Kevin Costner shares more praise for John Mulaney’s Field of Dreams Oscars joke

Actor has shared his appreciation for the comedian’s take on his 1989 film

Kevin Costner has showered further praise onto John Mulaney for his take on Field of Dreams at this year’s Oscars.

Before presenting the award for Best Sound at the ceremony in March, comedian Mulaney went off on a tangent while explaining the plot of the 1989 film, which starred Costner as a baseball fan who hears voices urging him to build a playing field in his garden.

In a new conversation with People, Costner, 69, shared his appreciation for the comic’s take on the movie, calling the bit “amazing”.

“I couldn’t believe that guy. Amazing. I watched it a second time,” Costner told the publication.

“What a chance, because there’s always people at the Oscars trying to rush you. “And he went fast. But what he said, I was very touched by it. I should talk to him, because I was really impressed. He was a genius.”

On the stage, Mulaney kicked off his speech for the Achievement in Sound category by noting the triumphs in sound that the industry has seen so far.

“For years, movies didn’t have sound, and then they figured it out,” he began. “Some people say that the silent era was the golden era of film – these people are difficult and insane.”

Kevin Costner and John Mulaney (Getty)

“Without sound we wouldn’t have been able to hear such classic lines as ‘You’re going to need a bigger boat.’”

Mulaney then chose to break down the plot of Field of Dreams, referring to the sounds that motivated Costner’s character.

“Or what about that moment in Field of Dreams where we hear, ‘If you build it, he will come,’ and then Costner does it, he builds a baseball field,” he said.

“Or I guess he doesn’t build it – he mows down corn, and then there is a field and he’s like, ‘I’m going to watch ghosts play baseball,’ and the bank is like, ‘You wanna pay your mortgage?’ And he’s like, ‘Nah, I’m gonna watch ghosts play baseball.’”

John Mulaney at the Oscars (Getty Images)

The audience responded to his witty evaluation of the film with laughter.

On Instagram, Costner shared his appreciation for the moment soon after it happened by reposting the clip with the caption: “Not a bad summary.”

He added: “Congrats to all the nominees and winners @theacademy Awards Sunday night. So many great performances to celebrate this year.”

Field of Dreams received three Academy Award nominations in 1990 for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score, but didn’t win in any category.

You can find the winners from the 2024 ceremony here.