A Perfect World

 A Perfect World 1993

• Director: Clint Eastwood
• Seen by this director: Sully, Jersey Boys, Invictus, Million Dollar Baby, Mystic River, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, The Bridges of Madison County, Bird
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood, Laura Dern, T J Lowther
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Kevin Costner – Molly’s Game, Man of Steel, Swing Vote, Rumour Has It, The Postman, Waterworld, Bodyguard, JFK, Robin Hood, Dances with Wolves, Field of Dreams, Bull Durham, Silverado, Stacey’s Knights
• Clint Eastwood – Million Dollar Baby, The Bridges of Madison County
• Laura Dern – The Fault in Our Stars, Star Wars the Last Jedi, Wild, I Am Sam, Citizen Ruth, Jurassic Park, Wild at Heart
• Why? I remember it as being good
• Seen: Once before. Now 15 May 2022      

       Texas 1963. Butch (Costner) escapes from prison and takes a little boy, Philip (Lowther) hostage. It’s Texas Ranger Red’s (Eastwood) job to catch him. Criminologist Sally (Dern) is assigned to the case. Red is macho but his colleagues are worse but Sally is feisty and smart and gives as good as she gets.

       Surprisingly it works. It’s funny at times, grim at others, and often touching. Costner is at his best, Dern is good, Lowther is outstanding and even Eastwood is almost human.

       It’s no masterpiece but it goes deeper than the feel-good it appears to be at times.      

4* of 5