What is Kevin Costner Syndrome? Actor's 1989 sports movie 'Field of Dreams' led to bizarre coinage
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Released in 1989, 'Field of Dreams' was well-received by both regular moviegoers and ardent baseball fans. The film follows corn farmer Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), who constructs a baseball diamond in his backyard where spirits of legends of the sport show up to take the field. And thus was named the Kevin Costner Syndrome - a real medical term, we assure you.
Gaby Hoffmann played his daughter in the film, along with Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe Jackson and James Earl Jones. Costner's corn farmer constructs the baseball diamond among his crops after hearing a mysterious voice instructing him to do so. The maxim "If you build it, they will come" served as adequate inspiration for the character, as per FA Magazine.
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What is Kevin Costner Syndrome?
Kevin Costner Syndrome is a loosely coined term that found its way into mainstream media because of the 1989 film. A recurrent case of the Kevin Costner Syndrome affects the majority of health managers and donors working on Malaria, HIV/AIDS, and Tuberculosis (MAT), according to the Communication Initiative Network.
In 'Field of Dreams', Costner's character believes that legendary baseball players will come back from the dead to complete a historic baseball game in his field. He perseveres in building the diamond against opposition from neighbors and loved ones.
And therein lies the logic of Kevin Costner Syndrome - a term that even showed up in the MAT health programs. It assumes that if we just provided the drugs and the cure - basically if we just "build the services" - people would come in through the clinic doors to receive the treatment that was being offered.
Anything is possible in the world of movies. Dead players did return to play in Costner's field, after all. However, in terms of public health, this hasn't worked for 50 years and might not for another 50. Excellent services and fantastic medical technology do not sell themselves, and MAT will endure if the Kevin Costner Syndrome does.
How is Kevin Costner Syndrome treated?
Dr Everold Hosein, a health communication expert, asserted that "new, invigorated social mobilization and communication strategies rigorously focused on specific, discreet behavioral outcomes" are required. Dr Hosein further elaborated by using the WHO's Communication for Behavioral Impact (COMBI) as an illustration of an effective tactic.
The Kevin Costner Syndrome makes us oblivious to the obvious: To motivate people to adopt the behaviors that would improve their health, we need much more targeted, creative, and purposeful social mobilization and communication programs, Dr Hosein claims.
Synopsis of 'Field of Dreams'
Ray Kinsella, an Iowa farmer, is motivated to follow a dream he finds hard to comprehend by a voice he can't ignore. Ray embarks on the journey with his wife's support, transforming his regular cornfield into a spot where dreams can come true, per IMDb.
Kinsella hears a voice saying, "If you build it, he will come." He sees it as a directive to erect a baseball field on his property, where Shoeless Joe Jackson and the rest of the seven Chicago White Sox players who were disqualified for tossing the 1919 World Series manifest in ghostly form. When the voices persist, Ray seeks out a reclusive writer to explain the messages and the significance of his field to him.
In addition to earning $84 million at the box office, the film was nominated for three Academy Awards. It was included in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2017. The Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees competed in the inaugural MLB @ Field of Dreams game in 2021, which was held at the "Field of Dreams" filming location in Dyersville, Iowa. The MLB game was the first one ever held in the state.
