In Defense Of............Kevin Costner

     Well, due to a strange work schedule I had this week, I was not able to make any postings all week long but that will not become the norm. I've had ideas for several things I would like to do but finding the time to sit down and put it into words has been a challenge. This posting will be the first of what I hope will become a series of articles where on occasion I will come to the defense of an actor, movie, etc. which I feel are unfairly looked down upon by the general public. Like I said in my first post, I will not bow down and go with the majority of people on an issue just because I want to be part of the "in crowd", that's not me. So I hope that's what this will eventually become, a series of articles where I can defend some of my favorites.

      Now that we got that out of the way, I want to open by coming to the defense of an actor who has been in some of the best films I have ever seen and gets a bad rap for reasons I don't believe are justified. That man is Kevin Costner. I don't know how many conversations I have been involved in about movies and if Costner's name comes up it seems like there is always someone there ready to roll their eyes or make a negative comment. What I love is that about 90% of those times if you press these people on why they feel negative towards him, they ALL say something along the lines of "Well, he was in that stupid Waterworld movie. That was the worst movie ever made." So you follow up by asking if they have seen any other films of his. "Well no, he's a terrible actor. Why would I see anything else after Waterworld." I have literally had this conversation more than once before. I don't get this!! Okay, I understand you may have disliked that movie (By the way, I think "Waterworld" is underrated and isn't that bad. Sue me) but how many actors can you name that don't have a dud somewhere?? It's very rare. During one of these conversations I had someone suggest to me that Harrison Ford didn't have any duds. Really??? That's interesting. Because while I love Harrison Ford you wanna tell me that he wouldn't mind having "Six Days Seven Nights" disappear from the resume? And don't even get me started on the most recent Indiana Jones film. I'll take "Waterworld" over that dreck any day of the week. Now, do I think Costner has made some bad films? Absolutely. "The Postman" and "3000 Miles To Graceland" should cease to exist in my opinion. "Dragonfly" and "Mr. Brooks" were movies I was looking forward to but were highly disappointing and would not be recommended by me. But the list of stuff that ranges from good to near perfect far outweighs the bad for Costner in my humble opinion.

     I will list my top 10 Costner films, all of which are recommended viewing, and the top 5 of these I would all give 5 stars to, a perfect ranking. Of these, the top 3 would all be in my top 10 films of all-time. I think that highly of these films. In a lot of cases I don't think Costner's acting abilities are what puts the movie over the top, but he certainly does not bring the movies down. With all that said, let's start the list with some honorable mentions. Films that are recommended but not in the top 10. Give them a shot though: American Flyers, No Way Out, Dances With Wolves (Costner's only 2 Oscar wins), Wyatt Earp, Waterworld, Tin Cup, Thirteen Days, Open Range and Swing Vote. Now on to the list.

10.   The Guardian (2006) - Costner stars as a veteran Coast Guard rescue swimmer who after a tragic accident involving his crew is sent to become a trainer for new recruits. Ashton Kutcher also stars as a cocky new recruit who Costner must develop and be a mentor to. Cliched at times for sure, but enjoyable for the most part.

9.     For Love Of The Game (1999) - If there is something Costner does well, it's baseball films. And this one is sort of the forgotten one of the three baseball films he has made, and that's unfortunate. Here he stars as a 40 year old pitcher at the end of his career, leading his Detroit Tigers team in a late season meaningless game against the New York Yankees. Costner is having a brilliant game that may be his best ever and during the game Costner's character reflects back on his playing career and the romantic relationship he develops with Jane, played by Kelly Preston. This is a hidden gem of a film and very uplifting.

8.     Bull Durham (1988) - This was the first of the baseball trilogy and is regarded as a classic. Many consider it the best baseball film period and while I think it's very good, I think that's a bit much. Especially considering I don't think it's even Costner's best baseball film, but I understand the argument for sure. Costner is a veteran minor league catcher who is involved in a love triangle with the new hot shot pitcher played by another favorite of mine, Tim Robbins, and the team "groupie" played by Susan Sarandon. This is just a fun movie and if you like baseball it's a must see.

7.     The War (1994) - This is an example of a movie that I love but not because of Costner's performance. Here he is outshined by two youngsters played by Elijah Wood and Lexi Randall who are Costner's children in the film. Costner is a veteran who has returned home from Vietnam and is scarred by his time there. His kids are having difficulties of their own with a family of children who are bullying them. Costner teaches Wood and Randall many life lessons he has learned in Vietnam, including what is worth fighting for. This is an OVERLY sentimental movie but I love where it's heart is at. Yes, this movie made me cry, I ate up the sentimentality. And I'm happy to admit that!!

6.     Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) - This is another film that Costner gets bashed on a lot. What is the reason I get a lot of times? His accent wasn't right for Robin Hood...........Who cares!!! Really. There's a lot of great action in this film. Alan Rickman steals the movie as the Sheriff of Nottingham. Morgan Freeman is here giving a great performance. This is just a fun film, get over the voice people. Seriously.

5.     The Untouchables (1987) - This is the first of the 5-star films for me. Brian De Palma directing. Costner as Eliot Ness. Robert DeNiro as Al Capone. Sean Connery in one of his best roles. What more do you want? Okay, how about 10 of the most intense minutes when Costner and Andy Garcia attack Capone's men inside Union Station. The scene is based on the Odessa Steps scene from the film "Battleship Potemkin". To me, it's on the great scenes in movie history and is Filmmaking 101.

4.     The Bodyguard (1992) - Well, here is another controversial one. The Bodyguard won many awards.....Razzies!! Which are given the night before the Oscars to the worst films of the year. That's unfortunate because this is a great film. Whitney Houston is very good in her role and who can argue with the music, it's simply fantastic. Is the ending a little predictable? Yeah, probably. But I really enjoyed the buildup, especially the scenes when Costner takes Houston's family to his fathers cabin in the woods. This is just a good film, sorry haters.

3.    A Perfect World (1993) - It could have easily been called A Perfect "Movie", because it's about as close as you can come. This is in my opinion Costner's finest acting performance and here it is instrumental to the success of the film, unlike some of his other movies. Costner plays Butch Haynes, an escaped convict who is on the run from the law and through a series of events ends up with a little boy as hostage. Clint Eastwood plays a Texas Ranger who leads a team on the road in search of Butch and the boy. The film was also directed by Eastwood and why this didn't get more recognition at Oscar time is beyond me. The critics even agree with me on this one as it has a respectable 81% favorable rating on Rotten Tomatoes. If you do not take my word for any other movie on this list, do it for this one. Trust me. If you haven't seen it, do so.

2.     Field Of Dreams (1989) - This is the one Costner movie that people seem to enjoy more than others, even those who are not Costner fans. Fathers and sons seem especially pulled in by this film and I know why. I have seen this movie I don't know how many times, and I cry EVERY time at the end. I just can't help it, it means that much to me. For those who have seen it you know what I'm talking about with the ending, so I won't ruin the surprise if you haven't seen it. But this movie is just completely heartwarming. I don't even think you have to be a baseball fan to enjoy it, although it helps.

1.     JFK (1991) - If not for the Star Wars saga and The Shawshank Redemption, this would be my favorite film ever made. Once again the critics seem to agree with me as it has an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was one of the few Costner films to get serious Oscar recognition. The movie won for Cinematography and Editing (well deserved) and was nominated for several others including Best Picture,  Tommy Lee Jones for Supporting Actor and Oliver Stone for Director. It's ridiculous that Costner didn't get a nomination but what can you do. I can't argue TOO much with the losses since this was the year that another favorite of mine, Silence Of The Lambs, swept all the major awards. But Costner deserved a nomination for sure. The film is based on the true story of New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison who is the only person to bring someone to trial for the murder of President John F. Kennedy. Garrison strongly believed there was a conspiracy involved in the assassination and the movie tells the story of his investigation. It's not for everyone as this is a history movie sort of but it is put together so well and features one of the deepest, and strongest, casts I can think of. There's not much else to say, it's a classic, pure and simple.

      Well, if you were not a Costner fan I hope I may have inspired you to try out some of his other films. If not, that's cool too. I'd be happy to listen to arguments, just please don't give me the "Well he made Waterworld" argument. It gets old after awhile.