A Perfect World (1993)

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writer (WGA):

John Lee Hancock (written by)

Release Date:

24 November 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Crime | Thriller

Plot:

A kidnapped boy strikes up a friendship with his captor: an escaped convict on the run from the law, headed by an honorable U.S. Marshal.

Plot Keywords:

Man Boy Relationship | Birmingham Alabama | Nose Bleed | Child Driving Car | Panhandle

Cast

Kevin Costner	...	Robert 'Butch' Haynes
Clint Eastwood	...	Chief Red Garnett
Laura Dern	...	Sally Gerber
T.J. Lowther	...	Phillip 'Buzz' Perry
Keith Szarabajka	...	Terry Pugh
Leo Burmester	...	Tom Adler
Paul Hewitt	...	Dick Suttle
Bradley Whitford	...	Bobby Lee
Ray McKinnon	...	Bradley
Jennifer Griffin	...	Gladys Perry
Leslie Flowers	...	Naomi Perry
Belinda Flowers	...	Ruth Perry
Darryl Cox	...	Mr. Hughes
Jay Whiteaker	...	Superman
Taylor Suzanna McBride	...	Tinkerbell

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence, sexual content and language. (on appeal)

Runtime:

138 min | Germany:125 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | South Korea:12 | Philippines:R-18 | Portugal:M/16 | Germany:12 | USA:PG-13 (DVD and VHS) | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Malpaso Productions

Trivia:

Director Clint Eastwood originally intended to give the role of Butch to Denzel Washington.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Butch is blocked by the police car in the alley he puts the car in reverse and rams the squad car without any damage to his own. In fact, throughout the whole ordeal with the two squad cars he manages to keep the car from being damaged at all.

Quotes:

Chief Red Garnett: [interrupting a confrontation] How you take your steak, Sally?
Sally Gerber: Snarling: RARE!.
Chief Red Garnett: Well, I'll just wipe its ass, hurl it through and you can tear off a slab. How'd that be?
Sally Gerber: Maybe medium-rare.

Movie Connections:

References Bull Durham (1988)

Soundtrack:

Blue Blue Day

Waltz Across Texas

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.