeks) will premiere on the Showtime cable channel August 2nd. It's just been announced that the film will be released in movie houses in September. Schiff's screenplay, "Lolita: The Book of the Film" (Applause books), will be published next month.

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52:30

Daughter of Warhol star looks back on a bohemian childhood in the Chelsea Hotel

Alexandra Auder's mother, Viva, was one of Andy Warhol's muses. Growing up in Warhol's orbit meant Auder's childhood was an unusual one. For several years, Viva, Auder and Auder's younger half-sister, Gaby Hoffmann, lived in the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan. It was was famous for having been home to Leonard Cohen, Dylan Thomas, Virgil Thomson, and Bob Dylan, among others.

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43:04

This fake 'Jury Duty' really put James Marsden's improv chops on trial

In the series Jury Duty, a solar contractor named Ronald Gladden has agreed to participate in what he believes is a documentary about the experience of being a juror--but what Ronald doesn't know is that the whole thing is fake.

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