Perfect World

An intelligent and resourceful prison escapee named Butch Haynes (Kevin Costner) takes an eight-year-old boy (T.J. Lowther) hostage, as Haynes roams across Texas in the early 1960s. Meanwhile, the authorities, headed by a Texas Ranger (Clint Eastwood), set out to capture Haynes, in an Airstream trailer.

Costner does a fine job as Haynes, an interesting character who happens to like waltz music. Lowther is equally good in his role, a boy who comes from a family whose religious beliefs are quite strict. On their sojourn, the boy acquires, and sometimes wears, a Casper-the-friendly-ghost mask, a symbol of childhood innocence that contrasts nicely with the seriousness of a dangerous hostage situation.

The relationship between Haynes and the kid evolves into a kind of father-son union, wherein Haynes does most of the talking, and the kid reacts, usually with clever, nonverbal expressions. It's a good acting arrangement that plays up the strengths of both actors. It's the best element of the film.

Throughout their odyssey, a collection of oldies pop songs helps to capture the early 1960's era, though I could have wished that the volume had been turned up. Haynes' goal is Alaska, but he doesn't quite get there, and the film ends much more interestingly than it began.

The main problem with the film is the plot. It gets off to a hokey, contrived start. And, throughout the film, the law enforcement component does not work at all. It comes across as stereotyped, irritating, unnecessary, and it is not funny despite attempts to make it funny. You get the feeling you're watching reruns of "The Dukes Of Hazard", especially with that corny trailer.

Even so, the film is worth watching, for the acting accomplishments of Costner and Lowther, and for the interesting dialogue that takes place between their two characters.

An average story made good by quality acting. Kevin Costner turned in one of his best performances. Just as his character would start to win you over because of his positive interactions with the boy, he'd do something awful and remind you that he's really a bad guy and that he'd taken the boy hostage. So even though he's a criminal, he's got a good side and obviously his bad upbringing took him down the wrong path in life. I though TJ Lowther was also excellent as the boy and was very believable. On the other side is Clint Eastwood as the tough law man who cares more about catching his criminal than making his bosses happy. And last, but not least, Laura Dern was also very good as Clint's cohort in catching the bad guy. While Clint relies on his years of experience, she comes from the psychological side and what she's read in books. They often disagree, but there is a mutual respect between them even if they don't show it. There are enough light moments to keep this otherwise serious movie from being a turn off.

*** (Out of 4)

Simply a great movie. I gained a new respect for Costner after seeing this movie. He's always good as baseball players and cowboys, but this character is really a perfect fit for Costner. Combines all the elements that add up to a great Costner performance: humor (Crash Davis from Bull Durham)+ dark violence seething under the surface (Charly from Open Range)+ Child-like enthusiasm (Ray Cansella from Field of Dreams). Severely underrated, A Perfect World stands right up there Eastwood's best behind the camera achievements. And in case you haven't figured this out yet; Eastwood is the man, so do yourself a favor and check this movie out.

There are numerous directions Clint Eastwood and screenwriter John Lee Hancock could've taken in his film, A Perfect World, and the one he sucks up and follows is a brave, endearing roller-coaster of emotion, sentiment, and commentary all providing slick and clean moments robbed of mawkish sequences. This is the seventeenth directing effort by Eastwood himself, cementing the fact that the question of whether or not he is a better actor or director can never be answered. There are far too many examples to back up both.

A Perfect World begins by showing us a deeply depraved, saddening family of devout Jehovah's Witnesses. Phillip Perry (T.J. Lowther) is a young boy, victim to not having birthdays, holidays, or events that pack in true joy for a child because of his mother's preposterous rules. His two sisters are too the victims. When a robbery is committed in the house, Kevin Costner's "Butch" Haynes takes the kid as a hostage, and Butch's loudmouth partner just waves a gun around and causes mayhem.

When he is finally abandoned long after the robbery, Butch and Phillip discover they have a lot more in common with each other than they could've imagined. Butch's dad was never around, and his mother was a prostitute, accompanied by men they couldn't care less about him. Phillip's dad is a simple deadbeat, never there and never going to be. The film shows how destructive and possibly dehumanizing it can be without a prominent male influence in your life. I'm blessed to have two caring parents and that has helped me in more ways than I can imagine.

It's big shame that many grow up today fatherless. An argument could be made about what is tougher; growing up with no mother, or no father. Without a father, you don't get the "time to be a man" talk, you never feel you can ask personal body questions to anyone, and this leads to the lack of parental supervision, causing kids to perhaps meander the streets aimlessly. Without a mother, you've lost the softness every person must occupy. You lack the necessity of, maybe, truly being safe and cared for. Sure a man could do so, but answer me this; when children cry, do they want mommy or daddy? I've trailed off course. A subplot of A Perfect World involves Eastwood's Texas Ranger Red Garnett and his crew on hot pursuit, destined to find Butch and Phillip. The subplot sounded so obligatory on paper, but writer Hancock is intelligent about keeping it a minimal occurrence. Not to mention, it isn't as intrusive or as dopey as it seems. It's actually taken with a lot of seriousness and heart.

Performance-wise, the film is around the clock superb. Much acclaim is due to Costner's character, who is serenely nuanced enough to make a true, memorable character. He has an outer-layer of cruelty but an inner layer of gooey anti-cynicism which comes forth very quickly. T.J. Lowther is spunky and charismatic as little Phillip, and Eastwood, do I even need to say it? Is incredible.

A Perfect World may extend a bit over the recommended time limit, but few, few spots are dry, the script is always attentive, and the casting and directing style of Eastwood is fitting and balanced. This is probably Costner's most dedicated and engaging performances, yet due to the moderate box office receipts and the minimal impact, it has likely made him reconsider serious roles. Same thing could possibly go for Robert De Niro. It's undoubtedly easier to immerse yourself into a character that is thin, vacuous, and dull than one that is developed, deep, and potential-ridden. Eastwood has made a sentimental gem of a picture, with topics that hit seemingly hit every note but.

Starring: Kevin Costner, T.J. Lowther, and Clint Eastwood. Directed by: Clint Eastwood.

Clint Eastwood is an outstanding Director. He directs A Perfect World masterly and we really feel en emotional involvement with the characters and the story.

T.J. Lowther is fantastic as the boy kidnapped by Butch (Kevin Costner), and it is great to see an unlikely friendship develop between the two despite their huge difference in background and age. Costner becomes almost like a father figure for Buzz, and the ending is slightly overdrawn and predictable, but is nonetheless deeply saddening.

Costner gives a great performance as the escaped convict, and despite his homicidal tendencies, we actually feel empathy towards him at some points of the film and feel that he is actually a casualty of bad circumstances rather than a blood thirsty killer.

Eastwood himself plays a reliable part as Chief Red Garnett, but he is very much in the background and he plays a bit-part character as he tries to track down Costner.

I am a big fan of Clint Eastwood both as a Director and actor. If you want to watch a film that really engages you in watching character development and does not focus on action, then this is a must-see.