A Perfect World (1993)
Kevin Costner is a pretty likable guy. Even when he’s an escaped convict who kidnaps a child. While A Perfect World isn’t a comedy, it’s hardly a drama either. Costner kidnaps T.J. Lowther, and practically from the get-go, they act like bosom buddies. Only once does this kid ask to be taken back to his family, which I found a little confusing. He’s been kidnapped by a gun-waving convict, and he bonds to him as a father figure. But, since the boy’s father isn’t in the picture, I guess that might be the point of the movie.
Clint Eastwood (who also directs) is the cutie-pie cop trailing Costner, and Laura Dern is absolutely adorable as the federal agent assigned to help him. Her Southern accent is very charming, and they make a very cute onscreen couple, whether or not romance enters the plot.
No one’s character is really developed or explained. Costner is obviously a bad guy, but he fathers this kid for no reason. Despite teaching the boy to steal, con, lie, and run from the police, he’s supposed to share a special “aw shucks” bond with him? The kid interrupts Costner when he’s about to get lucky, but instead of shooing him away or yelling at him, he says goodbye to the woman, gets back in the car with the kid, and tells the impressionable boy that he was in love with the woman (a waitress he only knew for five minutes). Is he trying to teach the boy good or bad things? I wasn’t really sure. All in all, it’s a pretty predictable movie, but it’s not a terrible one.
More Kevin Costner movies here!
Clint Eastwood (who also directs) is the cutie-pie cop trailing Costner, and Laura Dern is absolutely adorable as the federal agent assigned to help him. Her Southern accent is very charming, and they make a very cute onscreen couple, whether or not romance enters the plot.
No one’s character is really developed or explained. Costner is obviously a bad guy, but he fathers this kid for no reason. Despite teaching the boy to steal, con, lie, and run from the police, he’s supposed to share a special “aw shucks” bond with him? The kid interrupts Costner when he’s about to get lucky, but instead of shooing him away or yelling at him, he says goodbye to the woman, gets back in the car with the kid, and tells the impressionable boy that he was in love with the woman (a waitress he only knew for five minutes). Is he trying to teach the boy good or bad things? I wasn’t really sure. All in all, it’s a pretty predictable movie, but it’s not a terrible one.
More Kevin Costner movies here!