A Perfect World (1993)

Kidnapped boy Phillip Perry (T.J. Lowther) strikes up a friendship with his captor Butch Haynes (Kevin Costner): an escaped convict on the run from the law, while the search is headed up by honorable Texas Ranger "Red" Garrett (Clint Eastwood).

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writer:

John Lee Hancock

Stars:

Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood, Laura Dern

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

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

Storyline

After escaping from a Huntsville prison, convict Robert "Butch" Haynes (Kevin Costner) and his partner Terry Pugh (Keith Szarabajka) kidnap a young boy, Phillip Perry (T.J. Lowther), and flee across Texas. As they travel together, Butch and Phillip discover common bonds and suffer the abuses of the outside "Perfect World". In pursuit is Texas Ranger "Red" Garnett (Clint Eastwood) and Criminologist Sally Gerber (Laura Dern).

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Plot Keywords:

escaped convict | anti hero | 1960s | child uses a gun | child with a gun | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violence, sexual content and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Near the end of this movie, Robert "Butch" Haynes (Kevin Costner) yells to Texas Ranger "Red" Garrett (Clint Eastwood) from afar that he's going to Mexico. Costner starred in Revenge (1990), which was set in Mexico.

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Goofs

When Phillip's mother is serving the eggs for breakfast, there is a small cut visible above her eyebrow. Later the cut disappears but reappears freshly when she is attacked.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[Butch lies in a grassy meadow, next to a Casper the Friendly Ghost mask; he opens his eyes as money begins to flutter over him, and looks up at the overhead sun, which is then blocked out by a helicopter, and Butch closes his eyes again; CUT TO: an early Halloween evening as costumed children run about the street; inside the Perry home, the three children sit around the kitchen table]
Naomi Perry: If I was going, I'd go as a, um...
Ruth Perry: A princess!
Naomi Perry: A - yes! Judy Baumer's going as a twirler.
Ruth Perry: But she's ...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Overlooked Gems from Well-Known Directors (2015)

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Soundtracks

Sea of Heartbreak
Written by Hal David and Paul Hampton
Performed by Don Gibson
Courtesy of the RCA Records Label of BMG Music

User Reviews

Eastwood and (especially) Costner Deliver

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.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 November 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Perfect World

Filming Locations:

Steiner Ranch - 896 Sayers Road, Bastrop, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,075,582, 28 November 1993

Gross USA:

$31,130,999

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$135,130,999

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Malpaso Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

138 min 125 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1