Field of Dreams(ing) on ‘Saving Grace’

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Let me start this Saving Grace recap with a digression …

It just so happens I’ve been watching a lot of Field of Dreams of late (part of a Kevin Costner Love Fest that my STARZ! Movie Channel is running throughout the month of July).

Now, I love this movie – loved it in 1989 when it was first released, still love it 20 years later. Remember when you had to pay $89.99 to buy a VHS tape of a newly released movie before it hit the $19.99 bargain price? Probably not (depending on how old you are), but hey, that was me with this movie (and I still have the original tape lying around somewhere).

Anyhoooooo, Field of Dreams is pretty much the only movie in which I can actually stand Kevin Costner (sorry, KC fans … he’s, like, the same in every movie, and I get bored with his monotone delivery of lines). That aside, the film itself is pretty darn good. It throws into question one’s beliefs about the Afterlife, Heaven, God. Or, in layman's terms, can one really build a baseball diamond in the middle of a cornfield in Iowa, have the ghosts of baseball’s past come play on it, and simultaneously reunite father and son for a never - got - to - say - goodbye - have - a - catch - moment?

In movies terms, yes. In real life, dunno.

It’s also got a fantastic supporting cast.

And that includes Amy Madigan.

So, imagine my surprise when Annie Kinsella herself (that would be Amy’s character from FoD) appeared as a guest star on this week’s episode of Saving Grace, playing the somewhat quirky, loopy wife of this week’s murder victim.

Hmmm, if Holly Hunter builds it, they will come?

Apparently.

Ed Ligardi was the evidence supervisor for the Grace squad, about ready to retire after 38 years, and not a super popular guy. Read: as entertaining as a doornail. When he turns up dead in the bathroom at the squad’s hangout whilst Grace and Ham are fooling around in a stall right as the murder happens, well … it gets interesting (like we said, this show hasn’t completely abandoned the wardrobe malfunctions). And when we come to find out it’s Madigan’s Gretchen, Ed’s wife, who is the prime suspect, well … it gets really interesting.

And genius.

I swear, Madigan’s portrayal of Gretchen was like some sort of cross-between Dustin Hoffman in Rainman and Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs. That’s right folks … looks like ol’ Gretchy decided to cap Ed ‘cause hey, she didn’t want him home all the time, either. How she fooled everyone into thinking it wasn’t her was equally clever. Like, is she really crazy, or is she only pretending to be crazy? The closing scene made me think more along the lines of Hannibal Lecter than Raymond Babbitt.

As if Madigan’s appearance wasn’t ironic enough, this week had some serious focus on two recurring dreams that Grace and her convict - also - needs - a - last - chance - angel - cohort Leon Cooley are having simultaneously (compliments of Angel Earl, of course). In Leon’s dream, Grace is asking him for help. In Grace’s dream, Leon asking her for help.

Hmmm … perhaps we have some easing of his/her pain?

I’m telling ya’ … weird Field of Dreams / Saving Grace crossover moments happening in my living room last night.

Perhaps I’ll go the distance next?


Other highlights:

Ham Has a Bro’: We got introduced to Ralph Dewey this week, who is a First Lieutenant serving in the Marines in Iraq. Ham breaks his arm in a little arm-wrestling, bro’-on-bro’ macho action, but hey, trifles, right?

Ham Has a Place: Er, we think it is. Like, how small is that apartment? Clearly not on Detective Lilly Rush’s live - in - a - row - home in Philly salary, or Grace’s dump of a house salary (sorry, but she is a slob; and yet, at least she’s got a house). Poor Ham.

Pillow Talk with IA: Ooooohhhhh! Captain Kate is having a little somethin’ somethin’ with an IA investigator (played by the always good Steven Culp). This supports Lorraine Toussaint’s reveal to us during our visit to the set that Captain Kate does indeed get it on – one of her requests for her character this season. Go Lorraine, but watch out Kate.

New episodes air Mondays at 10 p.m. on TNT. You can watch full episodes of the show anytime over on the show’s official Web site. You can also visit EmbraceYourGrace.com to share your stories of how you embrace your inner-Grace.